{"id":1251,"date":"2018-02-12T22:02:08","date_gmt":"2018-02-12T16:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/museumofmaterialmemory.com\/?p=1251"},"modified":"2018-03-26T22:05:18","modified_gmt":"2018-03-26T16:35:18","slug":"2-x-2s-memories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/museumofmaterialmemory.com\/2-x-2s-memories\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2 x 2s of memories"},"content":{"rendered":"

TEXT &\u00a0<\/strong>PHOTOGRAPHS BY JUHI JAIN
\n<\/strong>Jaipur, Rajasthan<\/em><\/p>\n

My grandparents celebrated their 63rd<\/sup> anniversary on 4th December, 2017. We were all thrilled \u2013 partially because I forced them into doing the varmala again but more so, because we all understood how rare and beautiful this occasion was. While I clicked a million pictures that day, baba<\/em>, my grandfather, brought out an old briefcase filled with old black and white photographs and photo albums. That evening, while sifting through all the 2×2 inch black and white photographs, the entire family took a trip down memory lane over chai <\/em>and namkeen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

We went back to the time when a 6-year-old me practically lived on my favourite guava tree and when I was only 2 years old and my parents sent me to live with my grandparents in Bikaner because of communal riots in Jaipur. One of my favourite parts about my grandparents are their names \u2013 Vimal and Vimala<\/em>. I often ask them jokingly if that\u2019s how they chose to get married. It is only on their 63rd\u00a0 <\/sup>anniversary that I actually heard the story of how they met from daadi<\/em>, my grandmother\u2026<\/p>\n

“I was born in Karauli. My \u2018father sahab\u2019 was a famous doctor. One day someone from Bundi visited and told him about his elder brother – a cloth merchant who was seeking a bride for his son. My father accepted the proposal and I got married. We didn\u2019t see each other until we got married. During the ceremony I had a long ghoonghat- I couldn\u2019t see even if I wanted to. The \u2018baraat\u2019 came to Karauli \u2013 we got married and left for Gangapur station because there was no direct train from Karauli to Bundi. My father had booked us a coupe. It was only when I lifted the ghoonghat after we settled down that I first saw your grandfather. We were both sitting there like ‘gudda-guddi’, a pair of dolls. I remember a foreigner coming up to us and asking if any seat was available and your baba telling him that we\u2019re newly married \u2013 he congratulated us and left.”<\/em><\/p>\n