Jab They Met: Feroze and Indira Gandhi

New Delhi: They say love is beyond caste, creed and religion. We have a perfect example of it - the story of Indira and Feroze Gandhi's marriage. Their love story is no less than a romantic drama Bollywood flick. Their love saga began in March 1930, when the youth wing of Congress Freedom fighters, the Vanar Sena was formed by Indira Gandhi. Subsequently Feroze first met Kamla Nehru and Indira when women demonstrators were protesting outside his college, Ewing Christian College, Allahabad. As Feroze watched the demonstrators along with his friends, Jawaharlal Nehru's wife Kamla fainted under the mid day sun. He immediately rushed to comfort her.In 1930, Feroze left studies to join the Indian independence movement. Feroze first proposed to Indira in 1933 but she and her mother rejected it, saying that she was too young; her age was 16 at that time.He came closer to Nehru family during that period. He even accompanied Kamla to the TB Sanatorium at Bhowali in 1934 for her tuberculosis treatment. He nursed her and was with the family in their worst of times. He even went to Europe with Indira and the ailing Kamla in 1935 when Kamla's condition worsened. Kamla Nehru died in 1936 in Switzerland. After her mother passed away, Indira enrolled briefly in the badminton school before enrolling at Oxford as she had failed its entrance exam. She then passed in the second attempt and enrolled for graduation in history from Oxford University. At that time, Feroze and Indira were in touch and met frequently. Feroze was studying at London School of Economics. Indira liked the honesty and conviction of Feroze and found all the qualities in him to be her true soul mate.Love was in full bloom; however, there is a twist to every love story. Indira's father was apprehensive about this relationship. He was opposed to Indira's decision to marry Feroze as he belonged to another community. It is speculated that Jawaharlal Nehru was strongly opposed to Indira getting married to a man of another community (Parsi), as this would destroy her political career.However, Indira was adamant. Finally Feroze and Indira tied the knot in 1942 after the intervention of Mahatma Gandhi. The marriage took place according to Hindu rituals. Jawaharlal Nehru approached Mahatma Gandhi to dissuade the young couple, but to no avail.Then gradually, over the years, the father-in-law and son-in-law resolved their differences.There was more to the ‘happy ending story' of Indira and Feroze. The couple had to face many hardships together.Shortly, after their marriage, the couple were arrested and jailed in August 1942, during the Quit India Movement less than six months after their marriage; he was imprisoned for a year in Allahabad's Naini Central Prison.But, soon the bad phase of their life ended and the coming five years were of comfortable domestic life and the couple was blessed with two sons, Rajiv Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi, born in 1944 and 1946 respectively.Let's have a look at some of the interesting pics of their life: Indira Gandhi playing with her grandson Rahul Gandhi.Indira Gandhi, Pandit Jawahar lal Nehru and his grandsonsIndira Gandhi's childhood pictureWedding ceremony of Indira Gandhi and Feroze GandhiFeroze Gandhi with his son Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi Sharing Light Moments with Pandit NehruIndira Gandhi with her sons