Marriages are made in heaven or so we are forced to believe. I really don’t have first-hand experience of what goes in the western culture about choosing a partner without knowing him/her beforehand. But as far as Indians are concerned most marriages are either arranged by our parents or the only other option is the so called love marriages. 

But in most marriages love goes out of the window after the initial years of marriage irrespective of it being an arranged or a love marriage. So my question is if marriages were really made in heaven then why some people end up getting cheating spouses, why some get separated, and there are those who maintain both their marriage for the heck of it and have a constant companion in their offices/workplace. Also, are marriages in the present times falling apart because people have more options or have people become more open to being promiscuous? Is it really difficult to remain monogamous or maintain one’s fidelity as compared to giving in to a temptation of new relationship? I just had the urge to write this post because there are quite a few examples before me who have compelled me to put this in the form an article. There is this one couple I know who pretend to the world to be the most loving couple, when in reality I have seen the hubby going around with his boss (female). 

To me a marriage which was considered as a sacred institution in yester years has now become something to show off - to show others that you are completely normal and have a wife/husband and a kid and that you have a steady partner to be with. But reality may be far different. Is it the desire to get accepted in a society makes one marry no matter what? After all, how many of us frankly speaking really look up to people who are in a live-in relationship. Yet another reason to get married in Indian society is the fact that people of opposite gender are not allowed to mingle and even if they are allowed, they cannot take their relationship to the next level until they get married. If we get married expecting commitment from our partners, well then that exists in a live-in relationship too. Otherwise it wouldn’t function at all. After all a happy live-in relationship is better than a not so happy marriage! 

I read somewhere that human beings are polygamous by nature. So is it true that we should restrict ourselves and exercise control over our thoughts to remain monogamous? But again as we reside in Indian society, polygamy or multiple or at least two partners are still okayed for men but if the same goes true for women, they are looked down upon to the point of being ostracized. This is my take on the declining institution of marriage. Do share your thoughts on the same.

P.S: I am not generalizing here or discounting the fact that there are or must be good examples too but right now I don’t wish to focus on it.