Sunday, September 26, 2010

Where has all the love gone?

I was traveling in the train one day when I overheard a conversation between two ladies. The topic of discussion was arranged marriages. One of the lady was of the view that guys should be educated, well-earning, having a decent family, rich and providing minimum comfort of at least a 2 bed flat and 1 car to their daughters when they get married. The other lady was much beyond the existing thought. She was saying that the only criterion for marriage is that the guy should be earning well so that the pressure of earning doesn’t fall on the girl.
Listening to the conversation all way, my mind began to wander. What exactly do our parents expect out of an arranged marriage? That their son-in-laws should be princes?
What is the whole system we have made and are a part of? Are marriages made only if the degrees match? Or if the guy is the of the same age as of the girl, but he is expected to earn almost the double of what the girl earns? Does the guy bear value only if it is enhanced by the number of degrees, the number of bedrooms, the number of car he owns?
Why is it in our society that the guys are expected to own a flat at the age of 25 or 26 by undertaking a huge loan liability on their head? Don’t we understand that they are almost kids, just out of their teenage? And when they take the loan liability, little do they know that they have axed their creativity, dream jobs. Now they resemble a man who no longer is capable of taking any risk as he has to house such an enormous loan, he has to provide the best for his kids, wife. Don’t we realize that we have axed the dreams of the guy? The only position which he claims to be is of the sole-provider to his family. He earns respect solely because he earns the money?
I am not contesting the fact by saying that parents should marry their daughters to a pauper, any tom-dick and harry kind of a guy. Or they have to axe their daughters happiness. But can the girls answer this question that why is only a man expected to shoulder the household responsibilities when they are equally qualified? I am ruling out the exceptions here please.
We as educated women need to understand that the guys are as old as us, as educated as us, as ambitious as us. They deserve and stand a chance to be given by us. Of understanding them, of acknowledging them, of loving them. Loving them for what they are. Loving them for the qualities they carry and having trust,faith in their abilities that they shall make a mark in the world.
The women of our previous generation have stood by their men, come what may. Lets take a lesson from them and imbibe their courage if not everything. Let’s accept what has been unaccepted until now.
And to all the guys. Please understand that we leave a house of 25 years to come and stay with you and your family. We are expected to mould ourselves to the mindset which your family carries, the traditions and other values. We survive only on one thing. The love and faith of you in us. If that itself goes berserk, how are we supposed to live and survive? We just expect that we get the same level of freedom of mindset which our parents have provided. Couldn’t we ask this much from you guys?
And then they say marriages are made in heaven and last on earth.

12 comments:

  1. I superlike this one. Indeed, I believe, that equality/equity will be given to women only if they share responsibilites. taking reservations from bus to Parliament, taking freeships in education, expecting guys to pay bills during outings, expecting guys to look after them in petty matters, etc and at the same time, expecting them to give them equal status, is height of selfishness...(some exceptions to be appreciated n ignored for this category)

    Actually, Poo, I have a lot more to say on this matter. Would soon put an article on my blog and would send link of the same to u..

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  2. thanks nash...n i m very sure of myself that i fall in the line of those exceptions. I have lost the count of years I have been feeling these thoughts which I have expressed today.

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  3. gr8..nice to see someone from opp sex thinking on similar lines..btw, check this link too, it talks about a similar kind of topic..

    http://hrudaysparshimusings.blogspot.com/2010/09/authority-comes-with-responsibilityso.html

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  4. You have made yourself many friends among the guys and I am sure not many friends among the girls with this one. You are among a very very tiny minority of females who think this way. And I am absolutely proud of that. Whats even more laudable is that you are practising what you preach.

    What is not realised is that true equality is absolute, unless overriden by nature (a man cannot be expected to bear a child!). Equality cannot be picked and chosen according to convenience.

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  5. Wats ur say on d last para nash?? :)

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  6. @abhi: What is equality? It is simply mutual respect and care. The concept of marriage gets lost if the issues of perceived equality are chased.

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  7. Nice one Pooja. Only thing that I would say that it is great that this article has come from a girl. Anyways keep it going. Women do require some previliges but not all that they get in the name of upliftment.
    Your last para is superb. A women is a care-taker of the house and needs to be given great respect.

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  8. bt only in arranged marrige money job flat these all things girls and her family want s bt in love marrige these all things not matter only parents say our daughter love him bt why they dont think only love is not sufficent if sufficceant then in arrange marrige why search job money power only search love am i right

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  9. hi pooja ... sorry for the late response bt firstly a really good one and a thought provoking topic ... i must say that is for sure.
    secondly n most importantly maybe m not all that surprised, that all the eves have kept away and some adams have responded.
    any parent is right in expecting a few things for their daughters but as we see the plate never tends to get full. Infact its only for food that i have ever seen we humans say "Thats enough I'm done here"... ;)
    Jokes apart ... any successful marriage has to be invariably supported by great trust, understanding and few small sacrifices which always helps in the long run!!!

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  10. great one.. but u know what.. nothing will change.. responsibilities is what makes a MAN.. and a man is forced to take up responsibilities which are many a times out of bounds.. u talk abt dream job and career.. i say "whats that?"

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