‘Set the right expectations for each other’
Ipshita and Abhishek Halder’s story of companionship began when they were in high school.
Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get–only with what you are expecting to give–which is everything.”
–Katharine Hepburn
Divya and Ravi Shekhar Singh’s story started with a blissful encounter when young Divya saw a young Ravi, working hard to open a business. Their story of love and unconditional support for each other reminds us of the most essential elements of a marriage, which are respect and support, to go through all hardships.
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Divya and Ravi Shekhar Singh’s journey together began after their wedding on 30 November 2000. However, their love saw the light of day before that. As Divya said, “I liked him from the start, when we introduced ourselves to each other’s parents, they immediately accepted our decisions to be wedded to each other.” Ravi Shekhar further added,” When I first met her, I knew she was my other half.”
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After their wedding, while Ravi had a head-start at his business, Divya’s transition to a new home changed the world around her. She was determined to earn her in-laws’ trust and respect and worked hard every day for it. Ravi would occasionally step in, and with his warm smile, would reassure her that she was already a valued member of the family.
Over time, their bond grew stronger like the roots of trees, and after five years, they came to know that they were going to be new parents. When they discovered that, their hearts swelled with joy and gratitude, embracing the beautiful journey that lay ahead. The preparations and anxiety of being soon-to-be parents had finally arrived, and their first baby daughter was born. As Ravi said,” I wish I could say how excited I was to be the father of my baby daughter. Her tiny face, her soft coos, and her tiny hand trying to hold my finger filled me with so many emotions.” While Divya added,” My dream of becoming a mother to such a beautiful daughter was like a blessing from God himself.”
As their journey of becoming new parents began, their understanding grew stronger as the days went by. But came the first storm in their lives., when in 2013, Ravi fell victim to depression and so did their daughter. Divya felt utterly overwhelmed, caught in the suffocating weight of caring for two loved ones battling depression. The walls of her home once filled with warmth, now echoed with silence and unspoken pain, leaving her drained, helpless, and struggling to hold everything together. “To accept the fact that the people whom I loved and cherished the most, had been struggling every single day, reminded me every day to stay strong for my family, and it became my only aim to make them feel better,” stated Divya.
“During that time, India was not aware of depression and how to possibly ‘cure’ it, so it was extremely hard for everyone in my family to help me and my child to overcome our depression,” Ravi added.
But time heals every wound one has, and so did theirs. It took them a few years to get back on their feet with the help of their prescribed medications and build a space to talk about each other’s hardships and overcome them eventually. They not only worked as a team but as a family as well. Soon after, in 2015, their son was born, adding to their happiness and strengthening the family bond further.
Through years of varying challenges, their love for each other never weakened. Now, they cherish a life filled with joy, contentment and mutual understanding — qualities which are important for a family to thrive and be happy. Henceforth, it reminds us that marriage does not only come with the gift of love but also the curse of hardships, which are inevitable, yet serve as the true test of commitment, resilience and strength of the bond between two souls.
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