When Love Triumphed Over The Lockdown

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

Despite the restrictions posed by the lockdown on the grim backdrop of the worldwide corona pandemic, Navi Mumbai based chemical engineer Sameer Sathe and economist bride Jyoti Chauhan chose to go ahead with their wedding as planned. The celebrations may have been scaled down; not so their spirit or dreams

The colours of joy: Sameer and Jyoti on
their wedding day

An ingenuous man once said: whence love shall will it, the will shall find a way.

The aforementioned lines seem perfectly tailored to the story of Sameer Sathe and better half Jyoti Chauhan. The ongoing lockdown may not have been anyone’s idea of a wedding celebration but ever the realists, the young couple decided to reconcile their dreams to the present situation. Besides, where has it been stated that a small wedding painstakingly put together by an imaginative young couple and their perseverant friends and immediate family cannot be a fun and happy affair?

Sure the venue was a bit of a change from what could have been a grand hall in Delhi (Jyoti’s hometown). And the floral decorations different- though ultimately, just as fragrant and joyous and colourful. The guest list of hundreds may have been replaced by a police permit for 15, but all of this simply highlighted a simple fact: marriage is a matter of commitment not scale.

“As the lockdown kept getting extended from March to April to May, we realised that this state of affairs would last long. The pandemic and the ensuing chaos were not going to go away anytime soon, and it was best we took a conclusive decision keeping the new reality in mind,” says Sameer. “Postponing the wedding indefinitely was not an option for either of us. Besides, Jyoti had shifted from her hometown, Delhi to Navi Mumbai to join her new job at India Ratings & Research”, he adds.

Fortunately for them, they were able to find a florist willing to sell them his entire supply of blossoms. Similarly, a few friends were able to help them source the wedding finery: a gorgeous yellow and green Kanjeevaram for Jyoti (the colours, typically those of a Maharashtrian bride), a silk kurta pyjama for Sameer and the all-important mangalsutra. “We were lucky enough to chance upon a pandit who could conduct our wedding at short notice because he had already bought all the pooja samagri for the weddings he had been originally scheduled to conduct. Since the latter stood cancelled, he was free to preside over ours, provided we picked him up,” narrates Sameer. Having lived in Vashi for the last 15 years, the parent worked tirelessly to rally neighbours and well-wishers to help us pull together all the essentials we needed.

Most romantic of all was the mehendi. “Despite our efforts, we could not find the all-important mehendi artiste to do the honours. Believe it or not, Sameer actually learnt how to draw the mehendi before undertaking to paint my hands,” says Jyoti. “And a fine job he did of it too.”

The wedding feast was home-cooked all the way: chhole, veg pulao, koshimbir, chappatis, basundi and ambavadi amongst others delicacies. The senior ladies, including both the Jyoti’s and Sameer’s mother and his grandmother, went all out to make it a memorable affair for everyone.

As for the guests, they may not have been physically present but both bride and groom had a two-fold request: would they join in on Zoom cam and would they dress up in traditional wear to add the pre-requisite festive air? “We were touched to see how much trouble they had taken over their attire, including those of our relatives who were signing in from different countries. Despite the massive time difference, the Paithanis and sherwanis seemed to be competing for attention. Everyone was such a good sport! It was just so sweet of our friends and family to accommodate this special request,” smiles Jyoti.

The wedding party present on the occasion included Sameer and Jyoti’s parents, friends and the priest. But the guests present online made up with their presence.

Thus supported and blessed by their loved ones, the duo were wed amidst good cheer and considerable laughter. “I think, as opposed to regular wedding ceremonies, this one really had everyone paying attention to the rituals and mantras as befitting the sanctity of the occasion,” says Sameer.

“I think, as opposed to regular wedding ceremonies, this one really had everyone paying attention to the rituals and mantras”

-Sameer

The Mantras Of A Marriage

• Shared interests, common values
• Willingness to listen to the other point of view
• Honesty, trust and transparency

Back to the beginning

This love story was first scripted three years ago. Sameer, an MS in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan had decided to return home in Navi Mumbai to set up his very own business Cilantro Chemicals Pvt Ltd. Considering that his other alma mater, the Matungabased institute UDCT, an affiliate of the University of Mumbai was the very seat of entrepreneurship as far as chemical engineering in India went, it was a given that he would think along the lines of setting up his own establishment. As things stand, Cilantro is a distributor of speciality chemicals.

On her part, Jyoti is pursuing her doctorate degree in International Economics at the Delhi School of Economics while working full-time.

Given their mutual propensity to work hard and party hard, the duo met at a common friend’s Christmas party. “We hit it off from the word go,” says Sameer. “So in that sense, it was the proverbial love at first sight.

With similar interests and a resonant sense of humour, Jyoti found herself laughing at his jokes. “He is witty and funny and sweet,” she says. “Besides, he is quite interested in economics and we had much to talk about.”

The conversation flowed, seamlessly and spontaneously. The duo exchanged numbers before Jyoti flew back to Delhi. “However, I did not expect things to go any further as we both lived so far apart,” says Sameer. “But I was pleasantly surprised to note that she was taking the trouble to keep in touch and take the conversation forward.”

What’s more, she also made it a point to touch base with his Mumbai friends and bond with them. “It was amazing how quickly she became one of us,” he marvels.

From strength to strength

One thing led to another, and gradually it began to become clear that the duo were meant to be. And so, one day he decided to sneak out of Mumbai to meet her in Delhi, a place he had not seen since childhood to pop the question.

“So yes, I made the formal proposal but only because I was sure her answer was going to be a positive one,” grins Sameer.

While Sameer’s Maharashtrian brahmin family was fine with the notion of an inter caste wedding, Jyoti’s parents had their initial misgivings.

“They were concerned that Mumbai was too far away - that I was marrying into an entirely different culture. However, once they had met him, all their doubts seemed to melt away,” she says. For the moment, plans for a honeymoon and grand wedding reception are on hold. “I am sure all of this will follow in due course,” says Sameer. “But for the moment, one must accept the demands of the situation.”

On the threshold of a future together, what are their notions of marriage? “Honesty, trust and transparency,” says Jyoti promptly. Sameer, on the other hand, feels that even as conflict is part and parcel of a relationship it is important to keep in mind the fact that your partner loves you and has your best interests at heart.