[Dialogue] From SHANKAR JADHAV

[Harry Wainwright]

16 May, 2005

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

 

Greetings from Pune.

 

By July 2005, it will have been 2 years since Shakuntala (my wife) passed
away.  I have missed her a lot, particularly her physical presence.  I have
strived to keep her spiritual presence with me and with that energy I have
continued my life, task and maintained who I am.  With the support and
encouragement of my friends, colleagues, and family I have been able to
continue what Shakuntala and I were doing and hold our vision for the
future.  I would like to thank you all for supporting me in that process. 

 

During these last 22 months, I have had the opportunity to meditate and
reflect on my life in the past and future that is waiting for me.  I learned
a lot during this process.  I learned that being alone is also great:  it
gives you time and opportunity to put yourself on the right track, and it
allows you to rethink your life objectives and priorities.  I would say that
this has been a transition period for me.  It took a considerable effort to
shift and change from one phase to another, but after shifting now I am
confidant about myself and my future.  I know that I will never fill up the
space of Shakuntala; but keeping her thoughts with me all the time, honoring
who she was and learning about her and doing things on her behalf will be
the way for my life.

 

With the advice, encouragement and support of my family and friends, I have
finally decided to marry and to live with a new life partner.  I will be
marrying Renuka, who is 25 years old.  She is from a village near my home
town; she is also a distant relative of my family.  It is an arranged
marriage by my family.  I met Renuka four times to talk to her about my past
life and our possible future together.  We both learned about each other,
and decided to marry.  Renuka is willing to support me in what I do.  She is
willing to learn the skills she will require to work with me.  She believes
that only caring for each other is not the kind of partnership we want, but
rather being together with each other in everything is the way of life we
will have. We hope that we will fill the gap created by Shakuntala's absence
and we also plan to rebuild our image of a global family with our
colleagues. 

 

Our marriage will take place at Renuka's village called More Chinchore in
Nevasa Taluka, Nagar District which is 150 km from Pune, on 24th May, 2005
at 11.30 am. The marriage will be conducted traditionally with some
modifications, agreed by both the families. The intent of changes is to
reduce some practices that are expensive and have no value in today's time. 

 

I thank you again for your supporting and caring.  I look forward to your
(Ashirwad) best wishes for our new life.

 

SHANKAR JADHAV

Pune, India

ica_pune at vsnl.net