The post liberalization era has seen radical changes in almost every sphere of our existence as a nation. There is an underlying consumerist streak in most things we venture into. Personal relationships are not untouched by this influence. The evolution of relationships, thus, has greater complexities imbued in it today. Besides, telling right from wrong has become increasingly contentious, thanks to divergent individual perspectives…
It has thus fascinated me to see how differently each individual views the issue of love, relationship and the institution of marriage…. That thing called Love is a journey of these disparate perspectives.
This book is about choices and the inherent dilemma. Every human action that borders on the issue of morality is invariably borne out of a strong emotional propellant. The propellant in this story is the want of its characters to achieve that extra bit which they feel is missing in their love story. It is this unquenched want that triggers them on to face an interesting course of trials and tribulations.
That thing called Love is my labor of love. On TV and in films, my responsibility as writer is limited, what with it invariably being a collaborative effort. However, here I am filled with a scary sense of responsibility to know that the 62,000 odd words of this novel are all mine.
Issues and Characters
The book delves into several social issues and deals with them in a manner that they have not been dealt with before. In a way, it explores newer aspects of existing issues, some of which revolve around loving a married person, adultery, covert prostitution, and homosexuality among others. All these issues are probed in the context of a newly emerging ambiguous morality paradigm in urban India and without any attendant burdens of judgment.
Some of the issues thus dealt with are:
Is your spouse your soul mate?
The relationship between husband and wife, more so in urban India, has undergone a near paradigm shift in the last few years. This has had to do with radical changes that have come about in lifestyle. Double income families grapple with their own set of problems- at times endless professional pressures leave them with little option to plan babies. In other cases, they often cope with sexless marriages, as professional demands constantly require them to travel.
The advent of technology here has only complicated matters. A new community of “netizens” if they may be called thus, has formed its own bonds. At times, people end up sharing the most intimate personal details in “chat room” with people they haven't even met.
All these issues have led to the emergence of a rather confused and ambiguous morality paradigm. It is never easy in a situation like this to tell right from wrong. The quest for genuine empathy or the “emotional propellant” if it may be called, thus often leads to acts that come under the scanner of morality.
Covert Prostitution: Separating Body from Soul
A friend of mine had once gone alone to a cinema hall in Bandra to watch a late night show. While watching the movie, a lady seated next to him started making lewd gestures at him. In no time, she revealed her intentions. She was a prostitute. She called herself Demi - needless to say she would have many names. Demi suggested that they go out somewhere and quickly get into the “act”. My friend who is a journalist, decided to play along. While they drove in his car, he tried probing her mind. He was shocked to find that Demi was a graduate in English Literature from a reputed college and even had a boyfriend, whom she intended to marry. According to her, her boyfriend was jobless. Demi divulged that she was indulging in prostitution with consent from her boyfriend and with mutual understanding that it would lead to a better financial position for both of them.
My friend a happily married guy, offered her Rs. 500, the amount she had wanted, though he refused to indulge with her. The girl refused the money outright, saying she was not a beggar.
When this incident was narrated to me, it put forth an entirely new perspective in front of me. Two things really struck me about this girl - her commitment towards her boyfriend and secondly, her own integrity in refusing to accept unearned money. But then the aspect that was really scary was my interpretation of the girl's attitude - she had, so conveniently separated her “body” from her “soul”. I mean, for her, her body had perhaps come to be a saleable commodity that could be traded for money. However, her soul was meant for her 'boyfriend', who was one of the many recipients of her body.
To think of it, the girl simply represents a dangerous trend, that of covert prostitution, that has spread its tentacles far and wide. Needless to say, it has wreaked a major health hazard upon several sections of our society. But does anybody care? People seem to live for the day. As long as they can live life king-size today, they're really not too bothered about tomorrow.
Homosexuality: A Different View
So far when we have heard about homosexuality, we have mainly debated gays and lesbians fighting for their rights. However, as with other issues, I've tried to get into another aspect of this issue.
The increasing number of gays/lesbians/ bisexuals has always aroused my curiosity. Were there always that many, who are only now coming out in the open? Or, is experimenting with one's sexuality becoming a sort of fad?
Well, the answer perhaps lies somewhere in between.
One of my chapters is inspired by a real life incident wherein a friend of mine who was going through a bad marriage, was enticed into the act by an enthusiastic gay. Well, to know about the repercussions that it led to, you'll have to read the book.
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