Love...


A word which tickles the mind of everyone. In most cases, when we hear the word LOVE, we think of two people who can do anything for each other (though in today's practical realities this is difficult to find) and in those two people we mostly think of a girl and a boy. 


But, LOVE can also mean the affection between a mother and a child, care between friends, committment between a married couple, understanding of learning relationship between a teacher and a student, and the most divine the mercy and compassion of God upon humankind. 


People associate this word with different meanings and definitions and each individual has a different dimension of it. Some people easily say "Oh, I LOVE watching movies." " I LOVE red dresses." Thus, people associate this word with hobbies, passion, materialistic things etc. 


It is a question each person can ask themselves... What do I mean when I say I LOVE......
If you ask me this question, my answer will differ depending under what external and internal circumstances I am in at that point of time and this is something I can say for many of us if not all. Your surrounding environment, your circumstances and struggles of life will influence your answer on what is LOVE for you and hence this word can not have a straight and strict definition and will differ each time you are asked about it at regular intervals.


However, over the period of time, one thing I have come to realize is that LOVE as a word independent cannot speak much. It needs other words to define it. However, these other words can simply be defined individually by themselves. But, LOVE needs support of other words. 
Example. Love needs the support of Understanding, Trust, Faith and more importantly according to me Committment. When I hear the word love and bring two people into it no matter what relationship they share these additional words automatically add to the word LOVE for me. I am only looking at people when I discuss love here and not materialistic things though as a reader you can explore that side to. 


Love is all about understanding the needs of each other, it is about trusting each others words, it is about having endless faith in each other and more than anything it is about committing each other to a sense of being one and not two in LOVE. These things seems simple and obvious to read but to practice, they may be difficult. I also think perhaps the problem arises when people look at LOVE without attaching these words as then they simply do not know what they mean or understand of this word. They use it to their advantage, they sabotage it and walk over it and they do not realise to treat LOVE independent of other words requires a deep understanding of it which initiates by understanding and associating trust, committment and faith to it. 


Simply put just as the way to understand the CREATOR, you need to first understand his CREATION, to Love someone or to understand Love you need to understand the trust, faith and committment the word brings with itself. 

Marriage a memory or life...

Before I start blogging on any topic, I will try and make an effort to rationalise why am I choosing to write on it. 


Marriage- am neither married, nor close to getting married at this stage, then why am i writing this... Well interestingly, a programme which is stirring the Indian minds these days is Satyamev Jayate by the well know actor, producer and director- Amir Khan. Aamir Khan is the one celebrity in India who does not need much introduction. His movies like Taare Zameen Par will make you think and understand the true meaning of the word empathy. He and his movies have always been an inspiration for me in few if not many ways. His programme looks into the issues that affect Indian people and Indian society. Though the programme has already spoken about female foeticide, child abuse etc, the one episode on marriage and dowry has made me write this blog.. 


Again why the episode on marriage has intrigued me you may ask... perhaps because the issues related to dowry are seen in our society, whether explicitly or implicitly, they are always there... According to me, explicit dowry is when you give a list to the girl's parents and demand from them and implicit is when you tell the parents whatever you'll can give and which means a lot of things :P whether you can afford them or not....


I ask myself will this programme make any difference?? do people who are the root causes of these issues will even watch a programme which is a slap on their face?? well, and even if they do, will they watch it as any other programme they perhaps watch on their televisions or will they even consider reflecting and acting upon it??. Of course the answers to these questions cannot be predicted or judged by me... 


Interesting stories of many women aired on Satyamev Jayate made me think no matter how much we progress, some social stigmas always follow us. Rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, educated or uneducated, girls are treated like trade boxes most of the times by the boys and their families alike. Though the programme very nicely highlighted positive stories too.. I ask myself can few stories create a different society.. may be they can ... if most other people take something back from these few stories then why not?? 


All I understand is that the day a lady is treated as nothing but a trade box, her integrity, respect and dignity are hurt.. whether due to dowry or just in any other situation whether in a relationship or as an unborn daughter.. we need to ask ourselves... Can I say I love my mother and care for her (after all she is a lady who has gone through the same situation).