Old is Gold
Image Courtesy: mcht

There’s a woman I love,

Near her I’d feel home;

Greyed hair adorns her mane,

Scarred fingers borne of nails.

Mist of boldness covers her

Scaffolding in leaves of gold;

Pit as patter, her rainy feet,

Swished away life’s dreariness.

Mold as potter’s clay

Her whole speaks of tide’s play;

Skimmed up agelessness,

Bellowed in wild dismay!

Yet her face beget that smile,

That’d leave me to happy heights;

Pray, Lord, fill her with life,

Let me enjoy Grandma’s bribe!

by: Anoop M. Mathew

P.S.: Dedicated to my Grandma Mary

INNOCENCE

Each Child is unique. Some are natural actors, some curious, and some don't know what's happening; but all have that INNOCENCE in them!

Lost without a Savior

When all is lost, and the world seems far from real, human mind turns to faith for salvation.

Empty Road

Life ahead may seem empty, but unless you keep walking on to the other side how would you know?

Litto Thomas Photography is the photographic collection of Litto Thomas. 

Litto is my dear friend from my home town - Edathua, Alappuzha, Kerala, India. He is a good dancer too. Litto takes photos using his Nokia X2 mobile phone. 

He pulled out the cork,

Poured in on the rocks,

Tasted the spicy lemon,

And lighted a cigar…

Gulped down the peg,

Sank back in thought

“Why the hell for

Am I doing this cheap shot?”

Refilled with ignorance,

Impressing his mates,

Ended up getting drunk,

And vomiting on his bed…

Slept on the nice vomit,

And sleep he did not,

Woke up with a springy head,

And a bruised old heart…

-        In mild hangover,

A Dead Man

Image Courtesy: CartoonStock

P.S.: Why drink when it’s not worth getting drunk?

Juvenile intentions are not always right!
Image Courtesy: DarknessBehindBeauty

Last night was a long night. After returning home from my recently adopted sleep-study-eat-work routine, I had a talk with my roomy Jimmy. He kept saying that he had everything, and yet nothing at hand. I asked him to elaborate on the issue. So he told me his story. He was born and brought up in the unruly town of Kottayam in Kerala, India.

Kottayam is known for the trio L’s: Liquor, Latex and Literacy. Well the ironic fact was that he had all three instilled with him, all obtained from his bloodline. The curiosity to become a DYSP like his uncle, and own a large bungalow with a few Police securities had made him eager to enter the Police service.

However, his ever persistent dad had adopted a weak-quality by which he wanted his son to become an engineer. This was often shared within his home over a bottle of liquor. His dad would go to his clubs and get advice from his drunken friends, and later promote the fact that he wanted Jimmy to become an engineer. Jimmy, being the not so intelligent fellow, blindly followed his dad, and decided to join a college in Bangalore, rather than chase his own dreams.

Now Bangalore is the town where you can be what you want to be. It’s like the Las Vegas of India, well maybe after Mumbai. This incompetent son joined a college in Bangalore and started life as an engineering student with ample freedom at hand, and lots of cash in pocket. For once you know when you are a young adult – freedom is a killer if let loose! And so it was in young Jimmy’s case. Friends and choices reflect a lot about your life, and here Jimmy was ruining his! Birthday parties, late night movies, cutting classes for better entertainment, and all the other crap you can imagine was part of Jimmy’s daily routine. However, he managed to clear the first year with flying colours. Second year at the college meant that it was time to rag the juniors. Gangs, fights, parties and pranks, had gained Jimmy a huge attendance shortage. But since money was at hand, he paid off the fines and entered the examination hall. Stroke of bad luck filled Jimmy life. He did not clear four of his main papers and was left with a year-break. The worst part was, he could not attend the exams again until next year, unlike some other universities that function in other states of India. Education had ruined him, and Jimmy waited a year for things to settle down. This didn’t stop his parties or pranks. The next year, he sat for his second year classes that he missed, with the same juniors he ragged!

Again luck was not in his favour. Inspite of attending extra tuitions, Jimmy could not muster mathematics into his head. Engineering is incomplete without mathematics, but Jimmy felt its pain! The annual examinations that year left him with more un-cleared papers, of which the majority were related to complex Engineering Mathematics. He would lose another year. Jimmy was torn apart.  He felt from within him that Engineering was not part of his life. So he decided to quit after much thinking. This troubled his parents, especially his dad.

