Love is bliss …! – Artist Maruthi

Q: You are an artist; who is doing things for the family?

A: I don’t relish going anywhere leaving my table where I do paintings. I feel empty if I had no painting work even for a single day. It was my wife who made all the arrangements for my elder daughter’s marriage. I do not even know where Pondy Bazaar or GRT jewelry shop is located! It was my wife who planned things and saved the money for our daughter’s marriage and arranged everything. And, again, it was my wife who took efforts to buy this house. She did everything right from applying for loan and buying property, jewels etc.

Vimala Maruthi: Maruthi knows only painting; painting is his life, it means everything to him. When I married him, I married him because he was a good and well-known artist. In that case, how can I expect him to leave it for the sake of doing mundane things? In my office, my colleagues and superiors respected me more because I was Maruthi’s wife. But Maruthi never felt proud or haughty on this fact. He used to tell me that we should face everything in life with confidence. And, he has already proved his words in his life too. He is not fussy in food also. He’ll eat whatever is served. He would never like to stay outside during nights, he would return home wherever he goes. He has no bad habits. I believe I am lucky to have him as my husband. (Maruthi smiles signaling to his wife to end her ‘certificate’)

Q: What are your tips for a happy marriage?

Vimala Maruthi: Life is not a bed of roses; it is replete with ups and downs. You cannot avoid anything. On the Tamil New Year day, we prepare not only sugar ‘pongal’ but also neem flower ‘pachadi’, which is bitter in taste. Elders will compel children to consume that also. At the end of the preparation, a pinch of salt is added to sugar ‘pongal’. This enhances its taste. Life is not made of happiness alone; it is an interesting mixture of all tastes – sweetness, bitterness, astringency, pungency etc. If the man doesn’t know a certain thing, the wife should do it. Likewise, if the woman doesn’t know a certain thing, the husband should do it. Anything and everything, if shared between the man and wife, renders life sweet and easier. Love should be the basis for the family.

Maruthi: I’ll tell it in my own language. A white paper or black paper doesn’t have any value of its own. Only when a painting is done with black ink on a white paper, the value of the paper goes up. A painting’s beauty and quality is enhanced when ‘shade’ is given to the painting. So, it is not only the light but also the shade that adds beauty to the painting. This is Nature. We should learn to enjoy and relish this principle in our own life too, life will be interesting. Life is a painting of black and white; it is a mixture of light and shade. ‘Waiting’ is an unavoidable feature in life. When we get result after a long-wait, the value of the result will be beyond measure. This is a practical truth.