This Lakshmi Is a little Daring, Isn't she?

I was teasing!

Ambika,
I was just teasing you with my words. Only when you give a strongly worded reply to my snippet it really gets hot and many many new angles and new views emerge making the discussion not only lively but also really insightful. To be honest Ambika I will be personally hurt only when you ignore my Lakshmis and do not respond.
What is a dark cloud and what is a silver lining depends upon the priorities one gives to the various things in life. For this Lakshmi being with the husband under the same roof and being cared for by him and caring for him was probably near the top in the priority list. So she had to take a decision like that. That is a daring decision no doubt. And people who take daring decisions need not necessarily be happy in the short run. At time they might have even jumped from the frying pan into the fire. But she has acted with high conviction and she is ready to face the consequences.
Lakshmi is just an imaginative focal point to argue out some of the life's burning issues. So don't consider me as the zealous protector of Lakshmis as I do not consider you as the antagonist of Lakshmis.
I confess I did tease you a bit. But I am happy about the results. Such a matured, balanced and a wonderful response from the poetess contributes not only to the light but also to the heat of the discussion.
This Lakshmi has taken a daring decision. But I know many Lakshmis who just kept silent and accepted the facts. Those Lakshmis were condemned to live a life of solitary confinement. Shiva is good and faithful today. But under the circumstances, living apart from one's wife and having opportunity to move with the members of the opposite sex, Shiva's fidelity cannot be guaranteed for long. That's a practical angle and I have seen that happen in many cases. So as I respect your stand and admire your brilliant defence I still stick to my views.
Now, go on, Madam,
sridhar

 

My Response to Two Beautiful Replies!

Sharada,
Every problem I present I want to tease out all the aspects, the intricacies and subtelties. Though every area I have presented belongs to different shades of grey I argue from either the black or the white side so that I provoke as many people as possible who come out with good arguments, and insightful observations
You for instance, Sharada, have come out with a brilliant explanation for the role of money in our lives. May be Shiva was brought up under hard circumstances; so to him money means the most fundamental security.That's why he can't bear losing an assured source of income though he loves his wife and family. But one stage or other we have to draw a clear line. We should understand that there are other priorities in life. To me money is like a hygene factor. If it's not there, yes, life could be hell. But merely because money is there in abundance it does not gurantee or even pave way for happiness.
Lakshmi had waited enough. For two long years she had managed being a job, managing the household, bringing up children with no trace of silver lining whatsover. Ennui sets in. If this is going to the life hereafter, what's the point in life, in marriage? She might have thought. I have seen that in such cases (where the couple live apart with no joy in living) there are fair chances of their being caught up in messy affairs. For the sake of brevity I said that she has sent the divorce notice straightaway. She would have had a number of sessions with her husband trying to reason out her trauma. Finally with no other alternatives available she would have opted for an extreme step.
Varloo,
I fully agree that it depends on the individual's priorities. But in this case there was a clash between the priorities of the wife and husband. Assume what would you have done if your husband resisted to your quitting the job? That was exactly Lakshmi's problem.
I am very proud of you Varloo and your husband for you had your priorites right. But not Shiva in my snippet.
sridhar

 

Thanks A Lot, Meena

Thanks for your views and for your detailed note stressing the importance of enjoying in the present. Many lives have been ruined by postponing everything to an indefinite future which in many cases does not happen at all.
thanks once again for the detailed response.
sridhar

 

Dear Kamal,
Yes, this is a tough case. But I for one think that unless the man and woman live together, marriage loses all its meaning. It is not just for sex. It's for a lot more things like companionship, friendship, sharing one's happiness and grief.. the list is endless.
And unless the couple live together in their young age, they cannot find solace in each other's company when they are old.
Examples like the one you have given are abound. I know the MD of a large manufacturing company. His wife also manages a large corporation. They live in the same house, but that's only technically. Their travel schedule is so hectic that they meet for four hours once in a month in a star hotel in Chennai. Then they go their separate ways.
Somehow that makes me sad, Kamal.
When you told us that you are enjoying your life with your wife, with your evening drinks and all, I started liking you so much. I am sure that the company MD might never enjoy that kind of happiness.
love,
sridhar