Monthiversary, they call it. Most celebrate the day with romantic dinners, expensive gifts and, probably, a short trip to an exotic place. But not this couple. Squash champion Dipika Pallikal and cricketer Dinesh Karthik are too busy honing their careers to be indulging in any such. And while it might not be the ideal celebration for many, the two looked happy spending their monthiversary evening cutting a red ribbon at the launch of the first exclusive showroom of Peps Industries in the city at Ispahani Centre, on Sunday.
Dipika, in a casual yellow, printed top and black jeans, and Dinesh, in a blue, checked shirt and khaki trousers, looked unperturbed by the thronging fans and media, at the venue. Surrounded by family members, they occasionally whispered a line or two to each other in between conversations with the group.
This is probably the first time that the couple is appearing for a public event as husband and wife. “Work keeps us apart for most time. Other than the week we spent together post the wedding, this is the second occasion I am getting to spend quality time with Dinesh and his family,” says Dipika, the first Indian woman to break into the top 10 of the Official Women’s Squash World Ranking, on the sidelines of the launch.
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Back from training in Australia, she had only the weekend in the city, before leaving to San Francisco for a month-and-a-half on Monday, which also happened to be her 24th birthday. Weary with jetlag, Dipika stayed at home along with Dinesh, ate home-cooked food, and met up with family and friends. “Both of us don’t fancy going out much. We prefer enjoying quiet family time any day to a noisy outing,” she adds. “However, we are both foodies and eat a lot of unhealthy food from outside. We are trying to minimise that,” smiles Dipika.
On August 18, Dinesh and Dipika exchanged rings and vows in a Christian ceremony. Two days later, they repeated their vows, this time the traditional Hindu way. One week later, even as their photos — Dipika in a yellow-and-red sari beside a sherwani-clad Dinesh and another in a silver-white gown, leaning against Dinesh in a prim black suit — went viral, with fans dissecting their romantic life, marriage, guests, make-up and more, Dipika had already flown to Australia.
“We haven’t even had time for our honeymoon. Hopefully, we will go on a holiday soon when I am back,” she says. The only break they had was a month before the wedding, which flashed by with the tonnes of planning and preparations. The next family time is probably Christmas. “But again, though it is off season for me, Dinesh will be busy,” says the Padmashri awardee.
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There hasn’t been much of a difference since their marriage, or rather, she clarifies, she hasn’t spent much time with him to put a finger on what’s different and what’s not. “It’s been the same till now; both of us have our work and travel schedules, and a fixed routine. However, it feels nice to come back to a house of your own and a husband who cares for you,” she says with a smile.
Five years ago, Dinesh was just a name in the list of cricket players for Dipika, when they met at the launch of a marathon. Later, they trained under the same trainer, Basu Shankar — a phase that strengthened their friendship. A year later, in 2014, Dinesh went all the way to England to surprise Dipika, who was undergoing training then. That did the magic, and the duo started spending time together. “And just after a couple of days since we started going out, I went and met his parents, and he, mine. It all just happened really fast,” recalls Dipika.