Her father saw this young boy working and managing a petrol pump in Banu,Jhellum district and decided to send his daughter’s rishta to this family.

Pushpa lived with her family in Rawalpindi. They were engaged in 1947, to be married soon. He, tall and proud, she, small in size but not in spunk. While they celebrated, they couldn’t ignore the troubled times that the country they lived in was going through.

The brewing political unrest led to partition and their families had to flee Pakistan. Pushpa’s family reached Dehradun and after much searching, they got to know that her fiancé and his family had crossed over and lived in Ghaziabad.

On 27th April, 1948, they were married.

There started a journey of grit and hardwork and a grand romance. He educated himself, she supported his every move.They were called the 50:50 couple. Not one decision was taken without consulting the other and the world knew it. He would ask for a little time to think and discuss with his wife, she would state clearly, “uncle se pooch kar bataaongi – I will consult with Uncle and let you know”.

Their daughter Ranjana, remembers how when they were little kids living in Bombay, Aunty would get her children ready, then change herself, comb her hair, put on dark lipstick and wait in the evening for her husband to come home. Shringar was such an important ritual for women of that era.

Everyone in our building knew them as Anand uncle and Anand aunty. We were family friends. I was in their home often enough chatting with aunty, who was always “tip-top”, well turned out. Uncle, who retired as VP from Johnson and Johnson in Singapore and moved here to Bangalore with Aunty, would pursue his golf enthusiastically, return in the evening, place his golf hat on the hat rack by the door and greet us all with a smile.

When they stepped out, uncle would be formally dressed in a well fitted jacket, and aunty in a salwar kameez and flowing dupattas. They would hold hands and walk. He would lead, she would follow one step behind. Both of them “tip-top”.

They both knew me from when I was a young woman, always encouraging about my work in Bombay. When I moved here with Ketav, he became their daamaad – son in law – and got treated like one. My kids were born and badi Nani would have a treat waiting for them in her house for our visits.

Life got busy for me, my visits were less frequent, but we always kept in touch through calls on the intercom. Or Aunty would come up two floors to check on us if she hadn’t heard from me in a while.

In 2008, Anand aunty and Uncle celebrated 60 years of marriage on 27th April. Uncle had asked Ranjana to get her mother a saree she did not have. She bought this valkalam and he presented it to her at the pooja at ISKON.
She loved it and said she would wear it soon.

But she never did.

Uncle left us all that same year, in September, leaving Aunty heartbroken. This year, Aunty passed away.

When I met Ranjana a while after, she had already been cheering us all on the #100sareepact. At a lunch, she offered a saree each that belonged to Anand aunty, to my sister in law Shubha, her good friend, and to me.

I chose this saree not knowing about it’s history. Then she told me.

I came home carrying my precious gift which holds so many memories of Aunty and Uncle for me.

Today I wear the symbol of love between one of the most gracious couples that I have ever met.

Anand uncle and Anand aunty, this one is for you. Saree # 97 of the #100sareepact.

I have so many more stories to tell, and only three Sarees to go…