I remember the buzz surrounding Shahid and Mira’s marriage back in 2015. Besides their 14-year age gap, people had a lot of opinions about Mira being just 20 years old at that time. However, I never quite understood the fuss. You see, I also tied the knot at the age of 21 back in 2011, and the only difference was that my husband was 25. Now, as we both comfortably settle into our 30s, I can’t help but reflect on how marrying in my 20s was one of the best decisions I ever made.
I met Ravi, my husband, during my early college days. I wanted to pursue an MBA after graduation but had no idea where to start. Thankfully, a friend introduced me to Ravi, who was already pursuing an MBA, and he became my guide through the process. Little did I know that this introduction would blossom into love. He was genuine and nice, but also smart and witty and I admired how he looked at the world with a different lens.
It might sound a bit filmy, but love crept into our hearts as we were about to complete our studies. Even though marriage wasn’t our next immediate step, destiny had other plans. Ravi’s grandmother was on her deathbed when she shared her last wish–to see her only grandson get married. We were both taken aback by this. While I had a world of opportunities ahead of me, Ravi was just about settling into his job. Thankfully, no one ever pressurised us and both our families understood our hesitation. But we both knew we couldn’t live apart. After countless heartfelt conversations and unwavering support from parents, I decided to take the plunge at the age of 21. Nervous but excited, we both embarked on a path, unknown to us. Shortly after, his dadi passed away.
Ravi and his family were well aware of my career aspirations and supported me wholeheartedly. But it wasn’t as easy as I would’ve liked it to be. Marriage brings its own set of responsibilities and pursuing an MBA along with it sometimes felt overwhelming. I still believe that it was the most difficult phase of my life. Maybe, just maybe it would’ve been easier to do this as a single woman. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that I was able to sail through it because of Ravi. Of course, we had our moments but isn’t that what marriages are about?
After the initial years of struggle, life took a delightful turn. What made it even better was the fact that nobody pressured us to start a family right away. We were young and stronger as a team! We were both earning well and travelling our hearts out. We were together and being married meant no restrictions. We didn’t have to overthink or worry about situations. This freedom not only deepened our bond but also provided ample time to prepare before we decided to expand our family. We relished every bit of this, and well, we still do. And the best part? I got to do all this with the love of my life. Yes, we did go through lots of ups and downs and still do, but I believe marrying young gives you ample time to learn.
So yes, getting married early in my life turned out to be the best decision I’ve ever made. But I do believe that no two journeys are the same. It doesn’t matter what age you decide to get married, what matters is how ready are you to embark on this new journey and with whom!
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