He went home to state the issue, and make his parents understand that he was not born to become an engineer. In retaliation, his dad kicked him out of his own house, and stated that he did not have a son. This broke Jimmy’s heart. The following were uneventful incidents that Jimmy related to me, with tears running down his cheeks. His dad had charged at him with a knife and had warned him never to return again even if for his funeral.

With the cash he had for paying off his semester fee, Jimmy decided to join another college in Kochi, Kerala, where he would learn catering and hotel management. This field of choice did him good, and he cleared all his papers well. His dad never spoke to him after that incident, and his mom would send him some cash from her savings to run his expenses. He also did a lot of part-time jobs to make both ends meet. His cousins and sisters would keep calling him and they would be in touch often. Being the only son amidst a daughter and a surrogate daughter, he was attached to his parents. He could not sleep without listening to his mom, and did not mind calling her everyday even if it was to hear her scold him. He wanted to talk to his dad, but the man never gave up his ego. Jimmy says that his dad was misguided by his friends at the club. But how can a father be so unkind? At the beginning of the year 2012, Jimmy returned home to meet his folks. He could not resist meeting his Mom after being the prodigal son for 18 months. Again, he was kicked out by a rude father in cinema style.

In retaliation, he went to Chennai, and joined a reputed hotel as a trainee. He struggled there for 6 months with limited cash and resources from his mom. Now, he’s back in Kochi and works as a sales executive for a dentistry. He hopes to join another hotel soon, and keeps awaiting interviews. He told his mom that he would earn his living alone and asked her not to send him anymore cash. Even while switching jobs and living life on his own, still within this multi-qualified and experienced young man, is a heart that weeps! Atleast I’ve seen it!

It only used to be in my dreams, it seems

Romantic beaches and lush flowery greens

Me and my Mr. Right wandering about

In my head, run millions of doubts

Is he the one I’ve been waiting for?

The one I’ll love? The one I’ll adore?

The one I’ll spend my entire life with?

Sounds less like a fact, more like a myth!

Will he love me? Will he care?

His whole life, with me he’ll share?

Tall, dark and handsome, he isn’t!

But there is nothing about him I resent

He has surely got a heart of gold

My hands, he’ll forever hold!

He is charming like a gentleman

He in my life, was God’s superb plan

He gently bends and whispers in my ear

“I’ll never let you shed, even a single tear

I promise to always keep you smiling

In every phase of life, I’ll be loving and caring!”

His words have definitely knocked me out

I want to get on a mountain peak and shout

“He’s definitely the one I’ve been waiting for

The one I’ll love? The one I’ll adore!

The one I’ll spend my entire life with,

It’s a fact now, no more a myth!”

by: Majida Shaheen 

P.S.: Majida is a frequent guest poster and a good friend. Thank You Majida for this post!

Ingredients:

1. Gelatin 38 grams

2. Tender Coconut 50 ml

3. Water 250ml

4. Heavy Cream 420ml

5. Raspberry Pulp 680gm

6. Egg White 142gm

7. Sugar 230gm

8. Del Monte® Fruits Naturals® Snacks (Mixed Berries, Cherry Mixed Fruit and Peach Chunks)

9. Del Monte® Very Cherry® Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup (if needed)

Procedure:

Before Preparation:

Assemble Del Monte® Fruits Naturals® Snacks that are to be used in the application of the Mallu Mousse.

Del Monte® Fruits Naturals® Mixed Berries

Del Monte® Fruits Naturals® Peach Chunks

Del Monte® Fruits Naturals® Cherry Mixed Fruit

Preparation:

1. Bloom the gelatin into the water.

2. Whip the heavy cream to the medium peaks. Cover and reserve under refrigeration.

3. Warm 340gms of raspberry pulp in a sauce pan. Remove from heat. Melt gelatin. Add the melted gelatin and stir to incorporate. Blend in the remaining 340gm pulp.

