I was never sure if i really wanted my life to get public though my husband always use to say that he wants to tell the entire world how we met…I’ll centralise the whole story upon me here and would start from beginning.
I am the only daughter of my parents and most pampered one. I have been my dad’s darling since birth and he gave me full freedom always. This story started 3 years ago in 2010. I finished up with my studies and was working as a HR manager in a small company. I was socially active on networking site orkut but only had known ones in my friend list. I uploaded my first pic on orkut in 2010 feb and was surprised to see a comment from a stranger named Deepak. I quickly browsed his profile and found him unknown to me. I checked notifications in my mail id and found that he was added in 2008. I don’t know how he got added? Then we had a small chat and he introduced himself. Then after we used to have casual chats as friends and one day he proposed me.
I was never willing to go for love marriage so i rejected his proposal He belonged to the same community as mine so even after my refusal he through a matrimony mediator sent proposal to my family asking my hand. My father asked my response but i was blankly told him to take the decision himself as i never had courage to tell my father about my likings. I was inclined towards Deepak but chose to kept quiet at that time for my family’s happiness. My parents were looking for an educated corporate guy therefore they kept his proposal aside as he was a businessman and only graduate.
Time went by, i stopped communicating with him and in feb 2011 got engaged to a guy named Rishi from Varanasi. He was a nice, decent, educated guy dealing with stock business and belonged to a very reputed family of the city. My family was very happy and satisfied and even i got contended. It was a typical arranged relationship. As we indian daughters are, soon after our engagement we start taking our partners as our husband, even if something wrong happens we ignore it. Soon after my engagement, we exchanged our numbers and started talking over phone. He never used to speak much and i found him quite introvert. I always felt as if he doubts my loyalty towards him. I used to ask him the reason but always ended up with big argument and banging up phones. He used to get rude, aggressive and offended up on anything i say. He used to disconnect the call after screaming and i end up with shedding tears in washroom. My bhabhi used to ask me sometimes if all is well but i never discussed anything with her. Around a month later in march 2011 we again had an argument and he abused me ‘bitch’. I wept a lot over this and told everything to my family. Immediately my mom and dad called his mother and told them they want to meet her and will be visiting varanasi the next day, till then there will be no communication between rishi and meenu(my name). My parents went to varanasi the very next day carrying my mobile phone and showed his mother and elder brother the message full of slangs. His father had expired a long ago and this was his family. They also showed surprise and called rishi for interrogation. He told my parents that he had a past relationship with a girl named gagan and was madly in love with her. He wanted to marry her but due to different community she turned back and since our engagement he feels that I and gagan are connected in some way as we have same interests, thoughts. I speak the same things she used to say. My dad asked rishi to forget everything and just tell whether he wants to marry meenu or not, and he said yes i like her and it was just misunderstanding. He and his family apologised a lot and my parents returned back. After returning, my dad told me if feels something fishy and is not satisfied and asked my decision whether i want to carry with the relationship or not. And i said YES, i want to carry the relationship as till then I had developed strong feelings for rishi and also feared societal humiliation if relationship breaks. We had a 9 month courtship period which was quite normal with no love and romance. I thought may be this happens in all arrange marriages and love happens after marriage and with this thought i got married to him in nov 2011. During all wedding ceremonies, he was very quite and sad. When i asked him the reason he told me he was missing his dad on that day.Even my family and relatives were not liking his behaviour that day but on hearing the reason they couldn’t say anything and believed him. And finally i got married to him.
Vidai was done and i was sent to his home. His family, relatives all were teasing me, having fun,but he was very quite. Then everybody left me in his room and went away. Till then he did not speak out a single word. I went to washroom to change clothes and when i came out found him asleep. I got vey nervous and slept beside him. At midnight i found him kissing me and unrobing me, but we couldn’t had sex because his organ didn’t stand up and there was no erection. And then he fell down, said sorry to me and slept. The night passed away like this. In the morning he told me we had no conversation yesterday and we’ll talk today after all relatives will go. The day passed away in meeting and bidding farewell to relatives. At night, finally we got time to talk.
And his words started like this, ” First of all sorry for last night, i never wanted to do that, its just i lost my control because you were looking damn sexy in that nighty. The truth is that i can’t accept you as my wife as i still love gagan( his ex-gf) . The full nine months, our courtship period i used to believe its all some sort of drama going on between yours, my and gagan’s family and finally i’ll get married only to gagan. May be there are some problems with gagan right now for which she is not coming in front and you were been engaged to me. I used to take you as mediator and whatever gifts i gave you were for her. On the day of wedding when i found that whatever i used to think was my fantasy, i wanted to run away, i told my brother but he forced me to marry you else it would be an insult and humiliation to family.”
I was shocked to hear this, couldn’t say a single word to him. I was confused whether to slap him for the betrayal or feel pity for him for his mental state. I confronted his brother and mother and they also showed surprise on his story that how can a person take his engagement and courtship period as some drama. Everyone scolded him and asked him to forget gagan and accept me as his wife. But he got offended and abused his own mother and brother for ruining his life. He told me that gagan would have wanted to come but his family would had not let her come and used many slangs for his family. I was confused what to do? Whoever i believe he or his family, my life was destroyed….
I couldn’t tell anything to my family as i knew they’ll be shattered on hearing this and i chose to keep quiet. His cousins, brothers, relatives all were telling him to accept the reality that gagan has gone and i am his wife now but he was not listening to anybody. Day and night i was trying to show my love to him but that was all in vain. He used to weep day and night remembering gagan, texting her, mailing her, kissing her pics . The nights were worse when in my presence he used to watch porn and then shack…..I never knew what was i doing there, why was i tolerating all this being an educated independent woman….. Might be i still had inclination towards him and was trying to save my marriage…
Finally i decided to talk to gagan and asked rishi her phone no. He gave me her no. And requested me to convey his feelings to her as she was not responding to him since a year and a half. I called her and introduced myself and asked her if she wants to return to his life as he has got miserable. She blindly said NO, he is a bastard. She told me she got separated because he abused her and her parents. I then asked rishi about this and he again blamed his family for creating misunderstanding him and gagan.
He told me he want to meet her and clear everything. She used to stay at lucknow. He was very much sure that gagan has lied to me and still love him, Till now, 10 days had passed. This guy was not stable at al. At times he used to say gagan would accept him and will marry him, on the other hand out of insecurity he used to tell me to stay with him and things will get better soon. I being stupid was doing everything what he was staying as i knew gagan will not come and eventually someday he’ll start liking me…
We decided to visit lucknow to meet gagan ant at home we told everybody that we are going for a holiday to ddun to make things better. Rishi repeatedly used to ask me if he goes off with gagan, what will i do? He used to say that i am bearing all this because being a girl, i would me scared of my future. And i told him there are many who liked me and he don’t need to worry for me. To make him jealous i took deepak’s name, but this didn’t make any difference to him. I told him i regret rejecting his proposal today which landed me in this situation.
Finally, we left for lucknow…..
Till that time, we both were trying to read her posts on fb which might give us sone clue regarding her current relationship status…on the way, we got to add her and saw a post by her best friend on her wall. It was a song lyrics posted on the day of our wedding that i loved you though you got married to someone else, but i’ll keep loving you always…..I was dismayed on reading this, rishi was crying out of happiness and i was crying , the reason being opposite…..My all hopes were shattered of saving our relationship….i told him i want to go back to my native place and can’t go with him to meet gagan as i don’t have courage to do so. He asked me whether i really wanted him and gagan to unite, i said No…..he got very aggressive over this….we got down in between and came back to varanasi….on reaching varanasi, rishi molested me for lying to him..he said you wanted me to be with you, then come lets be together…he drank a lot and kept on abusing me….

