Saturday, March 15, 2008

bombay kiss

Love isn't easy in India. Hell... it isn't easy anywhere is it, but here the odds are firmly stacked against these incredibly beautiful young people. Trapped between their constrictive and conservative culture, and the explosion of western culture that is rapidly taking over... added with raging hormones. It's really difficult.

I see it everywhere... people desperately trying to be with each other. They have no way to just spend time together, as they all live with their families and a lot of the time their relationships are not necessarily approved of or even known about, so you see these couples huddled together on their motorbikes on the side of the freeway... arms embracing. Each moment is precious. You know how much those minutes mean. The place could be anywhere... they don't care. The looks are loving... their eyes twinkle. They look so so happy. I wish I could slow down time for them.

But they are the lucky ones it seems. Our way of life in the west.. frequently dating and having a boyfriend or girlfriend, is unheard of here. Most of my friends, stunningly handsome everyone of them, don't have girlfriends and I can't understand why the girls don't see how wonderful they are. I always hear the girls say that there are no decent guys around... a statement that makes me want to shake them. I feel I am surrounded by diamonds. These guys are incredibly kind, sensitive, caring, attentive, funny... able to have a laugh at anything and find the fun in everything. Just people you'd wanna be stuck in a lift with! They are handsome and charming to boot... so what's not to like? I guess they don't fit the difficult criteria that the parent's set perhaps. Like I said, love is hard. Many young guys are afraid to even approach girls.

With all of this it's not surprising that arranged marriage is still thriving. My social circle is in their mid-20's... when the expectations are that you will be getting married. And we usually ask was it a love marriage or an arranged? I'm secretly thrilled that more and more I see the love marriage creeping in. Not judging... there are a lot of arranged marriages that have worked out fine for my friends' parents.. but these are new times and I hope for new things for this generation.

Meanwhile... the couples huddle away on the freeway... longing for the time they can meet somewhere a little more comfy and romantic than the smog-filled air of the Bombay highways. Should I think about renting out our spare room?

8 comments:

Kaavya said...

Ah... Wish I were in Bombay & my guy in India, I would have loved the room idea :)
Lovely post lady

jude said...

I'm speechless! I JUST posted and you commented! thankyou! consider it an invite ;) haha

Kaavya said...

Im quite quick for such ideas actually... explains how difficult it is for us as a couple
& tnx for the invite...
read all your posts... though late, welcome to India
you should come to Mysore,Karnataka.

jude said...

Thankyou thankyou... I would love to! So much of India I would love to see.. I hope the two of us can travel sometime soon. Who knows :) Yeah... it's so hard for people to find love here. I sure as heck don't know how I did it. I'm too lucky :)

Kaavya said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jude said...

haha... that transgresses the anonoymous blogger wall... ;)

Kaavya said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jude said...

Well for now my dear Kaavya we must leave it at this... I must step away from my computer and attend to boring life things... but this has been really nice. I thank you endlessly for bothering to read the blog. Catch you on the flip side!