Finally Parents Met

The parents finally met. She, her parents and her sister came to my house and met my parents and my sister. She was looking gorgeous as she always does when she wears a sari. 

And probably for the first time, I saw her shying. That was not something which she forced upon herself (given the facts that Indian brides are expected to act shy in front of their in-laws). It was spontaneous and something which looked out of her control. No matter how much I like her for her forthrightness, it felt so good to see her in that avatar – the one of an obedient and abiding daughter-in-law.

There are 2 occasions of that day which I remember very distinctly. Not long after she and her family had come and settled, I looked at her and I found her looking downwards, attentively listening to the ongoing conversations, and for a change not saying anything. The expressions on her face were just plain simple. She was just nodding her head after every statement. It was closest to how I would describe innocence if asked by someone.

Later in the evening, she, my sister and I went to the Bandstand in Bandra (our parents had suggested that place so that we can spend some time out). We 3 were sitting on a wall when she spotted some birds in the sky. She then said how she wished she could be like them. While saying this, she was swaying her legs. She looked like a kid. A kid draped in a sari or rather caged in a sari – puerile and pristine.

Anyways, things went okay. Parents have approved of us being together and have given us time to pursue things we want before we decide to settle down and marry. I could not have expected for anything more or better and can only thank our parents for gifting us this life.

Understanding love

The whole world seems to be running behind love. But do we understand what actually is it ? Many times, we confuse it with infatuation or in some other cases, very strong attraction.

'I Love You'. These are some of the most overused words. And more often than not, they seem vague, unsubstantiated by the feelings. And even when there are feelings, they lack depth or concrete meaning. They seem to be borne of that one instant when emotions take control of the thinking brain.


So what is love? When can you say that you are in love? A simple test that I can think of is when you value the happiness of the other person more than yours, then you can say that you are in love. Thus, love is the perfect antonym of selfishness. Love is unselfishness.

Every relationship plays a different role in completing you as a person. The father provides you the comfort and security. The mother cares for you, teaches you the meaning of love. The sibling shares with you that joyful experience of growing up.

And then there is a lover, with whom you share things that you can't share with anyone else. She is the person who is privy to your most intimate secrets. She is the person whom you want to talk to when you don't want to talk to anyone else. She is the one who makes you feel empowered by giving you control over her life. She is the one to whom you want to surrender. She is the one to whom you make love, a moment as intimate or private as there can be. She is the one who completes you as a man.

Do I have a lover? No. But I do have love. I love my mother, my father and my sister beyond measures. And I can't think of any other person right now whom I can love as much as I love them. But I do hope to find the lover in my life. I need that lover in my life. And I would preserve those 3 words till the day I realize I have passed that test.