That was the end, i called my dad and asked to take me back and told everything about gagan…my family reached to me the next day. They confronted rishi and his family and they were sitting silently with their heads down….the argument between the families worsened up as they assassinated my character by taking deepak’s name that i from the first day wanted to run away with him and never tried to be with rishi. It’s up to woman to attract any man towards her and i never gave any input….when i showed them the messages and mails of rishi to gagan, then they stopped and asked me to stay as it was fault from both sides…..
My family and relatives refused to leave me there and brought me back..The community head also supported me and asked me to file a case as i had all proofs, but i denied…I was questioning myself what was my fault?
A month passed,he never called me up,it was me who called him 4 times, but his words did not change. He said he is ready to accept me as it was my equal fault as i also liked somebody else..i was wondering what to do, but my dad was strict No..he told me i can return to rishi only after his death because he’ll not be able to see my condition there..I discussed the full matter with my friends and everyone suggested me to separate…then i finally decided to take divorce..
I conveyed my decision to his family, they readily agreed because our mediator told them if they’ll create any problem, bride’s side may file a case against you and they have enough proofs against your son and the whole community is with them..
Everything happened within 2 months and i was a free bird again…i decided to work again,joined a school and started teaching…
The months were passing by, the society got to know that i am back, there were questions, worries on some faces, wicked smile on others, i stopped meeting everyone, just used to go to school, come back and sleep..
But this was not the end, but the beginning, Deepak came to know about me and he landed up at my home…he told me he want to marry me, and i insulted him as i never wanted to marry again…he spoke to my parents and they asked him to give me some time..
A year passed by, he kept on waiting and finally i realised i cannot find a better person than him. I decided to bury my past and agreed to this relationship. Finally, this june we got married, i was accepted with open arms by his family and now am carrying his 3 month baby in my womb….
I am happy now, feel too lucky as he is the person who makes me feel special day and night as if i am his life…it feels good to see that your presence and absence means so much to somebody.,..everything he does centralises around me..he is the best husband anybody can have and best son-in-law…..
May be this was god’s plan, the way i am with deepak now, but i do believe now everything that happens, happens for good…
And i do still question myself, what was my fault in my past?