4. Combine the egg white and sugar in a mixed bowl. Add tender coconut. Set over a pot of simmering water and heat stirring constantly with a wire whip until mixture reached 63 degree centigrade. Transfer to the mixture and whip at high speed with the whip attachment until stiff peaks form. Continue beating until the meringue has completely cooled.

5. Cool the raspberry pulp gelatin mixture to 21 degree centigrade.

6. Gently blend approximately 1/3rd of the meringue into the raspberry pulp mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining meringue thoroughly incorporating it. Fold in the reserved whipped cream.

7. Immediately pipe or ladle into Del Monte® Fruits Naturals® Snacks mixture. Refrigerate until completely settled.

After Preparation:

This recipe can be served as a dessert after any meal, preferably after lunch. If required, use the Del Monte® Very Cherry® Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup as toppings. Bon Appetite!

Del Monte® Very Cherry®
Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup 

P.S.: This is an experimental recipe. Hope you enjoy trying to make it. This post is dedicated to the Del Monte Blogger Recipe Carnival on IndiBlogger.in. Please check out WorldFoody.com

The poor are not one of the worst humans to be alive on Earth. Even poor people survive. But my poverty can be a more caste-creed-religious based nuisance that never seems to end even though my parents lived a better life than their parents. Yes, time is not a great benefactor for our state of unresolved issues.

Time had its worst influence at times. The world around us just keeps getting richer and richer. Seeing how harsh the environment had been to us over the past few decades of migration, I decided to try and improve myself and become a better caste of person. But my ambitious thoughts won’t be enough. I’m merely myself! I can hardly vouch for my species of survivors all alone.

In some places they call us Gypsies, in other places; we are Scheduled Castes and Tribes. We don’t own anything on this Earth. So we keep moving from place to place trying to settle into whatever means of lifestyle we can afford.

Although we are denied basic education, I did my best to learn how to read, write and understand the world around me. I’m aware of a few basic languages for communication, but due to my ardent interest in foreign affairs of other humans, my tribe considers me a lunatic who overacts to reality. But let me ask you, what is reality? Is it the pride of the rich and the pain of the poor like us? I wish life was equal for everyone. No one would feel bad that way.

But today, I’m trying to change the person within me, who is soaked with the misconceptions of a scheduled gypsy. I’m trying to understand how much more human I am rather than how smitten I may look to the world. I’ve researched during my free time, and am more interested in learning about people and how they react.  

I make people happy for a living. Yes, I’m a joker to the world; a clown who forgets where he’s come from and is inclined towards the happiness of others. I am often lovetricuted by people who like me as a joker. Yes, I’m good at my profession. But it’s all behind a mask of white paint and red emotions! The person that I am is still an outsider to this world.

Her lips moved in

The void was filled

Passionvoked

I neared her…!

The smell of sweat,

Pulled me back,

Guiltified

Sweet betrayal!

She had on,

A woven cloak,

Greyetchened

On the darned floor.

The night was cold,

Turd like wind roared

Emisticated

What once felt gold!

Lost in that rain,

With no place to hide,

Selfsmittened

Flew our night…

Hiding his mind's flame, he makes you Smile!
Image Courtesy: Rodsbot.com

I write when I’m lonely. At night my mind plays tricks on me. Although I stay away from my tribe, I still believe I was born to make my people one with the societies of the world. Our world needs to coexist with the people of Earth for us to survive in the years to come. But, when will it soak no more for us?

-A Scheduled Clown

P.S.: A heartfelt approach is required to consider all our fellow humans as 'Humans'. I hope the reader has understood the consequences of a biased world we live in!

P.S.S: This post was written for the IndiBlogger SurfExcelMatic Contest. Please don't like this post unless your heart goes out to those who suffer. 

Pirate or Privateer?

Sail ho sail ho; us pirates are searching for land,

We’d sell all our rum, to have a look at some sand!

But the rum is gone, and gone for good,

And we’re stranded out here without any food

The sea is our love and we love to be here,

But with no rum on board, even you’d shed a tear!

Rum oh rum, all we need is a little rum,

Pirates we are, but whom should we steal it from?

The sea has been merciful, but stand us how long will it?

In just a matter of time, by huge waves we’ll be hit!

No land we have for six months seen,

No ground we have for six months been,

The captain is tired and the crew almost dead,

All cannons are fired, but no land ahead!

