Of all days on the Valentine's Day

It feels different being married, then and now!

Legal Document

I found love of my life at a high school back in Bhutan’s first school. Even at that age, we knew we were in for a serious relationship and hence we nurtured it well. And as we repetitively promised back then, heart and soul, when I graduated, there she was waiting for me, her heart as big as the vast sky and her love still aflame as it was years ago. Our passion made us overcome our impatience of time and distance that tried to divide us. After all, when you know you are in for something sure, you won’t doubt a bit. And we didn’t.

It has been two and half years since I called myself married and my five-month-old daughter is an evidence of that fact. But recently I found my daughter was not an evidence enough, legally speaking. I didn’t have an elaborate wedding where hundreds of high sounding officials and cheering crowd of well-wishers attended nor there was grand party attended by friends and family members. But we had a simplest of the celebration, if you may call it that – just an evening (not by a campfire or candlelight either) at a small hotel, a silent room – where we promised ourselves that whatever life has in store for us, we would always stick to each other and never cease to love, keeping our hearts open. And for the last two and half years, the journey was fruitful besides a few ups and downs.

On the tenth of this month, we applied for the Marriage Certificate at the court. This was required in order to legally register our daughter in the census and there are of course some more reasons too behind processing the document. And as we attended a hearing the next morning, it was an awkward moment filled with anxiety, with the Drangpon sitting high up on the mountain-like throne and us bowing way down below on the floor that resembles a deep gorge. Well, that’s an exaggeration by the way. After a few questions here and there, we were instructed to come next week.

And today is Valentine’s Day – February 14, 2011. My wife and I got legally married. This is a big day for me and my wife. Well, a little update about the courtroom scene today – we bowed down before the Drangpon with great reverence once again. Before he could throw any questions either to us or our witnesses, my daughter started crying. And immediately we were issued the documents along with good wishes.

Now I am a legally married man to a legally endorsed wife. She is my legal wife. I am a legal brother-in-law to her brothers and she becomes a legal sister-in-law to my siblings. But more than anything I am a legal father to my daughter.

Thank you Dasho Drangpon for giving us an opportunity to marry us, of all days, on a romantic day like this! Thank you, my dear, for consenting to legally marry me on a day like this.

Wishing Happy Valentine to all married and unmarried, single and lovers, everywhere!

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Nawang P Phuntsho

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