(Screen) Name: Meenu

©Copyright – by Jeannette Gardner (December, 2007)

This is a “true story” about how I met my Husband on a dating site on the Internet. It’s the unbelievable story behind it that’s truly amazing!

I used to hang out at a country bar called the “Club Palomino”. I loved listening to good bands there, and dancing to their country rock music. I used to drag my friend out to see my favourite band playing called “Cheyenne”, who were amazing and always packed the place. My friend and I used to get up and dance to their songs. I was interested in the rhythm guitar player in the band, to me, he was the best looking one, and I loved his voice along with his rhythm guitar sound. Yes, I had the “hots” for him and would goggle eye him playing his guitar/singing while I was on the dance floor, or just standing at the bar listening and staring. I’ve always had this thing for bands as I play guitar too, and always wanted to play in a band. They played there for a long time and were the best band at the “Club Palomino”. I would go there as much as I could just to hear them play, and of course, always watching my favourite player. The sad part about it was I used to see him with a blonde girl, not knowing if she was his girlfriend or wife.

After seeing them playing there for a long time, the “Club Palomino” closed down. Yes, the club had been sold. Wouldn’t you know it a huge townhouse sub-division was put up and the club was gone. So were all the bands and my favourite band, “Cheyenne”.

When I first found out about the club closing down, I wanted to approach “Cheyenne”; particularly the rhythm guitar player and ask where they would be playing in the future. But I didn’t have enough courage to do that. I guess things happen for a reason.

