The story of an Indian (Untouchable) and a Swedish aristocrat shows us all the power of love
All films of love, however original, have in common themes that arouse strong emotions in the public.
The love story is always full of strange coincidences and a passion that leads to doing everything to fulfill that feeling and finally unite with the loved one.
All this is part of the film world, but we are wrong to think that there is no way that something similar can happen in real life.
In fact, the story of Pradyumna Kumar Mahanandia and Charlotte Von Schedvin will make you change your mind.
The love story between the two begins well before their first meeting.
At the birth of Pradyumna, his family went to an astrologer, as tradition dictates, to foretell the future of the newborn. On that occasion, the ascetic consulted spoke of a marriage with an aristocratic white woman from a very distant country who is able to play the flute, the owner of a forest, and born under the sign of Taurus.
For a long time Pradyumna thought about the prediction, but over the years nothing happened that brought him closer to a such a woman, so he began to doubt the veracity of the words of the astrologer.
The Pradyumna family belonged to the lowest social caste in India, the most despised, abused and oppressed. For this reason, Pradyumna's life was not easy: "When I passed near a temple, people would throw stones at me", he recalls. He made a living by drawing portraits of tourists and it was during a day's work that a young Swedish woman named Charlotte Von Schedvin asked him to draw a portrait of her.
Pradyumna suddenly remembered the prediction and when he started talking to her, he asked her what was her astrological sign, if she could play the flute, and what kind of work her family did. Incredibly, the young woman replied that she was a Taurus, who loved playing the flute and the piano, and that her family owned a piece of land.
Pradyumna could not hold back the amazement: "Everything fits ... You are destined to be my wife!"
The young man told her his story and she too could not disguise her disbelief. However, the two began to date and in a short time, they realized they were made for each other.
It was not long before Pradyumna and Charlotte got married in his village.
Their beautiful love story suddenly ceased when Charlotte was forced to return to Sweden.
The two separated, swearing eternal love and to meet again in some way. They spent 16 months apart, writing letters to each other continuously, but the separation was too painful to bear.
Convinced of having to follow his destiny, Pradyumna decided to leave for Sweden. He sold all his belongings, but he still could not buy a plane ticket anyway. So he said farewell to his family, put his money in his pocket and set off on a bicycle with the goal of reaching his beloved.
The journey began on 22 January 1977 and facing Pradyumna were five months of cycling and about 5592 miles (9000 km) to travel.
"I was very tired, my legs were hurting me badly, but the desire to see Charlotte kept me going and drawing portraits saved me, because people paid me or offered me food and lodging."
At the time when Pradyumna made the trip, many countries did not require any documents to enter their national territory. In fact, today it would not be possible to carry out such an undertaking.
Arrived in Sweden, the difficulties were not yet over for the young man because the authorities would not let him cross the border, believing neither his story nor his trip.
Eventually, they contacted Charlotte who rushed to finally embrace her man and confirm everything to the authorities.
Finally, the couple managed to get back together: "If you really want something, anything is possible." Nowadays such a journey would be even more difficult, but I do not think it impossible. "Fear and doubts are our main enemies. They make our life complicated", says Pradyumna.
Pradyumna and Charlotte re-embraced on May 28, 1977, two years after their separation in India.
"We did not say anything, we just cried and hugged each other", they explain whenever they talk about when they first saw each other again.
At that point, not even the rules of nobility to which Charlotte was bound, and which prevented a marriage with a dark-skinned person, were able to keep the two of them apart, so they got married again, this time in Sweden.
Since then, their love story has been going on for 40 years.
Pradyumna reflects, doubting that today he would be able to do what he did, having access to the Internet, which allows people to stay in touch even if far away. He then adds that "Destiny is something that is in the hands of each of us", reaffirming the power we have to change our lives.
Did you ever imagine that such a story could happen in real life and not just on a romantic movie set?
