I ❤ Luv Storys

Congratulations! In fact, a big round of applause for all those who survived the hiccups of the biggest merger of all kinds – Marriage. I bet, now you have a rock solid foundation. Naturally, the pebbles, stones and brick(bat)s that came your way in earlier days are now pushed hard under your feet forming a steady platform. Standing Tall, tell me, how it all started?

Did he get down on his knees? Or her family came home to discuss the prospect? Either way, was it love at first sight or you allowed love to have its own course. Naah! Let’s cut these formal sentences out and be rather open. So, Love or Arranged Marriage?

ARRANGED! Aha! How fortunate! You met your better half in your living room under the assuring eyes of your loved ones. A happy celebration at the outset. Family approval, big fat wedding spanning out for days and a warm welcome to the lady, that too, in style and grandeur. Life comes on a platter at times... Sorry, you said something? Even you had some problems. Really!!! You didn’t know much about each other. Your wife had a tough time adjusting to your lifestyle and to your family culture. Your husband slept till late and couldn’t spare enough time for you on weekends. Well, you both had habits that annoyed each other. Ok! It took a lot of adjustment, patience and love from both the sides that kept the bond alive. 

But Thank God! Some of you didn’t have these issues as it was LOVE MARRIAGE. A sparkling chemistry, dates in fancy restaurants, day dreaming and not to forget hefty phone bills. Each day was a page of a romantic novel, clip of a movie and how beautifully your love story fitted in the latest Bollywood number. Love stories sets my adrenalin high; yours too? No! Why? But yours is a love marriage? Oh! It was a fairy tale in the beginning but you had a tough time as families didn't agree. Even those who nodded, didn't do it with their hearts. And marriage is much more than a fancy date that lasts few hours. We need to give it a lot of understanding, maturity and much more love, not only to the spouse but to the families as well.

Intense matter…huh! What about the singles, who are hanging at the edge of the marriage cliff. Guys, don’t jump, just continue reading. Finding a soulmate is no rocket science; though there is a little risk which we all take, whether it's love or arranged marriage. And, as we all know, 'Risk to Spiderman ko bhi lena padta hai!';  yours truly is no exception. Yes! Yes! I have done it and I’m not sorry. I am talking about my marriage, a love marriage that was arranged.


You know, I Luv Storys, not necessarily the ones which start with it but the ones which have love in it. Every marriage story, good or not-so-good, happy or not-so-rosy, arranged or love, stays only if the word LOVE is there. You may not find love written on every page on that book but when you put it down, reading it cover to cover, you realize it was 'love' and 'commitment' towards the relationship that helped it sail through.

Whether you bumped into each other at a cafe or were hitched by your parents, it's you who have to work on that relationship. You give your marriage a heart and a soul. Relationships are not built over night. We make it and the day of marriage is just a start, an auspicious start.

They met and lived happily ever after; and we have a modern day fairy tale. Seriously, it doesn’t even happen in movies now…Hero doesn’t run after train, Kareena does... And heroine doesn't cook three course meal, Saif does, that too in Australia...They meet, understand and accept each other. They work on their relationships and respect their families. They count on their wisdom and seek the blessings of elderly. They are committed to their relationship. And remember, this all happens because of Love. Whatever is your destiny, your choice, just embellish it with Love…

Bachelors, Bachelorettes and Parents!

Why stick to the cliches? Break the stereotypes! Don't stay on one side of the story, LOVE OR ARRANGED; remix life a bit. Love the Arrangement and Arrange the Love. Don't forget, we can drive 'Gharhasti ki Gadi' only when ‘Love’ is at the steering wheel.

Glued to this discussion, explore more every Monday through Thursday at 8:30 PM on Sony TV. Here's the first episode!


Join the discussion on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LoveYaArrange

Comments

  1. Super....enjoyed!! Now approaching 32nd anniversary, so evidently whatever formula we adopted, it seems to have worked. Your beginning was great and that is more than half the battle won, in marriage or in writing:)

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    1. Wish you a very happy anniversary in advance Sir and please share some of the tips with us.:)

      Thank you so much for an encouraging comment.:)

      Delete
  2. Loved reading this love story :) Best of luck for the contest Saru!

