No matter how peculiar the title may seem, it's rooted in the reality of our times. With more people gaining education and women prioritizing their careers, love marriages in India are on the rise. Traditionally, a love marriage is where two people choose their partners independently, unlike arranged marriages, where families make the choice. In theory, those choosing their partners are driven by love, which leads them to envision spending their lives together.
So, what exactly is love? Definitions vary, but I believe it involves feeling deeply drawn to someone, feeling like you belong to them, finding comfort in their presence, and sensing that they complete you. It's a highly emotional experience, one that doesn't often include the practical considerations that arise when deciding to marry. When in love, things like age, family background, caste, religion, and profession don't typically factor into the equation.
In our competitive, capitalist world, this romantic notion of love may sound unrealistic, and we've all heard stories of people blinded by love who end up making disastrous choices. But in today's world, it feels like people often consider the practical implications before falling in love, particularly when planning to marry. This might not hold true for everyone, as some genuinely find and marry their partners for love. However, among those in upper and middle socio-economic groups, we seem to follow a checklist that our parents would have used when arranging a marriage.
We've found a way to blend convenience into our relationships. Love now seems to conform to practicality, with factors like income, family, age, and other factors becoming essential criteria. We find love that aligns well with our careers, family, and certain personal values. Does this mean the intense emotions of true love are fading away? Perhaps. As humanity becomes increasingly civilized, we leave behind many of our natural, raw characteristics. In the Anthropocene era, where we've altered much of what is organic, maybe our concept of love has been reshaped as well.
Perhaps it's time to introduce a new term for this phenomenon: "arranged love marriage."
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