Boy meets girl.
Boy falls for girl.(yea poor creatures,are always expected to do all the falling)
Boy performs some cliche antiques to catch her eye.
Girl winks,the boy is on seventh heaven!
They date.
Girl wants commitment,Boy wants sex.
Girl gets her way,boy talks to her parents.
After some pre-marital drama,the happy couple say the vows.
They grow old,pot-bellied and angry,together!
That has pretty much been the typical Indian story of a 'lou' marriage,albeit with a few juicy tadka's changing with the landscape and characters!But boyy!The times are sure changing nowadays.One can hear it in the frequent complaints of Indian teens that there was no proper "dating scene" in the country!True that,where will the poor kids go mating if there are no proms or bars to hang around?Even in the big cities,the scene is taking too long to change.There is a genuine shortage of understanding,mature individuals!If you sleep with a girl it's a shameful sin;if you get caught,even worse,as you find yourself stuck with her for a lifetime..!(or seven!)If you are a girl,its doomsday for you if it gets out!If you sleep with a guy,boy you might as well be a criminal here!This,is the reason why your "aaj-kal ke bacche" feel so enticed by the West!This very lack of freedom,to live life as we want it,drives us away,to settle down in faraway States and Kingdoms!
Times are changing though!Not advocating the western culture or anything,but here's an observation:I
read "Safe Haven" by nicholas sparks and "The Namesake" by jhoompa lahiri earlier this week.Sparks never dissapoints,and the love overwhelmed me as all of his other books did:") (I am allowed smileys) The Namesake was a good read.In the end,what struck me most was the differences.Katie,the female protagonist in Sparks work,abstains,because she is still legally married to her abusive,psychotic husband;and God forbids fornication! On the other hand,Mo,an ABCD(american born confused desi-thats what the author said),cheats on her well-mannered husband,with a man almost her father's age,just for the attraction and sheer pleasure of it!
Mo(ushumi) smokes,does drugs and drinks like a fish.Katie loves kids,is the perfect image of the ideal "mother" and isnt an alcoholic!Agreed that these are Indians born in the states and one could say that they dont know Indian culture;but does that make katie "Indian" because she fits this good lady image?Take a look closer home,aren't things almost the same?Aren't "desi" teens doing the same "cool" things?
Ofcourse I know I am getting so worked up in mere characters in works of fiction,but nowadays you can hear chachas and chachis blaming the "western,modern way of living" for anything ranging from their kids running away with their driver's sons to rapes and other huge crimes!Thinking of it,are the disgusting,drug addict,charas-intoxicated,daaru-guzzling goons even aware of the english language,to be INFLUENCED by it?!
So heading into 2014,isnt a change of mentality the need of the day?Instead of blaming others we might as well try to be good to ourselves and our people!
P.s-Ranted because one of my relatives didnt let me watch the latest episode of HIMYM after listening to barney talk for a minute.-.-
