LYN AND I – SCENE BY SCENE

Scene By Scene
(Long Story and Hence Only Selected Scenes)

Scene I

I was posted at Navy’s Leadership School at Agrani (to be pronounced as ug-ruh-nhi meaning ‘Leading’; and not as something that is translated as fire-queen that everyone mis-pronounces it always) from 1978 to 1980. I met Lyn for the first time in Coimbatore wherein INS Agrani is situated. Her charming ways touched the chords of my heart and the tinkle of heavenly music they created hasn’t stopped resonating even now. Her smile was and is the sound of glockenspiel; her talk breathlessly exciting; and she was and is simplicity personified. Once when I teased her for being fat, she pointed to a buffalo and asked, “As fat as that, is it?” Her naiveté readily disarms any attempts to show her down and I stopped doing it even in jest long time back.

We had been talking on the phone and seeing each other as often as we could. In Jan 1980, we went by train to Palghat and spent an entire day at the dam picnicking. By evening,  we returned by train to Coimbatore. At the exit, a railway official wanted to see our tickets. I proudly exhibited our return tickets.  It came out that those tickets were for passenger trains whereas we had returned by an Express. Even though I showed my Navy I – Card too to the official, he fined us all of 100 rupees (a large sum during those days). He made out a receipt for the fine in the name of – hold your breath – Lieutenant and Mrs. RPS Ravi. We still possess that receipt as the first ‘official‘ acknowledgement of our intent.

Scene II

She was apprehensive of my leaving her in 1980 to attend the Long C (Communications) course at Signal School, Cochin. But, I made up for it by visiting her as often as I could. I had bought a Yezdi 250 cc, KEE 438, from M/s Tharakan & Co, and I not only visited her on this mobike (in later years we called it ‘donkey’ since it not just carried us but many other household things including cooking gas cylinders), but also took her to Coonoor on it whereat we spent an entire weekend with her aunty Daisy (who was a teacher to Vyjayanthimala). Everyone thought of us as a married couple. And this at a time when people still looked down on love – marriages. As an aside I can tell you that recently one of the TED Talk Speakers in my company Reliance sent me a link to his talk on how to discover uniqueness in yourself. I wrote back to him that I must be a living example of uniqueness: I chose my own name rather than family name; I chose my career (Navy) as far removed from parental expectations as possible; I chose my own religion (I was born a Sikh); I chose my own life-partner. When our children came into the family, I helped them discover their own uniqueness (Read: Diminishing Dad).

Scene III

After the Long course, my posting came to INS Talwar in Bombay. There were no cellphones during those days. She had, therefore, communicated by letter her apprehension that as physical distance increased between us, I would forget about her. So, on 24th March 1981, I took the morning train from Cochin to Coimbatore whereas the rest of the coursemates travelling to Bombay were to travel by evening train passing through Coimbatore at 10 PM. Good friend AS Bajwa took her and me to a temple where the priest married us – me a Sikh and she a Catholic but married in a Hindu temple. In the afternoon, we went to the district court and got our marriage registered.

In the night before the train pulled out of Coimbatore station, I asked her if she was apprehensive of us anymore. She knew she had a gentleman to spend the rest of her life with.

I joined the rest of my course mates in the train on my wedding night and gave them sweets. They wanted to know what was the occasion. I told them I had got married. No one could believe it. One or two of them even suggested that I was pissed even before having a drink with them.

On Talwar in 1981 in Sanyas before Lyn joined me!
On Talwar in 1981 in Sanyas before Lyn joined me!

Scene IV

It took me six months to get a temporary accommodation in Naval Coastal Battery (NCB) Worli. And then I called her over to Bombay to join me.

I had nothing with me. I went to Indian Naval Canteen Service (Gol canteen) and bought the following on IPP (Instalment Payment Plan):

Six steel dining plates.
Six steel side plates.
Six each steel spoons, forks, knives, bowls and glasses.
One twin burner gas chullah.
One plastic bucket and mug.
One tawa.
One frying pan.
Two other pans.
Two steel pateelah.
One 165 ltr Godrej Gold fridge.
Three plastic containers to keep sugar, tea and salt.
Six pearl-pet bottles.

