An old Indian love Story preceding 1942

She was an amazing dancer now gone away at the age of 97 years, I am talking about Mrinalini , can you guess her surname? Here’s a sweet love story about her I read on paper and she got married to the man she fell in love with so she has a surname which is that of a very popular man, infact he is known as father of Indian space science or something like that. Now have you guessed who is this grand madumji’s husband who was once her lover?

And now a song meanwhile… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oTWAU6ee4U

Well that song is from movie ‘A 1942 Love story'(: and that year holds relevance to the dancer and scientist couple who now no more exist in the world. That is because they got married that year and here is their story, the love story of Vikram Sarabai that took place before 1942.

I am talking about a period before my parents were born, before India got independence…

Here the source I read about their story… http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Here-Mrinalini-divided-time-between-Vikram-dance/articleshow/50691731.cms

It must be in the late 1930’s Mrinalini met Vikram before which she was a free 22 year old dancing bird happy in Chennai.

The exciting chance came for her to dance with a really famous dancer Ram Gopal in Ram Gopal’s school where her dance teacher Muthukumaran Thatha from  Kalakshetra was there too. This was in a City which really must have been the Garden City those days – Bengaluru formerly Bangalore. So from Chennai formerly Madras Miss Mrinalini came to Bangalore completely dedicated to dance.

She had no desire to get married for dance was everything for her until she went to IISC to perform. IISC is Indian Institute of Science, even now it is quite a green campus beautiful with flying cranes enjoying themselves there besides others who are engineering and research students, professors, scientists and people like that. Well, what happened after Grand madumji Mrinalini(as she is older than my oldest granny who died 3 years ago at the age of 87)  went there? Well she meet scientist Vikram Sarabai and then?

Vikram sirji was doing research with CV Raman there probably all into science having no intention like many people have of seeking a female company, you know boys going crazy on girls at least at the college going stage. I guess they talked over breakfast while Vikram was in the company of his other scientist friends.

Here the dancer expressed herself that dance was an art form she was so passionate about that she submitted her soul completely to dance and was not wanting to marry. Wow, claps for this Indian woman who at that era had such bold and clear visions!! Anyway… Vikram Sarabhai was struck, he had a similar passion for science and perhaps he too did not want to marry as he was dedicated to science… ha ha…(maybe he wanted to pinch her and say same pinch)

So equations changed, who would have thought IISC would be a place where such a divine dancer would magnetize an equally divine scientist and vice-versa… Well, think don’t you think she would have fallen for Ram Gopal her dancing partner but no… let’s go on with the story further…

Well, the scientist asked the dancer out and they spend lots of time together… long drives,  endless talks and such things etc.

I wonder where they went for long drives, I think IISC was a great place for long walks and most intriguing question for me is on what did they go on long drives?… Ambassor car was it even there that time? and what is that ‘Vikram’s Banter’? (check the details from the story on the link)

Anyway the dancer’s interest of dancing with Ram Gopal dimed as she became closer to Vikram and she quit dancing with him, married Vikram became Mrs Mrinalini Sarabai and settled in Chennai dancing with her own compositions or possibly took guidance of another dance teacher recommended to her by Muthukumaran Thatha her teacher who I am sure bid her goodbye with Guruji’s blessings.

Well… a beautiful love story. Now in case even in this age  parents or elders talk disapprovingly about you going out to be or spend time with someone tell them Vikram Sarabhai’s story.

It is incredible that in India during the 1940’s seeing each other like this happened, I am very sure India was even more conservative than it is today. Those days people married really young completely arranged with no interaction with would be…anyway that is why this story is incredible.

I imagine Mrinalini grand madumji would have told this story to her kids and maybe even grand kids, it would be so lovely for her to tell it as it would have been for the kids to listen.

Lessons learnt –

Life can be a fast adventure and you may gain something in the end. You may call it luck, special things may happen but keep no hopes, I am sure not everyone is lucky enough to find their partners who turn out to be good soul mates.

Love is a drug so please be careful, fall in love wisely and marry too wisely(: … life is no fairy tale it is real tale so no prince and princesses, it’s more companionship through various hues, keep it real and simple, maybe it may not be all sweet but still bitter-sweet would be exciting and fun.

Glad, could write a love tale so I can dedicate this to everybody for this Valentine’s Month and day(: … unintended cupid movements and spells ahead for a lot of general population, enjoy the movement, may it be meaningful such that it grows you and makes your life better and exciting…

And here’s a chance to quote my once Chennai Rj’s quote, his name was Josua and thanks to his show I got exposed to some awesome old English numbers and here I will put one of my Favourites… but first his quote…

“Life is to live and to live it in a beautiful way for that believe in yourself, believe in somebody up above and above all never, ever, ever give up…On that note good night and God Bless(:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDPMmaHWj1I

An unexpected walk and lunch day out…

Rewinding back, a few months back to a Saturday of October last year there was no fancy weekend plans for the day. The agenda for the day was just check the out the IISC guys’ initiative in spending time educating kids of Government schools. Earlier this would have this possibility of doing something with the guys of Indian Institute Of Technology would have excited me.  They are one of the bright minds of India as IISC is among the top 100 best educational institutes of the world.

