There are some couples who constantly cling to each other; there are some who don’t need one another’s physical presence to feel loved; then there are some, a special kind, whose every sense lights up in each other’s presence — he knows she’s right there and she knows it too. It doesn’t matter if they cannot see; they can feel and that’s all that matters. For 19 years, this has been the guiding force in the life of visually-challenged couple R. Muniappan and his wife M. Amirthavalli. http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/It%E2%80%99s-the-little-things/article17294340.ece He is a professor of History at Nandanam Arts College and she teaches music at a government school in Villivakkam. Seated on plastic chairs on a windy day at the Marina beach, the couple narrate their love story. “May 13, 1995,” says Muniappan, “That’s when she said yes.” He was 25 years old then and she was 24. “We met at the College Students and Graduates Association of the Blind.” Muniappan was asked to write and direct a drama to be aired on All India Radio and he picked Amirthavalli to sing the opening song.
They would meet every day at the Association, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. to practise. The professional that he is, Muniappan kept their conversations strictly work-related. But he had feelings for her and had even conveyed it in a Braille letter a few months before. “I said no,” says Amirthavalli. “I was staying at a women’s hostel then, and everyone would keep telling me Muniappan said this and Muniappan said that,” she smiles. It must have been torturous for Muniappan during all those practice days, mustn’t it? He smiles and adds, “Finally, after six months of waiting, she agreed.” The three years before their wedding were unforgettable, he says. He remembers every detail. “We watched our first movie together in a tent kottai called Mallika in Mangadu,” he recalls. Muniappan and Amirthavalli got married in 1998 in Chennai. They have a 16-year-old son. “One thing that stuck to me from what she told me when we were younger was that we should do something for the less-privileged when we were able,” says Muniappan. He promised he would and kept his word. Today, he is the treasurer of the College Students and Graduates Association of the Blind and has facilitated several visually-challenged people to get government jobs. “I wouldn’t have done this had she not planted the thought in me,” says Muniappan. “I know he is tall,” says Amirthavalli, speaking of the picture of Muniappan in her mind. “When we were young, we would ask our friends how we looked,” adds Muniappan. “Everyone would tell us that we look good together. Other than that, we don’t know much. It doesn’t matter.” Wondering where to spend Valentine’s Day? Turn to page 4 for a comprehensive listing. Muniappan conveyed his feelings for her through a Braille letter -- Avinash Shahi Doctoral student at Centre for Law and Governance JNU Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..