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  3. embellish it with love, aptly said :). Wish you luck!

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  4. Wonderful post Saru as always! All the best :)

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  5. Splendid Saru! As always! And your concluding point was perfect. Al the best for the contest!

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  6. Enjoyed your post a lot saru !!
    amazing pictures nd nice video ~~
    cute and romantic indeed :P

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    1. For video you have to applaud the cast and crew of the serial and glad to know you find it romantic...

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  7. Lovely post, Saru. "Love the arrangement and arrange the love"- well said! Mine was a typical arranged marriage and both of us have worked a lot to keep the relationship ticking. Ten years and still going steady;) Good luck with the contest1

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    1. That line is picked from the contest page and congratulations on 10 years. It sure needs a lot of work.

      Thanks for your wishes!

      Delete
  8. A lovely read, Saru. Being a married woman I am sure you would understand the finer nuances of both Love and Arranged Marriage or Love cum Arranged. :) I am yet to experience either. :D

    We sure are getting to see a different side of you as a writer because of these contest posts. All the very best again. :)

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    1. Yeah, I have seen both and I feel it's very simple irrespective of what type you are in...just embellish it with love. May you get experience soon.

      Thanks for making that observation, I am venturing into different styles of writing these days courtesy contests...:)

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  9. super post .describe it inreal facts

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  10. Lovely post! Loved the pictures :-) You're an amazing story-teller by the way :)
    Good luck for the contest!

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  11. Ahem! Did you read about my love story *blush blush*!!!
    http://momofbigalittlea.blogspot.com/2012/08/jab-when-we-met.html

    Best of luck for the competition!

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  12. Arranged marriage is such a strange concept to the Western World. In school, kids freaked out when they heard the concept. I think the last of western nations to practice it widescale was Greece.

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    1. Yes, it is but somehow it is well accepted and working well in India. We are evolving though, the number of love marriages are increasing in the last 10 years.

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  13. ...not necessarily the ones which start with it but the ones which have love in it.... true, very true.
    Good write-up Saru. Lucky are those people who have a love story in their lives 'plus' they had their love arranged into marriage... and i esp. liked the 'gharhasti ki gadiwala dialogue :) Best wishes!!

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    1. Yes, such people are indeed very lucky. Thanks for reading and for a lovely comment!

      Delete
  14. Hey.....first of all, thanks for voting for me.

    Went through some of your articles - you write very well! As you've rightly said - it's all about creating magic in words, doing poetry in prose....Keep it up.

    Himangshu.

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  15. Only rare one can compare the difference. Only those people who had both. Still the observation would be flawed as observer is the part of what is being observed.

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  16. Really I dont see any difference. As you have pointed out, adjustments are going to be there in both the cases. Sometimes with each other and sometimes with the family. Important is to keep the love factor ON.

    The photo collage is amazing :-) Putting a personal touch again and pics from your wedding. Very nice:-)

    All the best for the contest Saru!

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    1. Yeah, LOVE has to be ON...:)

      Thanks for your wishes Jenny!

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  17. Woah. Seems we have the similar take on this one! You are absolutely right, without love marriage can not survive. both have problems of their own! All the Best to you too Saru. Loved the Photographs. :)

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  18. Nice post. All the best!

    -Stuti
    A Grain of Sand

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  19. Liked the second person narrative. Refreshing.

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  20. Wow Wow Wow.. Just loved it:) I was smiling the entire time while reading it.. And your marriage pics are too sweet:) Good luck for the contest Di:)

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  21. I am loving these contest posts. Specially loved yours. Good luck. :-)

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    1. Thanks Zeba, contest posts are fun to read. We get to see different perspective and take of fellow bloggers.

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  22. Very lovely! love the arrange & arrange the love ;) It seems I had been throughout with you in your journey.

