Unlike many celebrities, Rahul Dravid and Dr. Vijeta Pendharkar’s love blossomed far away from the scrutiny of the public eye. They kept it so secret, that many of us don’t know about their love story even today.
Here’s their heart-touching story
While Rahul was born in Indore and grew up in Bangalore, Vijeta was brought up across the country after finally settling in Nagpur. Their lives were so different that no one could have imagined that they would land up together as husband & wife.
So How Did They Come Together?
Between 1968 and 1971, Vijeta’s father was posted in Bangalore, where he met Rahul’s father and the two became very good friends. Within no time, their families grew very close. The friendship between the family became so strong that even when Vijeta’s family moved to Nagpur, Rahul and Vijeta remained friends, which was the beginning of their adorable love story.
It was after knowing Vijeta’s family for many years, Rahul fell in love with her.
Though, according to some reports, close friends of Vijeta’s revealed that Rahul had always liked her. And he would make sure to visit her every time he was in Nagpur.
They Were So Different Yet So Same
Being vastly different in their professional aspirations, both Vijeta and Rahul Dravid showed us how the cliche “Opposites Attract” is true after all.
While Rahul Dravid was India’s most bankable cricketer, Vijeta was on her way to becoming a medical surgeon. Though they were very different but yet very similar as far as values were concerned. Both lived a grounded and simple life and that is what brought them closer together.
With time, their parents noticed the affection and it was just a matter of time before the two would tie the knot.
But it wasn’t easy for Vijeta to find her place in an alien world
Once the news of their engagement broke, the whole country was obsessed to know about the woman who was about to marry the most eligible bachelor in India.
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And, Then They Tied The Knot
Though the whole country wanted to know about the woman set to marry the most eligible bachelor in India, Rahul Dravid tied the knot with Vijeta in a super-private wedding ceremony, far from the media’s prying eyes.
In a country, where celebrities publish the minutest detail of their relationship in media, Rahul and Vijeta remained tight-lipped about the preparations, which irked a few fans.
As they got married on 4 May 2003, many wondered how these two different personalities would make it work. And after 16 years of togetherness, they remain one of the most admired, down-to-earth couples.
But This Marriage Also Demanded SacrificesÂ
Like every marriage, this marriage also demanded sacrifices but this couple was ready to do anything for each other. So even though this marriage pushed Vijeta into an alien world, she was ready to do whatever it takes to make the marriage successful.
Being an intelligent and hard-working woman of science, she was fully dedicated to her career as a doctor. But after marriage, when it required her to prioritize family over career, she made a very difficult choice to give up on her dream of being a doctor.
While talking to The Hindu, Rahul’s mother revealed how Vijeta sacrificed her career so that Rahul stay focused on his career:
“Vijeta is a doctor but she gave up her career as she wanted to support Rahul and look after their children (Samit and Anvay). She takes care of the home while he stays focused on the game.“
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How They Not Only Won Each Others Heart But Ours Too
In the world that is obsessed with materialistic pleasures, we are in love with this couple, who managed to win our hearts through their altruism and grounded lifestyle.
In one of her exclusive column on Rahul, Vijeta shared:
“He doesn’t care for gadgets, and barely registers brands – of watches, cologne or cars. But if the weight of his bat was off by a gram, he would notice it in an instant and get the problem fixed.“
And it wasn’t a long time back when Rahul showed up at his kids’ (Samit and Anvay) school like any other parent, and stood in the queue requesting no celebrity treatment.
That’s Rahul Dravid in a queue with his kids at a science exibhition.
No show off;
no page 3 attitude;
no celebrity airs;
no “do you know who I am?” looks;
Queueing just like any other normal parent… really admirable… pic.twitter.com/NFYMuDqubE— South Canara (@in_southcanara) November 23, 2017
Most of the times, we tend to focus on the success that Rahul Dravid has achieved in life. But, we feel that there is a need to speak more of his relationship with Vijeta, whose sacrifices contributed to his success.
We wish Vijeta & Rahul many many more years of togetherness and would like to thank them for being an inspiration for a successful marriage to so many young couples!