And just when everything seemed hopeless and down,

There emerged land, like a golden crown!

The crew jumped up and the captain awoke,

The sadness was lifted, and the tiredness broke!

Happiness knew no bounds,

The deck was filled with sounds,

“Man the sails’, the captain roared in delight,

The crew obeyed with faces bright,

In a few moments, the ship hit land,

One by one they jumped down, everyone feeling grand!

The first thing they did, was to get a drum,

And went out ahead, to fill it with rum!

*Hallelujah!*

-Haseeb Sange

Haseeb says- I've always wanted to be a pirate. But things didn't work out the way I wanted them to I guess. I was born in a desert, I come from a noble Indian family of Accountants and Doctors, and I don’t have a ship or a crew. Not to forget, my mom wants me to become an Engineer.

P.S.: This is the second Guest Post by my friend Haseeb.

The KSRTC bus ride back home
Image Courtesy: Nostalgic Kerala Photos

That evening was a strange one. After bidding farewell to my friends, I took off from Kochi hoping to reach home by evening. Time does its plays in every man’s life, and on that day it had found pleasure in squeezing its fangs on mine.

The journey began rather well. I had refreshed myself with some snacks and a lime soda for the three and half hour bus ride back home. The places sparkled in familiarities; but the bus was overcrowded, providing a chance to explore my bachelorism.

The one thing you know when you are a bachelor is that time will pass easily. This theory is often picked up from laziness, as almost all the men in bachelordom like to waste time with their mischief and many pranks. One among them is flirting. The boredom arouses every now and then, leading to newer discoveries each day – some of which may sound totally insane!

One such incident occurred during my college days. The food at the hostel mess had got over by the time my roommates and I returned from our movie. Life in that remote area of Tamil Nadu is ever memorable with its mini-theatres and all the action available both in and out of campus - at rather cheap rates. Hunger had struck us by that time, and since we hostellers weren’t allowed to use electrical appliances, making something was not an easy task. However, I had some left over sugar in custody. We decided to raid the mess hall at night. The storekeeper was not pleased. He scolded us and asked to leave. We retorted, applying that all we wanted was a packet of coffee! He had to oblige. Now we did not have a kettle, but there was my oversized stainless steel dinner plate! We borrowed steel glasses of equal height and set them upside down on the floor of our room, to form a stove. Roaming around the hostel for some sort of fuel to cook, we managed to collect fifteen to twenty candles from various rooms. The match box was easy to find, as we teenagers had our habits! Filling two liters of water from the filter, we got back to our room. We set the candles around our ‘stove’ and lighted them up. Then we fixed the ‘dinner plate’ atop our ‘stove’, and poured in a liter of water. After ten minutes of boiling the water, we added the sugar and the coffee and stirred our beverage. The aroma was simply appetizing for that night! That was how we made our candlelight coffee, spiced up by a talented cameraman who did the commendatory rather well.

Tempting?
Image Courtesy: P/B

Travelling was one of the entertaining pastimes of my life. I’ve had my share of airplane, train and bus rides to various places around the world. Of all these places, India still intrigues me to this day! I’d prefer the window seat and gaze at life along the road. On that evening, I was comfortably seated aside a window and was enjoying the scenes of tropical Kerala. But before I knew it, I was texting this on my Nokia:

I’m pissed, I’m cold, and I’m wet;

It’s raining and I can’t feel any sweat.

This rickety bus mourns,

My self-esteem’s finding cons!

I just want to get home,

Or any place with a ‘MAN’ board on;

Just murder this guilty ride,

It’s a bachelor’s pride at plight!

Amidst the mind’s “oohs” and “aahs”,

I dream of a relief far from sight!

The bus had reached a quarter of my journey, and it would be difficult to quit the ride and find another one after relieving myself. So I shut myself to other thoughts. Uncontrollable emotions filled my mind. For once I wished I could just turn OFF for a while. But, all good things happen when you least expect it. And at precisely the right time, my adjacent passenger decided to exit, and a damsel standing next to him occupied his vacancy. Wow! I felt as if it had snowed in summer!