    And, not to forget to mention, you are looking beauuuuuutiful in the pic :) ......but, I'm not able to see the pics on left side :(

    All the best :)

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    1. Glad to know that...BTW, can't understand why you were not able to see the photos :(

      Thanks for the wishes and all the best to you too :)

      Delete
  23. Some of the lines were really really good. One of them was, "I ❤ Luv Storys, not necessarily the ones which start with it but the ones which have love in it."

    Loved your style, Saru! :)

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    1. Thank you Vaishali, coming from you it is a big compliment! :)

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  24. A very refreshing take ...awesome indeed...

    peep into mine whenever you have time...
    http://odizzey.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/love-marriage-or-arranged-marriagesony-tv/

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  25. It's a winner creation Saru. You balanced and explained both sides so well. I love it:):) it's true every relationship is depended on love and commitment from both the ends... Truly described by you dear.. All the very best :)

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    1. Thank you Swati for reading and for such a wonderful comment!

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  26. No comments..due to less experience and and a very small practical knowledge...
    I know.. Risk to Spiderman ko bhi lena padta hai!....
    but I dont make webs to swing!!
    :)

    just asking you..we often arrange the marriage but can we really arrange the love?

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    1. No problems, I will ask for comments when you are on our side...

      Yes we can arrange the love, in every relationship we work hard to keep it alive and when we do it, we are doing nothing but arranging the love...

      Delete
  27. Again I would call it a balance take on the topic and there is a scope of huge debate..I would still support my (same as yours) style which is love & Arrange...and it can be done by just trying to convince the parents...they are not as difficult as they seem to be in last decade...

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    1. Yes, parents are accepting and they trust their kids now. Good luck with your marriage Hemant and thanks for reading!

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  28. Rab ne banadi jodi....love is more abt sacrifices and undersatnding i suppose dan sum nice date, gifts..as u have rghtly pointed..gud read :)

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  29. Saru i love this new avtaar of yours.There is a superfine blend of sagacity & humor...your photos are an added bonus...a winning post for sure.

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  30. truly the best one I have read so far for the contest... Oh sorry... second best ... Mine is the best you know :)... Seriously... excellent ...

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    1. I agree...:) LOL:)

      Thank for reading Amit and yes, yours is one of the best!

      Delete
  31. Saru… This is such a refreshing take on the subject. The first thing you did was to bring everything to the table. You highlighted every little aspect about marriages in such delicious detail that the reader would be nodding and smiling all through. And the thing I loved the most was the way you concluded it. “Love the Arrangement and Arrange the Love.”! Such a simple yet beautifully profound statement! So thoughtfully and soulfully written. All the very best for the competition. :)

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    1. Thank you so much Raj. I wish you are among the judges. Seriously, you have a great observation. :)

      Delete
  32. Too much competition yaar...good luck..:) Nice post Saru.

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  33. Nice pics Saru and nice post too! I guess the competition is going to be a heated one for sure :) And I liked the way you explained the easy and tough part of love and arranged marriage..

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  34. awesome mam ....loved all your points ,good luck for the contest:) :)

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  35. Charming, Saru! All the best for the contest :)

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  36. Ahaan....So Love marriages it is.Loved the write up...and ur pics :) Keep the love and faith! All the best :)

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    1. No, not love marriages, marriages with LOVE in it. Thanks for your wishes Ghata!

      Delete
  37. You beautifully started this post and till the end it was awesome. I should say nice presentation indeed. I liked all the pics of your marriage especially make up wali:P. I will keep your advice in my pocket that finding a soul mate is no rocket science and I think wo risk to mujhe bhi lena padega:)
    overall I am impressed by your presentation and if I were judged I would have declared you the winner for this contest:)

    All the Best and best of luck!
    Cheers!!

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    1. Awww...that's so sweet of you. And yes risk to aapko bhi lena padega :D

      Thank you so much Mithlash, your comment means a lot to me:)

      Delete
  38. A winning piece, Saru :))
    You said, " You give your marriage a heart and a soul. Relationships are not built over night"--- Oh, you couldn't have said it better:))
    Brilliant take.!!All the best!!

