One of history’s cruellest and darkest periods, World War II, birthed a love that transcended faith and country. My grandparents taught me that true love cannot be dictated by religion or culture. Or by boundaries or barriers, whether internal or external. But most importantly, nothing can stop destined souls from finding one another.
I grew up in the US and my grandparents lived in India, so, unfortunately, I didn’t know them well. What I did know of them stemmed from the stories my father would share. My eyes would be left wide and my mind filled with wonder; it seemed unreal, the sort of story destined for a book or a movie. So, after years of talking about it, we decided to share their story. As my father Peter R Kohli and I wrote Raj & Norah (HarperCollins India) I was reminded of my grandparents’ awe-inspiring love.
HARD TIMES
My grandfather, Rajendra Shamsher Singh Kohli, a Sikh, was born in 1919 in Benares. His father, a respectable Punjabi man, only wanted the best for him. And in his mind, the only way to achieve that was to send his son to university in England. So off went Raj to study at Cambridge University.
“MY GRANDPARENTS TAUGHT ME THAT TRUE LOVE CANNOT BE DICTATED BY RELIGION OR CULTURE”
Denne historien er fra February 2021-utgaven av VOGUE India.
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Denne historien er fra February 2021-utgaven av VOGUE India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Breathe In, Breathe Out
A powerful tool to help you master your nervous system or another biohacking buzzword? SIMONE DHONDY explores the inhalations and exhalations of breathwork
Red Pill, Blue Pill
India's nutraceutical industry is booming thanks to advanced technology, distrust of the medical system and rising vanity. With multivitamins becoming purer and more effective, NIDHI GUPTA finds out if supplements have become the new serum
Sign of the times
No longer do you need to have an answer to, \"What is the significance of this?\" when people point to your new tattoo. ARMAN KHAN discovers that everything is on the table when you get inked temporarily
Return to form
Watching the world's most elite athletes deliver the best performances of their careers rekindled SONAKSHI SHARMA's own love for sports
Dimple, All Day
YOU MAY HAVE WATCHED HER ON THE BIG SCREEN FOR OVER FIVE DECADES, BUT DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF ASSUMING THAT YOU KNOW DIMPLE KAPADIA.
MUSIC, TAKE CONTROL
As someone who had always sought safety in numbers, ALIZA FATMA often wondered what her own company would feel like. The answer arrived unexpectedly when she attended her first-ever music festival, one of the largest in the world, all alone
Let it grow
When we think of hardworking farmers toiling in India's scorching heat, we often think of men, the sweat on their brow, the sinews in their arms. JYOTI KUMARI speaks to four women who are championing the invisible female labour that keeps these fields running
YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE
When armless archer Sheetal Devi set her sights on the Paralympic Games this year, she knew she had a tough journey ahead of her. Luckily, her mother was with her every step of the way.
Beauty and the feast
The appeal of Indian weddings has always been in a sprawling spread. For additional bragging rights, Aditi Dugar recommends going beyond designer tablecloths and monogrammed napkins.
Sweet serendipity
From a scavenger hunt-inspired proposal to a Moroccan-themed baraat, Malvika Raj and Armaan Rai's love story prioritised playfulness throughout their blended celebrations.