The sign I longed to see!
Image Courtesy: Amusing Planet

To add to my jeopardy, the girl looked familiar. It took some time for me to recognize that she used to live next to my home a long time ago. Oh God! Why this kolaveri? Could I tell her how I really felt at that moment? It was embarrassing. I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. I took out my phone and typed some more:

I mourn, I bleed, I scream, but

When I sleep, I dream, I fly!

I kid, I prank, and I joke,

When I see you face to face, I choke!

This girl was the girl of my childhood dreams. We grew up as play-mates, often playing childish games with our friends. Now, after many years, she was rather a cute stranger. Looking at my unfriendly appeal, she decided to strike her conversation.

“I thought you didn’t recognize me until I saw you smile at the window. What are you doing these days?” she inquired with a smile.

“Hmm... I’m studying at Kochi. Didn’t you see that on Facebook?” I replied, stabbing myself mentally for not making the first dialogue perfect.

“I’m not an avid FB user. Totally busy these days with college work you know”, she said with a frown.

“ Yeah, that’s what they all say!”, I guffawed. I wondered if any of my other friends on Facebook really knew what I was doing.

“Who are they? Your girl friends?”, was her immediate sarcasm.

Now that was too much. Girls always want to know you better once they are familiar with you. Some even think they have you all figured out.

“No, I meant that on a general note. Where are you headed?” I was trying to act friendly while mourning inside.

“To a friend’s place for the weekend”, she replied. “What about you?”

“I’m going home to meet my Grandma”, I replied uninterestedly.

“Oh. That’s good. How is she? And where are your parents and sister? She was being friendly.

“They’re all fine. Parents are in Kuwait. Sister has joined college”, I replied quickly. 

After that I couldn’t control myself. So I got up, took my bag from the rack above me and pretended to pull out a pair of headphones to listen to some music. Seeing my unusual behavior towards her, she sighed and started texting or calling someone on her iphone. I didn’t bother to talk to her as I was busy trying to contain my situation, although I must admit that it was heaven in hell!

Life felt like an advertisement. The smarter you present yourself the wiser people think you are. Instincts! But that doesn’t happen always. Nature was calling me madly. And time was moving slowly. The bus managed to find all the unnecessary hurdles that day. Crazy speed breakers and the endless rain had fueled the adventure. But my mood was not right for such an occasion. To add to my misery, an accident had taken place along the highway and the traffic through our lane was soon diverted, which would increase my journey by half an hour! There was no escape from the inevitable. I couldn’t spit or swallow – I just had to eat time!

At that time, I decided to pray! I closed my eyes, tuned my playlist to Worship songs and pretended to loose myself with it. But with each beat, I was gripping my bag harder, and cursing my bad luck!

Somehow, the bus reached the next big station – Alappuzha. I go out from the seat with my bag and headed to the rear exit of the bus through the crowd. As soon as the bus stopped, I jumped out and was scanning the area for a spot. Thank God I was in Kerala where the field of scope for such entities is endless. Behind me I saw a fellow passenger push me and run. I followed him. Soon we found ourselves a clearing behind some trees and relieved ourselves.

He was smiling at me. “Thank God… What a relief!”, he said.

“Hehe…I never thought I’d make it!”, I exclaimed.

I had exited the bus without wishing her goodbye. I saw her heading towards a shop in Alappuzha. I decided to wait for the next bus rather than to follow her. I felt guilty for being rude to her with my silence. The next bus arrived and I took it to my hometown.

Night fell by the time I reached my destination. The daily power cut was going on, and the rain seemed far from stopping. I left my umbrella in Kochi; however, I had a torch, and decided to walk home. Some wild dogs were seen patrolling the roads and some of them barked at me disapprovingly. Along the way, I met an old man. He had an umbrella. It didn’t take long for us to share our resources and move ahead, although we never spoke a word. Sometimes, some angels are sent from God even amidst rainy situations - here I was his angel, and he was mine!

Nostalgic Backwaters
Image Courtesy: Nostalgic Kerala

I reached home, and after a brief welcome and story-telling session from Grandma, I got refreshed and logged on to Facebook. To my surprise, she was online.

“Hey, reached home? I couldn't say goodbye before I left”, she messaged me.

“Yeah, you were too busy with your phone nah”, I guffawed, hiding the truth.

