We often get excited and make plans for things we don’t fully understand or have limited knowledge about. Marriage can sometimes be one of them. Often scared about how our lives would turn out after marriage, we end up questioning ourselves about whether we can adapt to a whole new atmosphere or the constant presence of another person, or even whether we’ve chosen the right person. Yet, amongst all such hesitations, we crave the comfort and security of having someone to call home.
After a long and arduous day, when we return home, we yearn for that one person with whom we could chat, laugh, and discuss the world, as if we rested our heads on their lap, to find comfort and solace. Those splashes of touch, laced with love and respect, dilute the weight of our burdens, providing a sense of rejuvenation and tranquillity.
In a recent conversation with The Sens, the Statesman gathered insights into the potential of the unknown. Mr Sen, an associate professor of English in Kolkata, and Mrs Sen, a research assistant in a central government organisation, speak of their journey through marriage, emphasising the fact that sometimes embracing the unknown can lead to unexpected and positive outcomes.
The families of both individuals became acquainted through a matrimonial column advertisement. Surprisingly, after their fathers met, they were thrilled to discover shared connections. They both attended the same school and had a mutual fondness for The Statesman newspaper.
Their wedding was done in a very traditional and formal, pre-planned way on 9 February 1995.
“I always wondered if we could get along with each other. I always wondered whether we could go on a holiday together. However, I was in seventh heaven after I found out our goals and longings in life are the same. Prior to our marriage, I already planned out a very aesthetic trip, to a famous national dance festival in an archaeological site!” narrates Mr Sen.
The couple hardly faced any challenges. Mr Sen’s mother was a working lady, and hence she knew how exhausting a job can be sometimes. Although, as stated, one challenge that Mr Sen mockingly added was that Mrs Sen was not an animal lover, in spite of always having pets at home.
Throughout the 29 years of companionship, the greatest refuge and bond they have is music, particularly, the Rabindrasangeet. The wife took music lessons for years, and the husband, meanwhile, has been an ardent connoisseur and collector of gramaphone records. Their passion for music is what connects them. Both the husband and wife often host informal musical soirees at home, every now and then.
Mr Sen ends the conversation by talking about how having and raising their daughter has been an amazing and heartwarming journey for both of them. “Neither of us ever had an obsession with having a son! So we welcomed her with all the affection possible. The common objective was to make her a good human being, who would be self-reliant, but not selfish. To see her bloom in her formative years was a delight to watch for both of us. Neither of us pressured her to be the topper or even imposed our unfulfilled dreams on her. She has evolved into a woman who has opinions of her own, capable of taking vital decisions in life independently!”
(The names of the Sens have been omitted in accordance with their request.)