"R U MARRIED?" This is very general question which may be asked to any youngster without any serious intention. The same asked to me at my 1^st job by my reporting manager at Silvasa. I replied: “yes”. He was very much surprised of my quick response and then laughed at me. From then on he was fond of joking me everyday because of my so young age. Once he said: “How will you manage with this mere salary that you are receiving”. I was just amazed with his question. From our homeland, everyone comes in a city by leaving their family. Spouse was brought up after some month/year as per convenience. There is nothing to wonder about that. However, I left that job after a year.

            On the 2^nd job, again the same question was asked by many. I realised over there that no married guy was living alone or by himself without his family with him. I again changed my job for better prospects. This new job facilitates me family quarter. I brought up my family. But again salary became inadequate in couple of month. 5 Month later I joined overseas job in OMAN with a salary of RO 150/-. In Muscat, this salary was quiet insufficient to stay with family but much better compared to what I was getting in India. But the question was not going leave me. My colleagues were continued to ask the same “hey r u married?” If I replied yes then the 2^nd question followed “how are you passing your days without her?” My close colleague Ravish Bhai introducing me to others that he is from Bihar, there people getting married at their young age. I just kept silence and used to try to get normal. One of my close friend Shashi Bhai was always mentioning that you are doing serious sin by keeping her apart from yourself. Everyone in your family is enjoying your money but she herself is sacrificing.

            Once it happened as I couldn’t go back India about two years to visit my family. That was the day when my daughter (Chandni) was growing up (around 3 years). One day she was playing with my niece (around 4 years old).             Over a toy they started to quarrel. My niece cried by saying papa..papa. Chandni responded her in a sad tone with her childish ignorance: hey Jyoti don’t cry, at least you have papa to buy another one. Look at me, I have no papa even then I am not crying. But her voice was very cold and almost fainting... about to cry . It was so touchy that my wife couldn't bear to listen. She grabbed and hugged her tightly and comfortably consoled her.  That incident was so painful that my wife confined over to me by mobile.

Day was passing on. I changed my job again and joined in a MNC in Sharjah , U.A.E. Here one can not sponsor his spouse until his salary his AED 4000/- on labour contract and owning a rented home to his own name. To follow both of the condition was impossible to me. But luckily this new job provides me good opportunity to grow and prosper. I worked hard and by the grace of the God my department profitised almost double as compared to the previous year. Thanks to my boss who is always open minded and willing to accept all the innovation and suggestion  to change for the betterment of the company.

After 2 years, I requested to management for an increment in my salary and it was approved. I rented a family residence to my own name. But that was not the end of my problem since my contract with the labour office was not changed yet to enable me to sponsor my family. I requested the same to HR to get changed. H.R. couldn’t understand the seriousness of my request. They simply replied that their quota for the said job has finished for the current year. I was totally upset with this answer. I discussed this issue with my seniors, reporting manager, HR head and Factory head. Everyone consoled me that he will help .But I was not getting concrete solution. One day in a month of Fab’11, I wrote a mail to our Regional Managing Director (R.M.D.) informing him all the problem. I positively got a response from him within 10 min. by saying, "he will look the matter and don't have to worry about it".

            Meanwhile, I brought up family on Visit visa. I waited for a month still I didn’t get changed labour contract. Then I again reiterated my request to the R.M.D.  by explaining him that I have already brought up my family here on visit visa and it cost me AED 2300/- for visa and ticket alone. This time he realized my exact problem. He instructed to concerned one in such a way that it changed within a couple of week.

Finally on 26^th June, I got the new labour contract and later on changed visit visa  to residence visa. Thank God and the entire person across the journey for all these things.

Hey you can ask me now: “R u married?”