AND we complete two years of marriage today! A big hurrah!
I know I am the nth person to have said this, but marriage does affect you in all sort of unimaginable ways. So no inventions or new-found truth here, when I say that it did affect me as well. This is to be read as an account of experience, confessions, and may be, curiosity.
Marriage has been a word having multiple connotative-denotative attached meanings. In today's age of exploring new options, openness in relationships, globalized/westernized outlook towards social institutions, and ever-changing world around us, getting into the matrimonial bond is an option most of us take, (number of those who stay away from matrimony is still very less) without the slightest idea of what future holds.
We too did. In spite of courting for almost four years before we got married, it was an adventure we were taking on. It does not matter whether you know the person for four years or two weeks. Staying together for 24/7 is a different ballgame. For one, we were happy that were finally getting to stay together putting all those long distance years and expensive phone calls to end! But it was also a process of getting to know the real us, appreciating the smaller gestures, tolerating each other at times, completely disliking something at times, discussing, making up, and being wiser by the day.
We did change cities after first year of marriage. The first year was spent in Chennai, along with Paa. We adjusted to each other's continuous presence, and loved it. We explored the city of Chennai, with it's food joints, roads, beaches, small trips, speaking Tamil and filter coffee. Dealing with a new city together must have strengthened our bond further. Even though we have now moved back to Pune for good, life in Chennai is associated with the very first year of our marriage, and hence, Chennai will always have a very special place in my mind in spite of the horrendous roads, climate and mosquitos! Mind it !
Moving back to Pune sounded a cake walk, not exactly did it prove to be. We moved back to the family home, started our respective careers and a joint life in Pune. And even though both of us have been Punekars, it took us sometime to figure out the way in sudden burst of activities, social life, family time, and adjusting again to our own city. Staying in a same city, after a gap of few years, in a different house, with a different family is an experience worth taking!
As every marriage, we too have had our shares of highs and lows in these two years. But marriage changed us upside down. It changed our reactions, our thought patterns, our behaviour, our expectations, our emotional graphs, our maturity and our sense of responsibility. Everything in this may not have been changed for better. But I am happy with the changes. I know life is ever changing. Nothing will remain the same as it was some time ago. And I have learned to accept the changes, both positive and negative. The changes may be expected or completely unexpected, but I am learning to welcome them in equal zeal.
Now is the exact moment that we entered matrimony two years ago, at around 10 am. It has been a crazy ride so far. Expecting many more such great moments, experiencing them together, learning from them, and growing up, as one pair of crazy, awesome and wise people!