Till death do us part, vow couples on Valentine's Day

One is a cliff diver, other a firefighter and the third, a businessman. These three men have very little in common apart from the fact that they were rendered paralysed due to a cruel turn of fate. Their wives are examples of grit and gumption that have stood by their husbands through extreme crisis as the couples tided over their tribulations to emerge victorious in the test of love. dna chronicles the magical stories of these three couples.

Tushar and Saili


While conducting a mock drill on duty seven years ago, Tushar Parab (44), a firefighter with the Mumbai Fire Brigade, fell off a ladder and suffered spinal cord injuries which rendered him disabled for life.

What followed was a nightmare. He was sacked from his job, leaving Tushar and his family with nowhere to go. When Tushar had given up all resolve to tackle the archaic system, Saili (43), his wife of 20 years, took up the fight. "We filed a case with the disability welfare board in Pune. I used to travel to Pune alone for the hearings every week while my husband would take care of the children at home. We did not hire an advocate and I personally deposed in the court for every hearing," said Saili.

Her determination did not go unappreciated, as Tushar would whip up meals for her on her return. "I would return home from Pune to a hot meal prepared by him and the children," reminisces Saili.

Saili ran from pillar to post and approached several BMC officials to have her husband's service in the fire brigade restored. "The BMC reinstated me two-and-a-half years after the accident and provided me with a desk job. We went without money those years. We had to sell our flat in Thane to manage our daily expenses. But with my wife at my side, we have sailed through the worst," said Tushar

In times when relationships break rapidly, Saili and Tushar advise their teenage children against fleeting romances. "We have to make love last. Everyone likes to have fun during good times, but true love is that which lasts during the worst of times," they say.

Adil and Majida


Seven years ago, it was love at first sight for Majida when she saw a wheelchair bound Adil Ansari make his way to his bench to attempt his HSC exam papers at Navbharat School in Bhiwandi. She kept stealing glances at an unaware Adil throughout the exam. While Adil cleared the exam, a distracted Majida left her paper incomplete and failed her boards miserably. But seven years on, Adil and Majida are blissfully married.

An adventure freak, Adil had gone trekking near Khadoli river at Nasik Highway where he suffered an accident that left him paralysed for life. "I attempted diving from a cliff into the river. The water was shallow and I hit my neck on a sharp rock. I have since been paralysed almost 80 percent from waist down," says Adil.

He had lost all hope of finding true love, when Majida entered his life. Majida's sister Rubina used to visit Adil's neighbourhood to teach children. "Rubina told me about Adil. I later approached Adil and struck up a conversation with him. We spoke over the phone for the next two months. Later, I expressed the wish to marry him. Initially, both families were reluctant but witnessing my steely resolve, they agreed," Majida told dna.

Majida fell in love with Adil after he was rendered immobile and insisted on marrying him against her family's consent. Adil's family too harboured apprehensions that Majida would call it quits and break the marriage after a few years. But their apprehensions were unfounded. Adil and Majida have stuck to each other through thick and thin. Majida coyly says that being with Adil has been the best decision she's made.

Chetan and Alpa

Pics: Hemant Padalkar

Mulund couple Chetan (37) and Alpa (36) Lodaya are as different as chalk and cheese. Yet, they are glued to each other by love and faith. Nine years into their marriage, Chetan sustained several fractures to the spine in a bike accident. "I gathered all my courage and called Alpa from the site of accident. I knew something had terribly gone wrong and I had to be hospitalised immediately. The doctor later revealed that I was paralysed from waist down," said Chetan.

From then on, life was hard, but Alpa took everything in her stride with a smile. "From meeting the doctors to discuss my medical condition to helping me change my position while sleeping or sitting every fifteen minutes so I don't get bed sores, Alpa does it all," he says.

Chetan is not only deeply in love with his wife, he is also in awe of her. "She is stronger than she appears. She drives me around for my work, she can handle a 20-kilo wheelchair, she takes care of the children and also manages the house beautifully."

Chetan runs a transport and freight business. With Alpa's support, he gradually regained his confidence to start work a few years ago. "Last year, I managed to make a turnover of Rs4 crore. The initial years at work were tough, but my wife never left my side," he says.

Alpa has never felt that her life is anything but normal. "We bicker like kids and are each other's best friends. I accept him the way he is and love him unconditionally," she says.