So that Saturday had a reason to wake up early and checkout the outdoors early in the morning. There was the cool, sweet and comforting rays of the sun to greet you at around 7 – 7:30am in the morning which was enough reason to feel good that day. A walk to the bus stop to caught bus and get down at the nearest stop then just walk and walk to and inside the IISC campus was still an exciting prospect. A green campus filled with young happy minds and spirit cycling and walking about showed a world different from the dull polluted stressed life we as adults lead outside.

So completed the first challenge of coming early enough to the campus and gain entry, the watchman loves preventing harmless looking people essentially ladies from going inside, we are generally not the ones to make noise and beat him up to gain entry, however got through after calling a IISC volunteer through phone and convincing the watchmen of my authentic purpose for wanting to enter the IISC campus.

Had Pongal on their campus canteen, Prakriti which tasted not good but still had in it what was required  filled my tummy and vanquished hunger which is cheering after all the trouble one has taken of getting up early and travelling however far.

There was no cashier at the counter and not many varieties of breakfast items were there yet!!, still that time even the common idly, sambar would be delicious and if breakfast is served with a smile from the old man serving food, it’s just so nice, makes one feel life is beautiful for absolutely no concreate reason. Then headed walking to the landmark told by the IISC volunteer, the sort of landmark that would be meaningful only to a IISC campus person of course.

Soon saw a bunch of young forks they were all a good mix of Phds, under graduates and post graduate students from various science degrees and subjects. Most of these youngsters were in their notebook drive t-shirts and there was a bustle of activity as they were organizing themselves to leave to Govt. schools. Some of them had charts, crayons and other stationaries with them all geared up for the task of engaging Govt. school children with activities.

Soon someone told I can join a group which is heading to a particular school somewhere and I obliged. Off these guys walked with their energious spirit with no one aware that there was one non IISC person among them who is not used to so much in campus walking and cycling which they had on daily basis.

We walked out of their campus which had many entry gates to a bus stand which I would not have done if I did not follow their lead. One person led us and directed us paying for the bus tickets so my transportation cost however small was borne by IISC volunteer group. Oh, I forgot they are students obviously public transport is only affordable to them as they are not earning much, if a tall they do.

Into the bus, standing in the crowd and then someone counting me with them and then clearing my doubts about my ticket which they already paid for. Then got a seat in the middle and slept as the distance was long, then was intimated to get down the next stop which I did following known lady faces getting down. Then again was directed with the gang to walk and walk to the Govt. school and finally we reached!!

There was discussion on who will handle what class, knowing a bit of the local language qualified me to go with another volunteer to handle kannada speaking class. However not knowing how to engage kids with some activity for one hour got interacting with kids like I was a visitor to their school but was fun, at least was doing something.

Then was told to handle a class solo and tried playing games with them which went badly as the class was not interested though one cute tall kid made the class and me cheerful. Played a memory game where a person names a fruit another repeats it and adds to the list of fruits only the tall cute kid repeated and prompted his class mates to do so. Then told the guys to tell a line each and together each should form a story. Again that kid prompted his classmates with lines and ideas so some story was formed. Then kids went for mid day meal lunch and I was invited too, but ofcourse can’t tell them that meal is for poor forks and since people like me have choice we won’t have Govt. school meals.

I examined another class where the volunteer(also the person who led the gang with walking and bus hopping) was jumping along with the kids and hugging them he played a game and engaged the kids and all had a good time.

After this was a photo session and my kids posed happily. Kids came to shake hands and I felt like a vip seeing the excitement of the kids shaking my hands. I would have liked them completely if I had not seen their toilets which were the worst maintained that I just could not go near it!! , still they were fun and nice kids and I liked them.

 

Now it was time to leave, we had a group photo session and a volunteer ran into to 2 kids bidding them goodbye and gave them toffees which were there extra. Then we began the long walk again to the bus stop, then a ride to another bus stop and a walk again to another stop and after a while got a bus to the final bus stop nearest to the IISC campus. We began to walk again to the IISC campus from one entrance gate I am sure I would not have gone into or known about without these IISC group.

We walked into the campus and had a quick feedback session and were told that everyone would receive mail on the upcoming NGO activities which was when I told I want to receive mail too and I am not registered with IISC volunteer group as I was not from IISC. The group leader (who lead us in walking and bus hopping) was surprised an outsider came with them, some enquiry  followed on how I came to know about their initiative then came a lunch offer, something I did not expect.

There was his friend who took care of me till then when he felt I was not following the group and mingling so I did not get lost he too supported the lunch offer. I declined and was leaving when I was summoned and told that for the time I gave volunteering a lunch with the forks is with them(: … Soon I followed the two guys into the mess for lunch and another post will follow on the amazing lunch I had with junior scientists.

It was a really special Saturday for the early morning feel, walk in the greenery almost a trekking like experience and being around with good people and spending time with kids, the activity was for children’s day.

Lesson’s learnt –

I Suppose I need not be in awe of people from scientific community, I can gel with them well as with anybody else. It’s cool to be solo attending events and functions merging with the vibe, if you are completely comfortable with yourself you can make your niche anywhere. Also only an idiot will decline an invitation to lunch, that too having it on IISC campus free, well it’s very nice. Also enjoy walking a lot and have fun (: … I wish that maybe a decade back at college going age I would have been like these cool forks but never mind it was still great spending time with them and maybe age is sometimes just a number.

Good day…