Live-ins - Pseudo Marriage??

live-in (l v n )
adj.
1. Residing in the place where one is employed: a live-in cook.
2. Residing together with another, especially in a sexual relationship.

This ones about the latter of the meanings.

During my stay in Bangalore for my summer internship last year, I got more acquainted to the funda of live-ins. It was really surprising how people belonging to opposite sexes stayed together in the same apartment. Yes this was the more traditional Indian side of me… And this forced me to know about them further….

Firstly, why live-ins?

• Less risk involved as compared to marriages (be it love or arranged)
• Freedom to exit the option without any loss or court appeals
• Litmus test for those unsure of their love
• And this one is the best I could think of- J Economies of Scale- in places like Bangalore where living expenses are high, live-in is a profitable alternative  (ha ha ha….) 

Well with all that risk involved in marriages, live-in definitely gives a chance to know the person extremely well. Even the best of lovers do not know how each of them would be able to manage a married life. Right from start of day to sleeping habits like snoring, all become known. The mood swings during the day, the smallest likes and dislikes, things can be faked for a few hours but one cannot fake 24 X 7.Thats the power of a live-in.

I think I shall definitely find many takers for this form of relation…but…will they be able to give due respect to this relation. Live-in means no set limitations, no set boundaries, not definitions, no restrictions…it means you definitely need two mature heads, a lot of trust, and true lovers.

Live-ins may have originated or rather may have become more popular in the Western countries, but will they be accepted in the Indian scenario? The Indian society, where sex is still not talked about in public, where marriages are considered sacred, where people marriage means a meeting of the souls, where even after the death of a partner one is expected to carry on respecting the relation… In such a scenario live-ins!!!!

Till the time live-in ends up in marriage its fine, but what if otherwise? Will the girl (more importantly) be accepted in the society, wont her character be questioned?

In case of love one gets sufficient opportunity to know the partner otherwise as well and not require the need to stay together before marrying. In case of arranged this question may not arise. It cannot be used as a compatibility check, or just a game to satisfy ones sexual needs. It is not a gamble…Its serious. It’s an important decision, its about two lives, two families, it cannot be just played around with. However, times are changing and so is the way of life, but I just hope that value of a relation does not change. For all other purposes live and let live