“Marriages”, they say,” are made in Heaven”. That is probably why; they are
never down to earth. Just see, what an extravaganza we make out of a marriage:
glittering jewellery, gorgeous silk sarees, flasshing video lights, bouquets and
buffets and what not.
In spite of the entire circus, one is still not sure of the success or
otherwise
of a marriage. From that perspective, matrimony resembles the stock market
gamble. If you are lucky, you will win a lottery; or else, you will be doomed
for the rest of your life!
This risk puts one in an awful dilemma - to wed or not to. Adding to one’s
confusion, some people offer this ‘sincere’ advice: “FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE, DON’T
MARRY!” One just cannot ignore this because it mostly comes from some married
people. After all, they are experienced and they know better.
Who is more at risk in matrimony, the boy or the girl? It is a debatable
question. Going by what Benjamin Disraeli said, “Every women should marry---and
no man!” more than the fair s*x, the male counterpart appears to be the
worst-affected by matrimony. However, you may see this is a man’s view point.
Others put it in a different way: “Getting married? By all means go ahead. If
you get a good wife, you will enjoy a happy life. Otherwise, the world
will have
a good philosopher. But the man’s world is very unfair to the fair s*x
in saying
this.
Anyway, if everyone had taken them seriously, it would have been the beginning
of the end of human race. After all, nobody learns lessons form others’
mistakes. And the writer is no exception!
Having decided to take the matrimonial plunge, it was perfectly in
order to look
into the ‘matchmakers’ column of newspapers. Browsing through the cluster of
ads, one is awestruck by their bewildering varieties. They offer every type of
boy and girl under the Sun. And those tricky terms… ‘broad-minded’,
’accomplished’, ’wheatish complexion’,’ domestically trained…(animal?), a
profile which any boy or girl would start fantasising about the life-partner.
One ad says ‘mother not alive’, probably the USP is to attract those
poor people
who are wary of the mother-in-law! Responding to such ads looks like
shooting in
the dark. You don’t know whom they’re aimed at. It reminds us of the
practice in
some societies of traditional India and China where the bride and groom are not
allowed to see each other until they are brought together for the wedding
ceremony. Oh…what a suspense!
The world population statistics say that there are a less number of women than
men in many societies. That makes hunting for a wife as the next project for a
boy after hunting for a job. Who knows the world may come to a full circle. And
as happened in the good old days, ‘Swayamwarams’ may become a reality
in future,
where a girl can choose from a number of eligible bachelors who will stand in
queue to get hand-picked.
The remaining ‘rejected’ ones from the marriage mela need not worry. They will
have the freedom in the morning to get up from both the sides of their beds!
