Jab we meet: On the same lines

A North Indian Kanika Aggrawal, and a South Indian V. Lakhavath Suresh are now a happy family. Sparks flew when their families first met but two diverse cultures eventually came to terms with each other.

“The marriage was held in a typical North Indian style. My family and friends had no clue about the ceremonies,” recollects Suresh, an alumni of Hyderabad Public School. “The baraat was simply awesome, with everyone dancing and going crazy in celebration. It was the only time I saw my father dance,” recalls Suresh.

The IRS couple, who are both the Deputy Commissioners of Income Tax at Hyderabad, met during their induction training at National Academy of Direct Taxes, Nagpur in 2010 and were married in 2013.

“Right after our first introduction, we became friends and got emotionally attached,” says Kanika, who has a PG in Taxation and Business Laws from the NALSAR University.

Suresh remembers that he first saw her at the NADT auditorium. “It was an introduction session and I saw a girl wearing a peacock green suit walk onto the stage with an air of attitude.  That’s how it started,” he says.

Even though they are from different cultures, they believed they would make a good couple. “I was excited as well as nervous. Excited about getting married to the man of my choice and nervous about how my man would be as my life partner,” says Kanika. Suresh says, “I was only praying that everything goes as planned.”

He adds that couples, who share a common career path, can be more understanding of the demands of the other’s career. In order to ensure that their marriage worked perfectly, they made pre-wedding promises to respect and support each other’s families. “We both are very ambitious. Both marriage and career are important, and making both work perfectly is a priority,” according to Kanika.

Personal relationships can be tough to maintain when couples have demanding careers. The IRS couple, married for over three-and-a-half-years now, avoid talking about work at home.

“We spend most of the post-working hours with each other, and keep office matters out. It’s the “we-time” that makes all the difference. It helps you understand what you expect from each other,” chips in Kanika.

Every marriage has its highs and lows. Suresh says, “Working at the same level can be taxing but done right, it can give deeper respect for spouse’s professional skills.” When problems do crop up, the smile of Atharv, their two-year-old son, simply resolves them all.