This is one issue i strongly feel about. I feel everyone should be given the freedom to make his/her own decisons.

'Hi, honey I am home', announced an excited Rahul.

'Hey so how was your day'? Enquired Rhea.

'Umm, was kinda like a warm beer'.

'Ha-ha, how come sweety'?

'I mean stupid client meetings, presentations, etc, etc. Those jerks have no idea what they are talking about; I mean whoever only targets the print medium these days huh! Can you believe it, this one client is launching such a humongous product, and the stupid guy is totally against television commercials. I mean what era is he living in, the 18th'? said an exasperated Rahul.

'Awww, forget it', said Rhea with a wink in her eyes, while rubbing his temples.

Rahul lived in with his girlfriend of almost 1 year now. He still vividly remembered the conversation he had had with his parents, after which he stormed out of his folk's place. Now they were not on talking terms and his parents have basically given up on him. He is 35 years old, working at one of the top advertising agencies. He is earning pretty well too as a hotshot copywriter and why not, after all he has been a part of many successful campaigns. But he was still unmarried. The reason, he was totally against marriage. He felt it was stupid and useless.

'What do you mean; you don't want to get married, EVER'? His mom asked while drilling her eyes into Rahul.
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'I mean I don't ever want to get married', pat came the reply from Rahul.

'Very funny, young man. What do you think we are, kindergarten students? We understand what you're saying. What we want to know is why'? His dad was really agitated by then and quickly lighted one more smoke for himself.

'I would think so. Come to think of it, you are behaving as if you own my life. I mean of course you are my parents, I am very grateful for all that you have done for me. But hell, this is MY LIFE'.

'Hey don't you dare use that tone with me. You understand that? You sure are taller than me, but I can still whack you and you can't do a thing about it, until of course you have the audacity to'.   

'Dad, come on. Okay, sorry, but you are making me lose it. GAWD, just back off a bit alright'.

'Son, alright, calm down. It is our responsibility to get you married. What will our relative's say, what will the society say? I am your mom, I have dreams for you, we both do'.

'Well you guys have your responsibilities, huh? O.k., I just free you from them. Families, relatives, screw them. It's my life, not theirs. I mean I just don't want to, okay. These people that you are talking about are all shallow, ridiculous, hypocrites, who have nothing better to do than to point fingers at others. Well they can kiss my 'you know what'. I couldn't care less for the society. I mean who are they'?

'Watch your mouth Mister. Give me one good reason and a logical one at that', fumed his dad.

'Well dad, for starters I can't take care of myself in the first place and I don't want to be taking care of ANOTHER person. I don't want to be answering to that person. Well haven't I done all the answering to you guys all my life? At least let me have some fun and freedom now. Moreover I might want to do any crazy thing at any point of time. Like just pack my bags and vanish, travel, anything. So I do not want my actions impacting others. And what's wrong with a live-in, huh! I mean everyone is doing that. I am cool with it, she's cool with it. I don't understand who has a problem'.

'We have. We don't want you to be spoiling your life. Wow, you kids of today sure do have some weird ideas about leading lives. And what about us, you will just leave us and vanish". His mom just shrugged.

'Of course not mom, I will take care of you. I will send you money ma, don't worry about it. But you tell me, why the hell should I get married? I mean what is the stupid need'.

'You might feel all worked up right now. All that adrenalin rushing through your body at the prospect of doing all these crazy things that you want to do. I don't even want to know about all that. All I am saying is, do all that, but get married after that, because you would need company during the latter half of your life', reasoned his dad.

'Hmm, such an eye-opener dad. Just because I would need company after 45, you want me to get into a leash. Well, thank you very much, I will get a dog.
I mean how lame...marry for company...jesus. That's such a narrow and stunted way of looking at things. I mean dad, please grow up. I am sorry I am saying all these things to you, but I can't help it'.

'Okay fine, what will you do if you want to say, you know take care of your needs, you know, wow this is weird. Well your ph-physical needs'. His dad felt very awkward; as this was the first time he was talking to his son about such delicate things.

