47 Years!

My Grandparents are celebrating their 47th wedding anniversary today.

47! That’s more than twice my lifetime!

As was the norm in their generation in India, they had an arranged marriage and my Grandfather went on to have a career in Finance at Indian Airlines, whilst it was the only airline in India finishing as the General Manager Finance for the South India region which also included hubs like Singapore and Mauritius. My Grandmom was the home maker and that’s pretty amazing for a woman of her dynamism and energy.

They were opposites in many senses. My Grandpa was very quiet and happy with a close knit family life while my Grandma was all about making friends and being social. They might have had very opposing view points but they played a great team game and still continue to do so today. (sometimes to our annoyance! :)) I’ve never heard them take opposing sides in an argument unless it’s Grandma picking on Grandpa!

(That’s Grandma, Mom and Grandpa on Visu i.e. New Year in traditional clothing)

And here are a couple of very interesting anecdotes.

Grandpa is a big fish lover. And of course, like many men, the way to his heart is through his stomach. Grandma, on the other hand, has never touched or tasted fish in her life but learnt and makes the best fish curry I’ve had the fortune to taste. Oh and yes, she’s never tasted the curry either but I can’t remember a single instance when Grandma’s fish curry was anything less than perfect. There’s real magic in love!

And Grandpa, on the other hand, is an incredible role model in many ways. He is a man of few words who always makes a point. And, in addition, he’s developed a wonderful sense of humour in his old age. The most amazing this about Grandpa is that in all 47 years, he has never said a single negative word about Grandma. Not a whisper about anything he would have liked her to differently or change. He may have done so in private but never in front of anybody else. If that isn’t inspiring, what is?

Love is a verb at the end of the day and relationships that stand the test of time are those which translate to great companionship. And they’ve been an incredible example.

My Grandparents practically took the role of my parents following Dad’s passing away and I think of them as such. And I can tell you that there are few better sights in life than watching a close 47 year old partnership going strong..

Thanks Ammamma and Mutachan, for everything. Happy anniversary! And here’s to many more..