: Even Alzheimers Couldnt Dampen the Love This 87-Year-Old Couple Has #IndiaNEWS #Inspirational Yogendra Shankar Chaudhry (87) and Lata Chaudhry (84), residents of Mumbai were married for 53 years before

Even Alzheimers Couldnt Dampen the Love This 87-Year-Old Couple Has #IndiaNEWS #Inspirational
Yogendra Shankar Chaudhry (87) and Lata Chaudhry (84), residents of Mumbai were married for 53 years before life as they knew it changed completely. After a series of minor incidents, Lata was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s four years ago. What should have been a peaceful existence in their 80s was shaken up by the diagnosis and the subsequent changes it brought.

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Lata’s diagnosis impacted not just Yogendra, but also their son, Paresh, and their immediate family and friends who have been in constant contact with them.
Lata Chaudhry the artists.
While there are more than 4 million Indians suffering from some form of dementia, what’s unique about Lata’s story is how her primary caregiver and the love of her life, Yogendra, has helped her revisit a passion she nurtured as a young girl of 11. Warli paintings, a tribal art form, has her lost for hours on a single piece. The walls in their Bandra home are covered with her vibrant artwork.
“She is trying her best,�? says Yogendra. The exhaustion is palpable in his tone.
He adds, “She forgets things very easily – one moment she says something and then a few seconds later she has no recollection of what she said. These are difficult times but she is my wife and of course, I will support her. �?
Paresh, their son, who comes by every day to have lunch with his parents, says, “Poised and always in-control — that is how I remember amma (mother). She was never one to be fazed by any situation. Even now, there is that glint in her eyes that I see every once in a while. �?
While they have help at home, Yogendra takes special care of Lata. But over the last few years, it has taken a toll on his health.
Memories of a different life
Yogendra Chaudhry and Lata, a love story like no other.
In the early 50s, Yogendra had moved to Mumbai from Uttar Pradesh in pursuit of his dream of joining Bollywood. It was during this stint that he stayed as a paying guest (PG) in Lata’s home and that is how the two first met. Recalling those moments, Yogendra says, “I don’t know about love at first sight but there was mutual liking — not just with Lata but also her family. �?
He blushes when he says, “We got married in a small ceremony at the Mahalaxmi temple in Mumbai. It was a union that was blessed by all. �?
He adds, “Her family was happy to have one of their daughters married off. �?
Lata on the other hand was born and raised in Mumbai and belonged to a very well-respected family.