Lo and behold, I had a functional house going! In the next one year I paid all the instalments! Bajwa was promoted to become a LtCdr on the day before she arrived. So we drank and drank to celebrate his promotion as also to signify the end of my bachelorhood six months after our wedding. At one O’ clock in the night, Bajwa and I went to Oberoi hotel to have coffee and that’s when I told him that when I would take my wife home, I couldn’t even offer her tea since I had neglected to buy sugar. So, Bajwa spread a paper napkin on the table, emptied out the hotel’s sugar pot, bundled the napkin and gave to me. I then told him that I was going to receive my wife and I hadn’t got any flowers.  He convinced me that buying flowers from the hotel’s shop would ruin my plans for the first month of marriage. He, with great ceremony,  took out the single rose from the table vase and handed it to me to receive Lyn with.

Receiving Lyn at Bombay VT with the Rose taken from Oberoi Hotel restaurant Samarkand's vase,
Receiving Lyn at Bombay VT with the Rose taken from Oberoi Hotel restaurant Samarkand’s vase,

And that’s how we went to receive Lyn at Bombay VT at 6 AM.

At Worli Sea Face together after six months of marriage.
At Worli Sea Face together after six months of marriage.

Our one room house in NCB Worli!

It was a one room house (not one room BHK, but just one room) Some of the items that I bought for kitchen are seen!
It was a one room house (not one room BHK, but just one room) Some of the items that I bought for kitchen are seen!
First Navy Ball together as wedded couple!
First Navy Ball together as wedded couple!

Scene V

My dad hadn’t given his consent for the wedding. So one day I wrote to him about how we got married. The last line of my letter read: “We haven’t got much; but we ain’t poor.”

As my mom read out the letter to him – and my mom told this to me later – he thumped his chest with pride and said, “That’s my son. No one in our family was ever poor and no one would ever be.”

On the 12th of Dec 1982 we were married (again) in Kandaghat in the manner in which dad and mom wanted in front of our larger family.

Finally re-married on 12th Dec 1982 in traditional way
Finally re-married on 12th Dec 1982 in traditional way

Here is a picture of the reception on the night of 12th Dec 1982:

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Scene VI

In Aug 1983 I was to go to Rome for the second year in succession to accept an Electronic Warfare system. And, I told Lyn that I would take her. She said we didn’t have money (we never had). I told her I would apply for a loan from my DSOP Fund (Defence Services Officers Provident Fund) on the all encompassing clause, “Urgent domestic requirement necessitating inescapable expenditure”. It is another story how I got her passport made, visas for Italy and France done and ticketing done in less than a week’s time. It is yet another story that she nearly travelled alone (she was to travel from Bombat whilst I was to join from Delhi after obtaining government sanction and the babus there nearly botched it up). But then all’s well that ends well and we visited Italy, France and England for three weeks on a shoe-string budget of just Rupees 20000 including her two way fare. In Paris, for example, we stayed in a Youth Hostel at equivalent of five dollars per head!

Crossing the English Channel (a trip on shoe-string budget)
Crossing the English Channel (a trip on shoe-string budget)

Scene VIl

Arjun was conceived during this trip and born on 14th May 1984. On 1st of May, my world crashed; my father died in a jeep accident on a morning when in the evening, he and my mom were going to travel to Bombay to be with us for Lyn’s delivery. There was a tussle between him and I as to where the delivery would take place. He insisted that the delivery should be in Lady Reading hospital Shimla performed by his trusted doctor Mrs. Anita Sood whereas I had told him that it would be in INHS Asvini. In the end, in his death, he won. It was as if when one candle was snuffed, another was kindled in the same family.

Arjun the joy of our life
Arjun the joy of our life

Scene IX

Arun was born in even worse conditions. I was posted on Ganga and remembering the traumatic circumstances of Arjun’s birth, we planned Arun’s birth during the period when Ganga would be under a short refit in December. But then The PM Rajiv Gandhi and his wife Sonia decided to visit Andaman and Nicobar islands and the ship selected to take them there was Ganga. My CO said he couldn’t spare me during this period. Lyn therefore went entirely on her own (helped by Mrs Kohli and other ladies) to Asvini, quickly delivered Arun, and returned home to also look after Arjun who was barely two and a half at that time. We were on the 10th floor of Meena building and we prayed that the lifts which frequently broke down, would function for her going to hospital and return. I saw Arun a month after he was born. But then, I had seen my wife six months after we were married.

Arun, the ecstasy of our life
Arun, the ecstasy of our life

Scene X

Despite my dad consenting to get us married, I refused to take anything at all from him. Lyn’s parents were too poor to help us. But, we not just managed; we lived – you have guessed it – rich. On our 20th anniversary, 14 years ago, on this day, we bought us a gift from Archies: a wooden plaque with the inscription, “We don’t have much; but, we have each other”.

