Recounting the story on Facebook, Aathira writes of the love story of Anitha and Vikraman, which was nipped in the bud when they were young, but bloomed into happiness several decades later on 21 July 2016, when they were finally married.

In 1984, Anitha was studying in class 10 at Ochira, near Kollam. Her father was an Assistant Engineer in the Army, a man who put his family’s dignity and his own status above all else.

Vikraman was a teacher at a tuition centre, and also a member of the CPI (M). He used to meet Anitha often at party events.

Anitha and Vikraman fell in love, but her father would have none of it. He thought that marrying his daughter off to a much older man, a teacher and a CPI (M) activist, was beneath his status.

She was pulled out of school, and intimidated into giving up on the relationship, having been told that Vikraman’s life was in danger if they went ahead and got married.

Anitha obliged, and never met him again. She was later married off to another man chosen by her family.

A heart-broken Vikraman dumped the saree and thali he had bought for their wedding at a friend’s place in Ochira, and left the city. He moved to Chavara, where he spent decades as a political activist with no family or relationships. He did not take up any other job, and dedicated his life to the party.

Anitha, too, had lost a part of her to the failed love story. She never smiled wholeheartedly ever again says Aathira.

When Aathira was just 8 years old, her father got drunk and killed himself. Aathira was too scared to even touch the body. Anitha fought the whole world to bring up Aathira and her sister, and educated them despite family members asking her not to.