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Romance on wheels

July 22 was a special day in the lives of John and Hannah. It was on that day in 1969 they met for the first time.

By 1970 John Dinakaran was studying Economics in American College, Madurai. He was a small made young man. One day he realized that he was in love with Hannah who was studying Chemistry in the Meenakshi College. Hannah (18) was a stately character a couple of inches taller than John. She resisted his overtures for awhile.

He went on his bicycle and blocked her way one day. “I love you” he said. “Get out of my way” she said, and went round the bike and walked off briskly. After a few days of this standoff, Hannah started looking forward to John’s declarations.

Love has no rhyme or reason. When it comes it comes. And it came for John and Hannah with a bang. He stopped his bicycle wherever he could find her, and she stopped and waited for him. Such things as height and weight were not allowed to come in the way. “What’s your height?” Hannah asked John. And John answered “Don’t bother about external appearances. My heart is big.”

Hannah’s uncle who had brought her up was a strict disciplinarian who frowned on romance and love affairs. So Hannah had to be very careful not to be discovered. But in spite of their best precautions the uncle came to know about the love affair. “Kazhudai, moodevi, sanian” he shouted at her. He made her discontinue her studies and sent her to work as a typist in another town.

John and Hannah went to a lot of trouble to continue their romance. They corresponded with each other regularly. And during holidays Hannah would wait for John at some bus stop. Meanwhile if she spotted some relative or friend, she would jump on to a bus and speed away. And John followed the bus on his bicycle. One day she shifted buses and went all the way to Azhagarkoil. And John followed her huffing and puffing, never losing sight of her. John and Hannah became striking examples of constant lovers.

After he got his degree John tried for a job as an administrator in Muscat. When he got it, he said a fond goodbye to Hannah and left. The salary was very good. So he started sending money to Hannah. Hannah who by then had a job in Madurai was able to put away all the money sent by John. And then she started buying property in Madurai.

Once they had established a substantial income they decided to get married. It was now ten years since the romance had started. They had decided from the beginning not to elope or have any physical relationship, but only get married in church.

When Hannah told her uncle about wanting to get married to John, the uncle was surprised that the lovers had been constant over ten years. He was touched, and agreed to give the bride away in church.

And so they got married on Feb. 8th 1979. But there were some more problems. They had a leisurely honeymoon, and when they came back, Hannah was pregnant. Since it was difficult to manage her confinement all by themselves, it was decided that Hannah should stay on with his parents while John would go back.

And so Hannah stayed on in Madurai and gave birth to a girl, Ramya. John’s trip to Madurai was delayed, and by the time he came to Madurai Ramya was over a year old. He came and stayed for awhile, and then when they were planning to go back to Muscat, Hannah was pregnant again. This time too it was a girl, Divya.

So they were delayed by four years in going back. And finally when they went they settled down beautifully. Ramya is now 29 years old and is married. Divya is 27. John has one more year for retirement. So they decided to sell their property in Madurai.

Hannah came accompanied by Divya and dealt with the matter all by herself. The property was sold. And when John came to join her, they bought three flats in Bangalore, one for them and one each for the daughters. Next year when John retires they will all settle in their flats.

Well, that is certainly a happy ending to this wonderful romance.

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