ALSphere Foundation
2005 saw me turning into a dynamic and confident young lady- all of 23! “Pongal” was round the corner. The family opined that the harvest festival would be a good start for my soul-mate hunting without ‘My’ knowledge.
This revelation was shocking. I, being a rebel, fought for days. My overtly emotional parents convinced me that the hunt that had just begun would take at least two years to finalize.
A few eager parents of prospective grooms made random calls to match horoscopes. Nothing seemed to be working. I was secretly elated. Amidst serious preparations and my final year B.A. exams lurking, the phone rang one lazy afternoon.
I reached for it. A sweet voice on the other end went: “Hello! Is this the residence of Mr. Radhakrishnan?”
Me: “Yes, it is. How can I help you?”
Voice: “We have found his daughter, Lakshmi’s horoscope matching our son’s. We are from Kolkata and a trip to Mumbai is on our cards. Would it be convenient for us to visit your place next week?”
Me: (pausing in shock) “I could note your number and pass it to my father”.
What followed was a series of fast-forwarding events. The return phone call, visit from parents of the prospective groom-to-be, exchanging photographs, evening snacks, email ids, and done!
The matchmaking was finalized without the boy and girl meeting each other face to face.
Way back in 2005, India was still way behind in technology and Yahoo! was probably the only popular mailing site.
From the first mail that I sent out to the prospective groom, the return mail acknowledging its receipt in April, from the first phone call in May, to several hours of International satellite calling every day thereafter, the Cupid had already struck!
By the end of June, both Ajoy and Lakshmi were head over heels in love.
The dates for the D- Day were fixed, the venue was booked, advance payments were made, and yet, both Ajoy and Lakshmi were waiting to meet eye to eye. The company had sign-off dates decided. Ajoy said he wouldn’t fly to Kolkata directly without meeting the girl he is planning to marry.
Eager preparations were on and the day arrived on the fateful month of July when Mumbai was drowning in monsoon floods. 21st of July, 2005, Ajoy’s flight from Australia to Mumbai landed after much delay. I was dressed in a salwar suit with minimal makeup but a natural glow on my face and sparkle in my eyes. Passengers had started disembarking but my sailor boy was no where in sight. I was nervous and every second seemed like an hour. Finally, I could see a figure emerge from the corner. My heart was quite sure it was “him”. As the figure drew to a close, Ajoy headed straight towards me, his majestic frame and muscular arms enveloped me into a warm, comforting bear hug. The moment was frozen. The love birds had met as he gently whispered, “You are my destiny!”…
(P.S. The above story is an inspiration from my life experience on matchmaking and being able to find the perfect partner. Thank you for the opportunity.)
