2. THE BEGINING

It was not a grand movie scene or a dramatic twist of fate. It was simple, almost ordinary, but in that simplicity lay the magic that would change my life forever.

Ours was an arranged match, set in motion by our families, but shaped by time, patience and growing bond.

It began with photographs. We saw each other's pictures, liked what we saw and then began speaking over the phone. No WhatsApp then, just long conversations on simple calls.

It was 21st June 2012, just after completing my B.com, when I first saw his photograph. Soon after his parents came to my home in Jharkhand with loads of gifts- the first cargo of kindness between our two families. My dad later went to Kolkata to see him and his home and returned with heart full of approval.

Our first true meeting came on 31st September 2012. My father and I travelled to Kolkata and stayed in a hotel, where Smith and his mom came to meet us. I still remember the moment - catching sight of him for the very first time through the hotel window.

He was only 23 then, I was 20. In that instant, he didn't look like a man who had already braved the seas, he looked like a young boy in 9th standard, carrying the freshness of a sailor just starting his journey. He wore a blue and white checked half-sleeves Hoffman shirt, blue jeans and black converse shoes. I still remember every detail. For two hours he sat there, quietly staring at me, as through trying to read the tides in my eyes. And me? I was so nervous, I kept looking at his shoes, afraid that one glance into his gaze might pull me into deeper waters than I was ready for.

After the meeting, life pulled us in different directions. He went sailing and I continued my master's degree. For the next two and half years our love grew through emails, long phone calls and heartfelt chats. We were constantly counting the days until we could be together.

We had fixed our wedding for 4th July 2014, right after I completed my M.com in June. Everything was ready- shopping done, banquet hall booked. Only the invitation cards were yet to be printed.

Smith was supposed to sign off from ship in May 2014, but fate had other plans. His sign off got cancelled because his ship was stuck in the Crimea war zone. That was when the Russia- Ukraine conflict had just erupted, and it brought our wedding plans to a sudden halt.

I was heartbroken. Smith was stuck in Russia and I would sit in my room, starring at my wedding saree with tears in my eyes. Relatives began making hurtful comments, some even calling me "unlucky" because the groom didn't appear on the wedding day. But through all this, Smith kept giving me hopes, reassuring me that our day would come.

True to his words, he finally signed off and returned home on 11th July 2014. And though our July wedding had been cancelled, we didn't let the year end without fulfilling our dream. On 5th December 2014, we finally became husband and wife.

When we finally married after those years, it felt like we had reached a beautiful shore. Of course, marriage was not just roses. We fought like cats and dogs almost daily, but every fight made us understand and love each other more.

We travelled together, learned from each other, and slowly began to see how we each handled both joy and challenges.

Over the years respect deepened. We became not just partners, but best friends- two crew members steering the same ship. Sailing with him gave me a new perspective. I saw his confidence on bridge, his steady hands guiding a massive tanker vessel through uncertain waters, and I fell in love with him all over again.

Even now I fall for him daily- sometimes like a sudden wave, sometimes like a slow, rising tide.

He inspires me, disciplines me and shapes me into the best version of myself. I feel blessed- blessed to learn from him, blessed to wake up beside him and blessed that life chose him for me.