Why do people marry? This was the topic of discussion we had on the terrace of my building the other day. The Anti marriage group was of the idea that no one really knows the reason to marry. We are all programmed by the society and so just jump into it because we have to.
This statement is true to a certain extent. We do find people getting married out of family pressure. Some get married for the fear of being left alone. Marriage is also for the ease of identification for one’s progeny. Humans need companionship, but marriage is not always the solution for this need. Why can’t we humans live with each other without the custom of marriage? Why is it that two signatures on a stamp paper or a small religious custom can only give two people the authority to live together as partners?
I feel that humans are after all a part of the animal kingdom. Humans to a certain extent still have the animal instinct present. Due to this we cannot remain committed to something that does not bind us for eg. How keen would one be to lend a sum of money if it is not on paper? Basically humans are not responsible enough to remain in a relationship without any commitment. And this lack of responsibility gave rise to the institute of marriage. Another reason could be that humans at times can be instinctive. After a small fight a couple may decide to split, but a married couple will think before filing a divorce. So small fights will not lead to splitting families which could be the case in a non married couple’s family.
So ultimately marriage is a solution to a flaw that exists in humans. So after all marriage is not important if humans get rid of this flaw. What it means is that humans need to evolve themselves into greater beings where responsibility is an inherent quality. Humans are thinking beings, but they need to become reasonable thinking beings.
It is still a long way before humans can be accepted in a relationship that is not bound by a paper or a ritual.

Waiting for my mom’s turn to enter the radiation room, I was getting a little anxious and was also feeling low. I was worried about her. I had still not come out of the shock about my mother’s illness. I picked up a book lying beside me and started flipping the pages nervously. Just then I heard a cheerful voice. I looked up to see a small girl of about 6 in her mother’s arms. She was wearing a scarf around her head. For a minute I was surprised to see a small kid in this place and thought that the parents were crazy to have brought her here. Then I realized that she had to be brought because she was the reason for them to be here, she was the patient.
I looked at the little girl who seemed to be unaware of what was wrong with her. All that mattered was being with her mother. This girl who should have been attending school and learning to read and write, playing with friends and attending dance class had to come to the hospital every day for treating an illness that was life threatening. I had a lump in my throat. The parents seemed normal like they had brought her for a regular medical check up. I imagined them sobbing and crying when they must have gotten to know about their little girl. But today they were fine, composed and smiling. It took me back to the time when my mother was detected with cancer. I was scared and shocked. I wanted to take away the disease from her life, in fact I even prayed for it to come to me. I felt it was not fair for my mom to undergo that pain all by herself. All I could do was cry and had no one around who I could talk to.
when I saw this little girl and her parents joyfully interacting as though nothing was wrong,I realized that worrying and being upset does not help. I learnt a lesson from this family that each one has a different cause and a different mission on this earth. It is important to not be angry, but appreciate every event and keep smiling because it is these events that make one strong and smiles give us the strength to fight everything with courage.