15 YEARS LATER………

As time went on I met someone and got married. That was a mistake. Eventually we got a divorce. I started going out to bars, again, got tired of it and not meeting anyone decent enough. I wasn’t crazy about the bands playing at other bars either. Later, a friend told me to join a particular dating site on the Internet, which I thought I would never do. But, I thought I would check it out for fun as I heard so much about it through people even meeting their soul mates from that site. Surprisingly enough, I had a few dates, meeting in public places, but just didn’t find the right one and thought I never would from a dating site. I sort of gave up on it until one night. After getting home from a bar, which I hated, I went on my computer. For some reason I logged in that site again which I was really glad I did. I got an interesting email from a guy and liked his picture. I was also touched by his email and that he was also interested in my picture and profile. From then on we started emailing each other quite a lot from that site. We seemed to have so much in common through our emails. We continued writing and eventually got on MSN, and chatted for quite some time. He was Bulgarian and I was Hungarian, how common was that! We discovered from our MSN chats that we had so much in common. It was really amazing. Our families even lived in the same town of all places. We chatted every night as often as we could.

And then, a miracle happened! We started chatting on our computers about music. Wow…we also liked all the same music and we both wrote songs. I told him I liked country music and used to frequent a particular bar about 15 years ago, which had closed down. Of course he asked me the name of the bar back then. I told him the “Club Palomino”. He was really surprised and told me he used to play there. I wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not! He said he would send me a picture of his band that played there. I thought, “yeah right” to myself as I waited patiently in front of my computer for the picture. Lo and behold, a huge picture came up on my screen, “CHEYENNE” “CLUB PALOMINO”. I freaked! I couldn’t believe it! It was him in the picture with “Cheyenne”. The guy I was interested in who was the rhythm guitar player in my favourite band. I was so shocked that I went crazy seeing this picture! It was just unbelievable! Like a miracle happened suddenly! Like a fairy tale! We carried on chatting every moment we had for some time, and eventually he gave me his phone number. We started talking on the phone every night. It was just amazing all the things we had in common about everything! Yes, it was too good to be true!

After about 3 weeks of talking on the phone every night, chatting on the computer & exchanging pictures, we decided to meet. I was brave enough for him to pick me up at my mother’s place as I developed this trust in him, by his voice and his honesty. I met him downstairs in front of my mother’s apartment building. He got out of his car, and the first thing we did was look at each other and start laughing, and laughing like crazy, and couldn’t stop laughing! He took me to the local Canadian Legion where we talked, had a drink together (still laughing) and we got more acquainted. Eventually we went into another room and sat down at a table. After a while, he asked me if I didn’t mind if he got up on stage to do a solo. Hey, a man singing with his guitar was like being in heaven. He got up on stage and started playing his guitar and singing in front of an audience. That did it for me. I was hooked! And the guy I admired 15 years ago was performing in front of my eyes, and, was my date! I was in heaven!

We dated for about 2 years and it was absolutely wonderful. Eventually we bought a condo and have been living together for 2 ½ years now. Then, the final surprise! After moving into our condo, we looked out the window and to our astonishment what did we see? The office building of the dating site we joined of all things! What a coincidence that was! In March of 2008, it will be 5 years being together, playing music, and still laughing! We are just two peas in a pod!

He met my friend who I was with at the Club Palomino 15 years ago, and he also remembered seeing us dancing while his band “Cheyenne” played. He also remembered me standing at the bar at times. I used to watch him go to the bar for his coffee and I know our eyes met each other’s at that time. It sure is strange crossing one another’s paths some 15 years ago – and now, being together in a different time in the future, and remembering!

And by the way, that blonde girl he was with at the Club Palomino, was the girl he eventually married which lasted 8 years. He went through a brutal divorce. He did tell me that when I first saw him at the Club Palomino 15 years ago, that I should have approached him and told him “she was bad news”. It’s funny how life is – it just wasn’t meant to be back then. Fate brought us together. We found our “soul mates”!

We got married on Nov. 21, 2009.

(Screen) Name: Jeannette Gardner

Me and Angela never wanted to get married to each other but we have no choice. My Dad would fire me from my job if I don’t marry her and its goodbye to her glamorous life if she won’t. We hated each other, I’m serious and I concentrate about business while she’s childish and stubborn.