However, we were, are, and will always be rich. As my dad said no member of our family will ever be poor. As long as we are together, the flowers will grow and we have the riches of precious memories:20150210_143024

Author: Sunbyanyname

I have done a long stint in the Indian Navy that lasted for nearly thirty seven years; I rose as far as my somewhat rebellious and irreverent nature allowed me to. On retirement, in Feb 2010, the first thing that occurred to me, and those around me, was that I Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (you will find an article with this title in this blog) and hadn't lost all my noodles and hence thought of a blog titled 'This 'n That'. I later realised that every third blog is called 'This 'n That' and changed the name to 'Sunbyanyname'. I detest treading the beaten track. This blog offers me to air 'another way' of looking at things. The idea is not just to entertain but also to bring about a change. Should you feel differently, you are free to leave your comments. You can leave comments even when you agree and want to share your own experience about the topic of the blog post. Impudent or otherwise, I have never been insousciant and I am always concerned about the betterment of community, nation and the world. I hope the visitors of this blog would be able to discern it.

19 thoughts on “LYN AND I – SCENE BY SCENE”

  1. Loved it!! Scene by Scene. There’s a lot about you guys. May you remain blessed and happy.

  2. what a terrific real life romance Ravi ! Quite Fascinating to read, How you lived your life as per the dictates of the heart in spite of so many obstacles! Wish you both eternal bliss!

  3. How nice to read this, Ravi Sir. Coimbatore – where I live – has a prominent place in your heart. God Bless you and your family!

  4. Commodore Ravi ,I have gone through every word of yours and enjoyed it through and through . It is the first -ever most honest self- description and expression I have possibly ever read in my life time . You are what you are , and you have said so without mincing words Not very many people have the moral courage to say so in the way and style you have done explicitly . God bless you both to be made-for -each-other ,forever

  5. Ravi, I never knew this side of yours. You make us proud DEV from Dev Bhoomiee Himachal. Full of love and compassion

  6. Paa ji ,amazing to know these details any thing which is truth always touches me such a beautiful love story ! Love and regards to both of you .

  7. Stunning and marvelous too ! It has always been a pleasure to read all of your post though I should frankly say the truth that some of the post which was received is yet to be read by me. This one of yours was more of a lovable experience as it included family pics too..nice to see cute Arjun and Arun. Needless to say that You and Lyn Madam are made for each other and I remember here one of the old melodious song from Raj Kapoor’s movie…”Pyaar Huya Ikraar huya hai..Pyaar se kyu dar taa hai dil

  8. Very gracious of you Nilesh to think and talk about of us in this manner. The song that you have selected is great indeed and one of my favourites. Thank you very much for your encouragement.

  9. Year after year we used to celebrate the occasion privately. This time Raj Dutta made it public and wanted me to tell the story. I chose to put it up without any frills whatsoever. Grateful to God, Anila bhenji, that He shows us the way always.

  10. Vicky Sir, as I mentioned several times here and elsewhere I am too shy to tell my story. Here too I chose the blog rather than the HIAOOU forum. My life’s ship is moored to Lyn and it makes me feel great that the relationship has increasingly gathered strength.

  11. So kind of you dear Sir. Life is worth living if you live without regrets. All I can say is that God has been kind and love has only grown all these years. Thank you for your thoughtful wishes and greetings.

  12. I have some of my fondest memories of Coimbatore Vasan and these never fade. I loved the place too in addition to finding the love of my life there.

  13. Thank you Balasubramani Mariappan. We have learnt, both separately and together, that situations can never defeat you; only attitude does. Lyn and I are living examples of that.

  14. it is such a beautiful read! I am staying in Chitra and I could actually imagine everything as if I was present when Arjun & Arun were born.. thankfully, the lifts work just fine now 🙂

  15. An innocent exposition. Congratulation for getting so nice a lifepartner and the kids ( grown up now_) . Ir shows you just went on building your own world and lived in your own style and have been successful too.
    It is quite painful the way you lost your beloved father . RIP

  16. Jaswant, no one in near past, has gone through my blog with such single-mindedness as you have. Since I do not write for money (you would notice the total absence of even advertisements on my blog), the only thing that I look up to is people reading my posts. Thanks pal.

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