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    1. Thank you so much Ma'am for an lovely comment and for your wishes!

      Delete
  39. Awww! How cute is that! :) Loved the pics! This line stands out - 'Whatever is your destiny, your choice, just embellish it with Love…'

    Awesome post, Saru! Has lot of soul and love in it. And a sure winner!

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    1. Thank you so much Harsha for a beautiful comment. You embellish it with lot of love:)

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  40. Lovely and real post Saru. It is so nice to see your wedding pictures. God bless you both and best of luck for the contest. :)

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  41. To someone as awesome as you , i hope you like it : http://sameoldnewstuff.blogspot.in/2012/08/ima-kreative.html

    Keep writing :)

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    1. Awww....you just made my day dear. It was one of the best moments in my blogging journey!

      Thank you so much :)

      Delete
  42. You're so right - marriage needs a lot of work... and understanding as well as love.

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  43. "Don't forget, we can drive 'Gharhasti ki Gadi' only when ‘Love’ is at the steering wheel."

    Very True and well said shri saruji.

    Thanks 4 sharing.

    Markand Dave.

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  44. Liked the new format you wrote this in! Best wishes for the contest!

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  45. As always one of the best post i came across on this topic...
    all the best saru ji...

    have a look at mines..hope u like it..
    http://dare-to-think-beyond-horizon.blogspot.in/2012/08/5-artists-one-topic-love-marriage-vs.html

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    1. Thank you Ankit and I would love to read yours...

      Delete
  46. Saru,

    Day by day you explore the writing so well.. Glad to read your take for the contest.. I loved the start - "Congratulations! In fact, a big round of applause for all those who survived the hiccups of the biggest merger of all kinds – Marriage."

    The way you wrote the entire post is just too too too too gooodddddddddddd!

    Someone is Special

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    Replies
    1. Awww...Thank you so much SIS. It means a lot coming from a seasoned writer like you :)

      Delete
  47. Very well written post... I liked it... keep writing
    Mind Stuff

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  48. For the first time I have nothing to comment! :|
    Your writing skills are at their peak.. Amazingly done..That's all i would want to say.. Keep inspiring!:)

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  49. I loved the idea of remix, why be caught in stereotypes? Now that is a novel take on the debate! All the best :)

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    1. Glad to agree with the remix idea and thanks for your wishes Arti!

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  50. I really liked the style with which you wrote this post. It was almost like a conversation. You really have a way with words!

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  51. a fast write up which is quite nice :)

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  52. awesome .. so refreshing ..

    i shared this post with my wife today !

    thanks once again..

    all the best for the contest Saru ..

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  53. "You give your marriage a heart and a soul."
    I agree with you. Marriage is like the beginning of a story. It is like the end of fantasy and walking into reality. It is like planting a seed, then you water and take good care of the plant while it grows taller and stronger.

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    1. I like the way you compared it with a tree, which is the best comparison. Thanks for reading dear and sharing your views.

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  54. Hearty congratulations on winning the contest.

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  55. Congratulations on winning the first prize.

    Wish you all the best for your future contributions via IndiBlogger.

    Have a nice day.

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  56. babes!! I am a fan of ur writing since the first day i read ur poem... So how much more shd i complement u... I will just say u deserved the 1st position (for this article as well as the numerous lovely poems u write)...congo..... :P...

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    1. Awww...That's so sweet of you. Thank you so much Lipi :)

      Delete
  57. congratsssssssssssssssssssssssss mam ,you won and a very welll deserved win ...........congratsss for the kindleee :D :D

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  58. congrats!! i was really happy to see that you won first prize. :D You really deserve it.
    Keep writing :)

    P.S. i keep reading your blog, but sorry i don't comment much :P

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    1. Glad you hear that you read my blog, I am truly honored. Thanks for your wishes Mehak :)

      Delete
  59. Heartiest congratulations to you dear! Sorry for late arrival. You really deserve an applause :)

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    1. Thank you so much Gayatri :) And please don't be sorry...:)

      Delete
  60. "love the arrangement,arrange the love"....awesome!!a very complete post..!!

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