A month after, things between us finally cooled down, we started to understand and became comfortable with each other and not long after we fell in love.
When we heard from the doctor that she was pregnant, it changed our life, we became closer and happier, we wanted the baby so badly. I would come home early so we can have dinner together and call every 2 hours just to check up on her.

One day, I was called for a meeting on my day off, I left my cell phone on the car and when I checked it, there were 5 missed calls from Angela, before I can call her back, my mother-in-law called and informed me that Angela was rushed in the hospital, the doctors tried their best to save the baby but it was too late– she miscarried. I was in the bed side caressing Angela , waiting for her to wake up and when she did, she started crying about losing the baby, my heart went out to her I’m sad about losing the baby but I’m grateful that my wife is alive and that’s what matters most.

I thought everything is going to be alright again but day by day she seemed more miserable, she would hold her tummy as if the baby is still there and starts crying, I tried everything to cheer her up by proposing to have another baby but she’s not ready to have one because she’s scared of losing it again. Angela changed so much; she became bitter and unhappy.

I was called for a meeting one time on my day off and she didn’t want me to attend it, I explained to her how important the meeting was but she wasn’t listening, She got angry and blamed me for her miscarriage, I looked at her with disbelief and slammed the door and went to the meeting. I came home late and drunk and when I entered the room she pushed me out and threw a pillow at my face – “I’m sleeping in the couch”.
The next day, I apologized to her but she doesn’t seem to care about my apology, she told me that were going to have separate rooms. I tried my best to fix things between us but it was no use, I finally gave up on her.

Months later, I met Sandy she’s far different from Angela she has a five year old daughter named Megan. They made my life colorful again; I fell in love with them. Sandy promised herself not to trust another man again but I proved her wrong, I didn’t give up on pursuing her, she was everything Angela could never be, I fell deeply in love with her.

Even though she’s not my daughter Megan and I bonded like a real father and daughter, she had never seen her father and Sandy worked very hard to raise her alone — I’m happy I filled the missing pieces. One of the best things that happened to me was when I attended her school’s Parents day and was called “daddy” for the first time, I was overwhelmed with joy. With them by my side, there’s nothing I could ever ask for, I was ready to divorce Angela and accept whatever consequences from my father.

I thought Angela would agree but she cried when I discussed it to her, she told me that she still loves me and she wants to start all over again — “You killed us a long time ago Angela, it’s too late” I said it harshly and left. My father was enraged when he learned about my plan for a divorce, at that moment I wasn’t scared of him. Angela didn’t sign for the divorce but she didn’t bother us, it was clear in her mind that there’s nothing she can do to make me come back.

I continued my life with the people I care about the most. I bought a house for Me, Sandy and Megan and we lived there like a normal family. Sandy was very understanding to everything that was happening in my life and never pressured me. I fought everything that tried to come between me and Sandy, even my own father, I thought I can win over everything that would separate us but there’s one enemy that I could not defeat and it’s Cancer – Sandy is sick with Cancer, she knew about it but never told me and Megan. My world crumbled down when I heard it from the doctor and to make matters worse, they told me that there’s nothing more they can do to save Sandy, all there’s left is to make most of the time she had left. Even though Sandy knew she was dying, she managed to smile and never showed a sign of suffering, she taught me how to accept the changes that I must face soon and learn to love again.

Sandy left with peace and contentment in her heart, I felt lonely but not hopeless, I still have Megan and I promised Sandy that I would take good care of her. Angela was supportive and became my friend; I noticed that there was a big change in her. She was kind and caring to Megan. I remember what Sandy taught me – It was to love again and I did, but it took a while for me to learn to love Angela again. We got back together and she treated Megan like her own daughter. She gave birth to our baby girl and she didn’t mind calling the baby “Cassandra”, Sandy’s name.

(Screen) Name: Story Teller 777