Visakhapatnam: A perfect bond of togetherness in times of lockdown

Visakhapatnam: 'Behind every successful man there is a woman' goes the adage. But the tweaked one, saying 'behind every successful woman there is a man', aptly suits GVMC Commissioner G Srijana and her husband Padiri Ravi Teja.

From the years they were seeing each other to the day they decided to settle in life by tying the nuptial knot and cracking the civil services in the third attempt successfully, the Municipal Commissioner says that their journey of togetherness traces back to the time they met in Central University, Hyderabad.

Though their thought process varies and so do their professions, their perception towards several aspects in life appears to draw similarities. At present, there are two things that Ravi Teja enjoys doing the most – baby-sitting and clicking selfies with his little one and captioning them.

Ravi Teja says that he gets a clear indication from his son if he feels uncomfortable while changing the diaper. "But when I take him to the other room and change, he calms down. Similarly, he sets timings for everything. At 4 am, he waits for me to play around. It's 'me-time' for us. He responds so well when I give him a nice massage," says the proud father.

Probably, it is this exceptional bond shared by the duo that made Srijana to forgo her six-month-long maternity leave and resume the duty within 22 days after the delivery. "Compared to me, my husband is good at handling the kid. My father G Balaramaiah, a retired IAS officer, still feels bit uncomfortable when I hold the baby but not when Ravi Teja does it. It is because of my family's support that I took a call to join the duty at the crucial coronavirus phase," shares Srijana, flashing a smile.

An advocate by profession, Ravi Teja works at the High Court in Vijayawada and flies down to Visakhapatnam during weekends to be with the family. "Thanks to the 21-day nationwide lockdown, I have been enjoying the baby-sitting exercise to the core ever since my child was born on March 4. Perhaps, this is the longest home-stay for me ever," he says.

The Municipal Commissioner says that her husband is more like a friend to her and inspires her to be herself. "He has my father's qualities which endear me to him. I was the one who proposed him initially whereas he took a while to open up," says Srijana.

Responding to it, Ravi Teja says, "Though she feels that way, I think it was more mutual as we were destined to lead a life together, of course, with our share of little fights that lasts only for a while." There are two aspects that bother Ravi Teja about his wife. "One, she doesn't delegate work to others and handles everything by herself. And she doesn't eat on time and the best part is that we don't interfere in each other's profession or be judgemental," he says.

The Municipal Commissioner says that her husband essayed an imperative role in making her crack civil services third time after marriage as he encouraged her to go to New Delhi in 2012 for an extensive coaching. "I always had a feeling that Srijana was more inclined towards becoming an IAS Officer. So, I thought I should make sure that she realises her dream and our wedding should not dissuade her from achieving the goal," mentions Ravi Teja.

The couple says that the lockdown has brought them closer as it allowed them to experience quality family hours with the newborn. They feel all the more blessed to share special moments of togetherness.