And then we continued our private conversations…

An evening on that bus and the events that followed, taught me a lesson. If it’s wintering in your life right now, can spring be far behind? Soak tears of sorrow no more, because joy is on her way home!     

P.S.: This post is a work created for the Soak No More Contest by SurfExcelMatic on IndiBlogger.in If you liked this post, please vote for it here

I'm a sixteen year old teenager. I should be writing about the mysteries of love and the beauty of friendship, but here I am, trying to change the world by writing words on corruption on a blog of a friend I made a few days back! But at least it's a start. And that's where all of us fail, to make a start. We're so afraid of the consequences that we have literally started believing that we don't really stand a chance. While the word is busy fighting Aids and Global warming, we Indians are facing an entirely different problem. Politicians! Shame on you adults for letting this happen to our country. If you handed India over to us teenagers for a day, you would probably see the difference.

  

The Voice of Young India
Image Courtesy: she.sulekha.com

I am a NRI, a non-resident Indian, and I can feel the vibes of corrupt politicians and frauds till here! But what are we doing? The same thing that we've been doing for the past 800 years, watching! And we're getting pretty good at it too. First came the Mughals, then the British and now we're facing someone worse, Indians! It's funny how kids today want to be doctors and chefs but not a single one aspires to be a politician. It seems like even they know that this job has been cursed. Take it this way, India is house and we Indians are the family living in it. The father (politician) is a bad man and thus the family (Indians) is always suffering. To add to our misery, our neighbor is busy sending missiles and bombs onto us! If you know what I mean...

- If you are an Indian adult reading this, then stop reading and do something about it. Go out, start a campaign, get some people on your side, spread the message. Every bit counts.

- If you’re a politician reading this, then remorse for what you’ve done to India and try do some good for a change. If you’re an American reading this, then stay the hell out of our way! We've got enough problems already.

- And if you’re a young beautiful lady reading this, then let me tell you that my dad is very rich and I am incredibly handsome.

(Sorry for the bad humor, that’s just me.)

I would like to thank Anoop for putting this up on his blog. Hallelujah.

-Haseeb Sange 

Image Courtesy: www.mostimportantpart.blogspot.com

P.S.: This post was given to me by my young friend Haseeb. Reader's discretion is advised.

Misunderstood Musings!

Waitin’ at the edge of oblivion,

Hearing the miseries untold

Facing life’s delirium,

As truth, silently unfolds…….

Sleeping in desolation,

To escape the confusion

Wondering in solitude,

Feelin’ lost and alone in the multitude…..

Why does it seem I recognize no one,

When everyone I know is here?

How can I make my insecurities vanish,

And stop my heart from feelin’ fear?

Why can’t people see my burdens that are hard to bear,

Why can’t they see the silent tear that says “I care”?

If I seem heartless ,

I have surely been misunderstood……..

It snaps the strings of my heart to see myself bleeding,

I hate to bite the hand that to me, is feeding

I am engulfed by the chasm of morbidity,

I stand in anticipation of serendipity……

If I seem to be the strongest,

I have clearly been misunderstood…….

-         Poem by: Sagittaire Solitaire. 

P.S.: This is a guest post by my friend. Please check out www.sagittairesolitaire.blogspot.com to know more about her.

Image Courtesy: www.favim.com

Marriage sealed with a kiss? Is that it?
Image Courtesy: ebay

Love, love and more love…Oh I hate hearing that word. Why? It’s because it broke my heart more than once. Now you might be wondering what kind of affair I had got myself into. Hehe! Keep dreaming! I’m not going to spill the beans here. Loving a person of your opposite sex is a human right, and should be supported at all levels. But however, love gets serious with the arrival of marriage. The proposals are often arranged by both families or rather affirmed secretly with the help of a registrar and some witnesses. But what is it that differentiates love marriages from those that are arranged?

In the beginning...

