Six years ago, I visited Gujarat for the first time. I documented that trip in a 3 post series back then. Little did I realize the lasting impact this trip will have on my life.
The law of unintended consequences groups into three types, good consequences, bad consequences or ugly consequences. This trip brought the first type into my life. Little did I realize at the time of writing the original posts that the person who got the most passing mention in them would end up in my life! So I think that it is apt that the 200th post on this blog be dedicated to that person, the love of my life who now happens to be my dear wife.
Nik’s wedding started a slow but obvious chain reaction. When we met for the first time, our reactions at best could be summed up as “meh..”. Yeah, we were hardly interested in each other. There was no love at first sight, no spark, no violins playing behind us as we had our first weird encounter(bonus points if you can spot it in the original posts). We did “run into” each other a few more times while I was in Gurgaon and also shared a road trip with common friends to Rishikesh, but we were very clear that we were both looking for someone else. We had almost nothing in common, except for a liking of rock music. Even today, we hardly ever agree on anything, even if sometimes it is just for the sake of not agreeing.
I don’t know when fate intervened, I can’t remember the exact date when we suddenly shifted stance and just fell for each other. Maybe it was because we were trying to resist each other too hard. Looking back at some of it, I realize it might have been easier if we had just given in at the start. Given the special type of blockhead that I am & the (very) special type of stubborn head that she is, of course we didn’t want to budge. It was like playing a game of who blinks first to the point to bleeding your eyes out! Better sense did prevail at the end, and here we are now.
Gujarat is like a second home to me now. The weather there is crap, and I am only beginning to get used to the amount of dancing to be had in a circle, but I love the food(not just gujarati food, but all food they sell there) & the nice people. I love my extended family, specially the ones who are into drinking late night coffees & eating late night maggis or dosas or chats or whatever you can find. And yes, I do love that little piece of Gujarat who is with me forever, and is probably going to find a reason in this post to pick on me.
So there you go. Of all the deja vu’s I could have had for my 200th post, this is the one that matters most.