Love’s Journey, Thus Far

It is not often these days that a college romance fructifies into wedlock. Corporate Citizen unlocks the story of love that has culminated into marriage, for we believe in the stability of a relationship and family unit. We bring to you real-life romances that got sealed in marriage

From childhood sweethearts to a happily married couple of over a decade and a half, Pune-based businessman Alnesh Somji and his better half, the effervescent Dimple, an entrepreneur and yoga professional in her own right, are proof positive that a solid marriage stands on the grounds of friendship and mutual understanding. What’s more, the couple have an abiding social conscience that is reflected in the work they do. Eight-year-old Adaah completes the circle of love

Witty and articulate, this is how Dimple Somji would sum up love and marriage. “Love isn’t pretty and romantic. Love is just stumbling through life with your best friend. Oh...and you can still throw in those red roses!!” she grins.

Obviously, fifteen years of matrimony and realism have their way, even as husband Alnesh chips in, “Love is cooking Maggi even when she says she isn’t hungry.”

Or as Dimple says, “It’s waking up at four am to his snoring and not shoving him off the bed...It’s going on crazy adventures and almost killing each other. Also throw in the late nights spent on binge watching Netflix followed by five am snoozes.”

Alnesh, “And don’t forget my annoying habit of photobombing pictures....”

Add to that an energetic eight-year-old daughter and you have a little family that’s tight-knit, warm and fun.

Back to the beginning

Love thy neighbour, but don’t get caught was their anthem!

“We met as neighbours in 1999,” they say. As it happened, Dimple helped a very shy Alnesh in his 10th-grade studies while Alnesh taught her how to play badminton every evening.

“When we first met, it was all about communication; we had no mobile phones or even landlines... there were no perks attached. We had to learn it the hard way. We survived on passing chits, whistling to each other, thumping the floors to let each other know- I am there for you!” shares Dimple about those crazy, heady days.

“The bike rides, the long car drives to Pune’s university road, the Sundays spent at Sinhagad, those lovely memories made us suckers for travel.

Then Alnesh had to shift to Mumbai for work and life became extremely difficult with no mobile phones as well. We spent hours at the PCO and the internet cafe.

Archies Gallery store was my favourite hangout, buying cards to send to Alnesh! Alnesh would travel every weekend to Pune on a bus just so that we could meet three hours over the weekend. Life was tough but we were totally in love.”

Despite the cross-cultural differences, given that he’s a Muslim, and she a Hindu, the couple managed to see their nuptials through, choosing to get married on Christmas Day. “Although the elders were worried, we were pretty sure that we wanted to be together. Luckily, we had started working by then. And our savings contributed to our engagement rings,” narrates Dimple.

“What a heady day it was. It was as if the whole world was celebrating with us,” says Alnesh.

They were 22 and 21 respectively. “In retrospect, an early marriage that entailed growing into adult responsibilities together, was the best thing ever. We learnt, stumbled and discovered life together,” he adds.

The Mantras Of Marriage

• Respecting and celebrating differences
• Focusing on gratitude and thankfulness
• Acceptance, humour and tolerance
• Keeping the fun element intact

In retrospect, an early marriage that entailed growing into adult responsibilities together, was the best thing ever

- Alnesh

The building blocks of marriage

“It helped that Alnesh’s family was open-minded and hugely evolved. In fact, my parental home was more conservative,” says Dimple. “They also insisted that we stay separately as that helps maintain the sweetness of relationships.”

Thus, their cultural differences weren’t that much of an issue. “As we said, we knew each other from school. That is really a strong foundation to have. Plus, my in-laws were supportive and welcoming, insisting that I work and lead my own life,” she says.

Even as Alnesh joined his family business and made a name for himself in housing construction, Dimple worked in the pre-school zone of education for about ten years, whilst simultaneously learning yoga. The birth of their daughter had Dimple taking a break-only to return with an NGO With Love that focuses on rural education.

Like every couple, they have their tiffs and differences but they don’t allow the differences to escalate. “There will always be parts of us that are odd, slightly awkward, and out of sync. But this is the partner you chose because you loved them and felt they were good for you. That is why you now need to stick by all the ups and downs. You can leave when life hits you in the face, but you have to choose to stay,” expresses Alnesh.

“See, relationships are messy. People don’t fit into neat little boxes. But your loyalty and commitment towards each other have to be greater than any obstacles that may crop up,” adds Dimple

However, the mutual admiration that the couple share, is palpable. “Alnesh, without any exaggeration is my heaven in human form. I never had a ‘type’, and when I met him, I instantly knew why! He was pure, grounded and mature. My shy guy, innocent with a huge appetite to love. His intelligence, the need to keep learning, self-made standing, the power to stand up for himself and patience, are commendable. Plus he’s a fabulous dad to Adaah,” says Dimple.

On his part, Alnesh marvels at the ease and grace with which she has embraced different roles. “From girlfriend to wife to mom she has done justice to each aspect of her life. At the same time, she has not let go of her fun-loving nature. She is my inspiration in my darkest moments,” he says. “She also thinks out of the box; she could reinvent the wheel if you asked her to.”

“Quality time consists of Alnesh cooking for the family, while Dimple brings the family together to meditate, ground themselves, do gratitude practice and go deep within.” We workout at the gym and practise yoga together and play sports. All festivals are celebrated with equal excitement. Music and movies are a big part of our life too,” he says.

Apart from this, they are die-hard fans of travel, veritable adventure junkies who love to skydive, scuba dive, ride helicopters, fly jet planes and live on the edge. “One of my favourite things to do is to book tickets for a quick weekend getaway and surprise Dimple with the same,” he says.

Bringing up baby

The couple believes: Children do what they see, not what you say. “This is the mantra we follow for Adaah. By providing her an environment where she sees and learns. A lot of emphasis is given to Emotional Intelligence and we have long conversations on emotions and life skills. Adaah practices yoga and she meditates. Sports and elocution are the other two important elements of her life. She runs her own NGO and YouTube channel at her age, focusing on the needs of kids less fortunate.

‘‘She maybe young but when it comes to kindness... her actions are big,” says Dimple. “What is important is that she is able to empathise with someone else’s loss and suffering. That is a quality we actively encourage. Together we make a good team,” rounds off the fond mommy.