According to the Biblical context, man was created in this world by God. And when God saw that man felt lonely, He decided to gift him with a woman, who was literally formed from the ribs of the man. However true it may be, the case has changed over the millennia of evolution. Time has taught man to choose his partner, and the same has it done to women! However, now a genuine confusion was born. How to select? It’s not a product that’s for sale in the market is it? I’d sound like a perfectly inexperienced young adult; however, from some real life instances that I’ve personally seen, I’d say that human beings are blind when it comes to love. But I’m not totally against love either. We’ll get to that part eventually. But, my question is, when did love actually grow within a human being? Was there love in the beginning? What is love? Some say God is Love. Is it true? I’d say that to love someone truly you’d have to first love yourself and consider that person to be one with yourself. If that person feels hurt, then you should also feel hurt, and so should all the other emotions coexist mutually! 

Wedding Rings symbolize the Marital Status
Image Courtesy: PRLOG

Vows and Knots...

Marriage is believed to be divine. That’s why most people do it (or have it) as part of a religious sermon. The man is partnered with his wife in front of God and the people. During the ceremony, the priest or authorized elder chants the holy words which mean that they (the bride and groom) have now become one. This means they would share their entire life together as one, by loving and caring for each other. People these days however do not have the courtesy to even think before they get married. Why?

Some people like to take life lightly. They want to enjoy while they can and only start to understand the consequences after a situation arises. The situation may be a small issue to an outsider, but from within the amount of tension felt by the person is known only by him or her or someone else who has been in the same shoes. Quick heals and ‘painless’ divorces are a common uprising in this era. People have the money to do anything, so they do whatever they like, without thinking about morality. And very often some innocent person falls as the victim in almost all these situations!

Marriage is a Promise for a lifetime!
Image Courtesy: Photo.net

An elaborate justification would prove that both men and women are equally volatile to unforeseen realities. “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” is a well known book by Dr. John Gray, which has proven to help many a lives to understand the true meaning that differentiates men from women. The universal bond that seems to attract a man to a woman is somehow differed from the past and will soon vary with the future generations. The hi-tech savvy environment and the unlimited extend to which pleasure pays a poor prize in each of our lives makes it evident that the odds are not in our favor - unless we decide to change! As human beings, a trust build up is very essential in every relationship, be it prior or post marriage. But can we trust all the lies too? Think about it! 

The Proposal...

My missed call

Your number...

My heart

Your inbox...

Your fingers

My face!

One sorry

Your grace...

My laptop

Your smile...

Your diary

My life...

One coffee

One date

Two rings

One wait...!

Our story

Their craze...

Are you ready?

I'll wait...

Poem by: ©Anoop M. Mathew

How to love...?

Now let’s get back to the actual topic. How do you love a person? Do you look at the size of the pocket, or is it the size of the heart that you want or rather, is it the size of something else? Lost? Don’t be! Most people go with the ‘something else’ part. No big deal actually! But you have to learn to coexist inspite of however different you are from your partner. There is boldness is marrying a one legged man if his heart is set to pound for you; neither is it cowardly to marry a woman you love even if she has a few disabilities. Well, I think most people out there are far better lovers than what I’ve mentioned here. Forgive my ignorance on the details!

Is there Love after Marriage?
Image Courtesy: Boundless

Arranged marriage is truly a risk these days, in particular when you do not know your partner personally. Most men are jerks, and most women are not perfect either - so there’s a balance as most people think! But a lot of arranged marriages are truly long lasting than love marriages. Now why is that? Is it because you’ve completed the ‘love your partner as you love yourself’ part before the love marriage itself? Maybe! But as a third person, I’ve seen that arranged marriages have a far lasting potential as the experienced ‘matures’ of both households have decided on the matter and both the ‘children’ are then given in to marriage. In love marriages however, there’s a part where the families don’t agree in the beginning but due to circumstances they are forced to risk all odds in the end!

Conclusion...

In my personal opinion, whether you had an arranged marriage or love marriage doesn’t matter as long as love still exists as the theme. A willingness to forgive and accept your partner, as he or she is, would help to keep the marriage successful. However, there are a few people who do not value the sacredness of marriage and try out extra marital affairs; to them, I’d say - don’t let your partner know!!! To the others - keep up the good work!

Cupid awaits his next victim!
Image Courtesy: Jewlicious

P.S.: This Article was written based on personal views for Love Marriage ya Arranged Marriage contest conducted by Sony Entertainment Television and Indiblogger. To take part in this contest, click here.

If you like this post, please vote for it here (link yet to be published)

Sony's new show "Love Marriage Ya Arranged Marriage"