It was April 2000. I was in the second year of my Engineering degree course. Along with my class mates, I was in the theatre, thrilled to watch a movie. Those days, in Coimbatore, female hostelers going for a movie that too with guys was a big thing. I didn't care to know the heroine or the hero of the movie. But when I came out of the theatre, I became more "hungry" for the hero... An ardent fan for Mr. R. Madhavan was born out of the movie - "Alaipayuthey". My love for ManiRathnam movies soared big time. Delicate romance, drama, limited dialogues pouring out volumes of emotion, nail biting screenplay - all left a very satisfied feeling in me. Little did I know then this movie would later play out in my life.
Journey with "Alaipayuthey" started...
Year 2002: Final year of graduation. It was a farewell function 'Sayonara" (meaning "Good bye"in Japanese), conducted by our loving juniors. I got shortlisted to the final round of "Miss. Sayonara" contest. It was a tight corner round. This was the problem given to me, "You are madly in love with a guy. Both of you love each other, but your parents don't agree to it. And you both decide to commit suicide. What would you do now?"
I was quick to present my answer. "This is why Manirathnam created "Alaipayuthey". Don't commit suicide. Get married and stay in each other's homes. Once you have the courage to come out, live together!
From the judges panel, "but you have decided to commit suicide!" and I quipped, "After marriage staying away from each other is equivalent to suicide!" (If I were to answer it now, I would have told, "Getting married itself is committing suicide..." :D)
Huge applause... and then much to everybody's surprise, a wheat colour skinned, big spectacle'd, not so "attractive" girl, that's me was crowned Ms. Sayonara! Hehehe!
Year 2004: I had fallen in love with this guy. A guy from another caste, another language, another custom. No brownie points for guessing the parents' reaction. I had an elder sister who was not married then, pretty much the same scenario as in the movie. Eventually we both decided to do a registered marriage. Thankfully, my dad didn't have much qualms. He simply said, 'It is your life and you would have to bear the consequences of your decision.' But my partner's end was pretty rough.
He had come from US after a year, for our marriage. He didn't go home, got married to me first. After our so called marriage was over, I was at my home while he went to convince his parents. It was an encounter with a ferocious lion in its den, ready to pounce on him anytime. He employed silence, nonchalance as if nothing big happened. For more than a day or two, nobody was able to break into him. Then after enough provocation, huge emotional drama unfolded and then all was well at the end!
He continues to be the apple of his mom's eyes. I became a good friend to my mother-in-law, she become my role model in certain aspects and a big source of inspiration too. We in no time became a well adapted family. Kudos to both males of our family, my husband and my father-in-law. Humanity and sense prevailed. Love won everybody's hearts!
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| We test each other! :) |
I am the boss, I am the servent, I am the child, I am the mother! Jus that he wouldn't know what role I have assumed at a given point of time! :-) :-)
And the movie "Alaipayuthey" continues...
Fascinating movie and even more fascinating life! :-)
1 comment:
Simply fascinating
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