'Well I have my girlfriends and if not them, than pardon me for saying this, but for those needs I can also go to professional service providers'.

'Gross. Stop it. How can you even say such things when I am still standing here? Okay what do you think about our marriage then. We are happy to be together, aren't we? We had you. So I mean I don't understand', his mom said, utterly shocked at her son's degrading thoughts about such a holy institution.

'Fine, since you have asked me, I strongly believe that every marriage turns into a compromise. After a point of time the magic or love or affection or whatever you want to name it, wears off, much like that of booze the day after.'

'Huh, what do you mean? We never told you, but ours is a love marriage. We honestly and deeply loved each other', his dad said, opening up after these many years, just in an attempt to win this argument.

'Absolutely', his Mom said, almost blushing.

'Love? Ha-ha, what a bloody joke. What the hell is love? It is pure bull. Nothing else. You marry a person because you love him/her? Bull. Because I feel that you only 'like' a person and that you mistake that to be 'love'. Well it looses its sheen. Because you like a person only for a while. I mean let's be bloody practical. There are millions of people in this world, why should I settle for only one. You would say I have commitment issues? Well you can think of whatever you want. Are you saying that people who marry each other and stay together for years are committed people? News flash, 'NO'. Let me tell you, it's nothing but a convenient compromise. Nothing else. From whatever I've seen or heard, I mean all these glossy, gooey love marriages won't be breaking all this often, had it been the so called 'love'.

'So you are saying, that you wouldn't have problems in a 'live-in' relationship', his dad said thinking that he had him nailed there.

'Who said I wouldn't. Of course I would. But I wouldn't have to live through the entire ordeal you know. If there comes a point when it becomes absolutely impossible to live with that person, I would just be gone. I wouldn't fake it and continue living with that person and pretend to give myself a false sense of comfort'.

'Oh my god, so you think that we two are living together to give each other a false sense of comfort', his mom said, almost in tears now.

'Mom, now I never said that. All I am trying to say is that this is how it generally happens and mostly happens. Now don't try and put words into my mouth'.

'So let me get this straight. What you are saying is that, if at all any problems arise in your so-called 'live-in' relationship; you would just conveniently run away, without making an attempt to resolve it. And you talk about being a man, haa', his dad said. He was disgusted at his son and his thought process.

'That's what I am talking about. If I am not compatible with that person I would just get OUT, I don't have to rattle my brains for nothing. I'd go ahead and find another one'.

'And you call OUR relationship shallow'? His dad just shrugged looking at his wife. Where did we go wrong?

'Okay, just because I choose to live life my way, I am a not a good son or a person anymore. I mean last time I checked, this was still a free country and everyone had the right to live like THEY want. And anyways why I am still talking about this to you guys. I don't need to. I am not under any sort of obligation'.

'FINE. Then get OUT, NOW. And never come back, until you decide to live like NORMAL people', his dad said, absolutely livid with anger.

'What are you saying...'?

He didn't let his wife finish her sentence and just gestured her to keep quiet.

'Its almost 2 in the morning, where will he go at this hour' his concerned mother said.

'Well he talks about being a man. Let him fend for himself. I don't care. This is my house and only those people who will listen to me can stay here'.

'Nice dad. Very mature. I am outta here. See you guys or not'.

'Listen Rahul. Come on you two. Cut it out'. Before his mom could say anything further, Rahul just picked up his suitcase and packed in whatever he could grab, and walked out.

'Hey what happened, why are you staring at the ceiling like that? Is everything alright', said Rhea, who just noticed he hadn't been talking for a while now.

Rahul didn't say anything. He just kissed her, cuddled up to her and switched off the lights.

After few years of living-in together, Rahul and Rhea had a few problems in their relationship and both moved on. They never saw each other after that. Rahul went to Australia on an assignment and met Rachel. Rhea started living-in with some other guy. But they never found their relationships superficial and never wanted anything more out of them. Both found this arrangement working well for them, because they did not have the pressure to put in extra efforts into any relationship they formed.