We do not want to live separately like Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini of Baghban film- Kanchan Yogendra Jethwa

News of engagement with postcard of 5 rupees

When married, Kanchan was 19 years old and I 20. Before marriage, I was in Kanpur and Kanchan in Gujarat. One day Dada ji’s postcard of five paise came that Yogendra was engaged. I did not even know which girl I got engaged to. Neither I had seen Kanchan’s photo nor had I ever talked.

I asked Dad that I did not even see the picture of the girl and how Dadaji got me engaged in this way. So Dad’s answer was, “Your grandfather had married me like this, so is your mother bad?” What would I respond to this? In our time, relationships were decided like this.

5 days procession

At the time of our wedding, the procession took 5 days to reach Kanpur from Gujarat. In this way Kanpur came to our house from Kanchan from Gujarat. It was not easy for Kanchan to adjust to the new home, new city. he/she had difficulty in speaking Hindi, but soon he/she learned everything. Our family got completely mixed up. Kanchan has worked very hard throughout the day to keep the family happy.

Then Dad had a sugar business then, he/she was called Sugar King. I also used to handle business with him/her. We used to supply about 1.5 lakh sacks of sugar in a month. In the year 1957-58, there was a telephone at our house, which was number 4996. At that time, having a phone at home was considered a big status.

Our era gifts were different. I wanted to buy an expensive saree in the form of a gift for Kanchan earlier, but the mother asked to gift a gold chain and gift a gold chain. She wanted the first gift to be together for life. The chain is still handled by Kanchan.

Idli-dosa was luxury for us then

Kanchan is fond of cooking. After some time, she learned from the women of the neighborhood and started making idli-dosa. Then there was no mixer, all the things were drunk on the silbatte. Food was made by filling coal in sigdi.

Kanchan used to work very hard to feed us tasty food. For the three children, tomato sauce was made from 10-10 kg tomatoes. She used to keep pickles for a year. Then I used to work for 11 months and as soon as the children’s school holidays were found, we used to go out to walk with children for a month.

Do not want to be separated like a gardening film

At that time our young son was in America. When she had a daughter, we had to go to America to the son. Wife got a visa, but I did not feel. The son said, ‘Send the mother now, when you get a visa, you will come later.’ It was not possible for us to do so. We did not want to live apart like Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini of the film ‘Baghban’. At that time the wife did not go to America alone. When both of them got a visa, we went to the son to America.

Now happy in Ahmedabad

Our family stayed in Kanpur for 40 years. Then the business started to slow down, so I worked in the bank for 16 years. I was born with a silver spoon, but there was a time when we went through a big tightness. We have been living in Ahmedabad for the last 36 years. Meanwhile, photo copy, betel nut, General Merchant did small businesses. Now we are completely settled here. All three children are married. All are happy in their homes. We are also satisfied by fulfilling all our responsibilities.