How my widowed mother married her best friend

My mother was lonely

After losing my father years ago, my mother was very lonely and devastated.

On a chance meeting at the dentist she met a young doctor who was there to visit his dentist friend. It was a sudden and gravitational attraction which had substance and beauty. Waiting in the lounge, they struck up a conversation. “There’s nothing to be nervous of, he’s my friend. He will be gentle with you.” As my future father said these words, my mother felt an instant sense of relief and protection. There was something about him which was comforting and magical. Soon they met for lunch and the lunch turned into dinner. Endless conversations about life, love, friendship and me bonded them further.

He promised her the world

My mother, Mukta, was nine years older than the doctor, but that was not a problem for either of them. Aman was an emancipated man and was head over heels in love with her. The age gap bothered his parents, not him. And the fact that she was already married before and had two children wasn’t palatable to his parents. However, this young, warm, slightly fat but jovial angel waltzed into her life with all the promises of the world. A promise of respect, a promise of love, protection and friendship. A promise to love her children and the biggest promise of all, which was “I will never stop loving you, no matter what!”

They didn’t ask for permission from their parents. They just sent an invitation and love won. On the 22nd December 2002, they were bound until death do them part in the presence of family and friends. It is a love I can write sonnets on. A peaceful idyllic marriage in which they honour and respect each other like friends. My father introduces my mother as his best friend to people.

Related reading: Why marriage can be better the second time

Best friends forever

Today, they always travel together, dance together, spend hours on the phone together – even 15 years and another child later. Their bond of love is a source of inspiration to many, not just me and my sister. Lovingly, my father calls my mother JJ. No one knows what it means and he says it will go with him to his grave. Silent train rides together in which both of them engrossed in books while holding hands or moonlit walks on the beach after a wholesome healthy dinner. Coming back from a movie after sharing popcorn… Frankly sometimes I wish I found a love like theirs…. In a world where casual dating and one-night stands are gaining popularity, this is a fairy-tale love story of an older woman and a younger man.

I wish them a lifetime of happiness where they gaze at the stars wrapped up in a blanket, holding hands. For true love is a journey of friendship, and after all, as my father puts it, “We are best friends.”