Love: Found or forced

The act of finding a partner out of love is the most unacceptable choice an Indian can ever make. In a culturally mosaic country like India, the first cardinal sin committed is to fall in love, which is followed by cultural differences. The system of marriage has become so discriminatory to the point that it’s a show made to meet the expectations of society, a society that fails to solve personal problems but is ever ready to speak like a hypocrite and scrutinize like a politician. Why teach if to judge and hold stereotypes of social status and social position? Why train if known only to push friends and foes down just to reach the chequered flag? Why educate if people’s first instinct is to classify others by religion or cultural background?

Marriage should be an alliance made out of love understanding and compliance not a first-class ticket to exploitation disguised in luxury. When individuals of different culture decide to marry, they are met with social prejudice and backlash and to a certain extent, they are even considered to be outcastes. All because of following one’s heart? Or because freedom of choice was finally practiced. If the time spared to indulge in such loose talks were kept aside to teach basic manners, women in the Indian society wouldn’t have to check the time before stepping out of their houses.

And what position and power does one have, that gives the right to judge and shatter two beautiful souls intertwined out of pure choice and consent. That is when one encounters the sad reality of Indian society—one that takes great pride in its rich and diverse culture yet refuses to embrace this diversity. A society where, in the name of religion and caste, in the pursuit of politics and power, and in the obsession with social status and position, murder, rape, and mutilation are committed without hesitation. In such a situation choice is rare and love is simply invisible but this invisibility is practiced only within the four walls called family. A sphere defined by the so-called society as the most prosperous and blessed but those walls hold the tears and scars of decisions that were forced upon, those walls witnessed the longs and aches to be rescued, those walls that yearns for one last chance.

Above all, it is love that must triumph, one that gives way to multiplicity and not one that is tuned to the whims and fancies of a prejudiced and stereotypical society. It is only through the pursuit of open mindedness, inclusivity and acceptance that choices can be made and love can be made found, not forced upon. As only once do we find love and it is the decision to stay is what makes it true. However, the question still lingers—will it ever be for us to find or will it always be forced?