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Emotional Atyachaar

This is the title of a very popular song from the recent Hindi movie Dev.D. While I am not sure of the rest of the lyrics (which can be found here), the title could definitely personify the angst that one feels today against society large.

Jayeeta, a friend of mine at college, had once shared some thoughts with me, which went something like this-  when we are kids, we want to be first in class / sports / talent shows etc... when we are slightly older, we start hankering for attention from the opposite sex... we grow up, get into college, and then start looking out for a plum job... once that is in place, its time to get married... and then have children, who must also be trained to become first in class / sports / talent shows etc... Its a vicious cycle...

On umpteen occasions, I have wanted to break free... but as the 'common man' played by Naseeruddin Shah in A Wednesday says "We all have families to run". If I were to follow my heart on those umpteen number of occasions, I would quit my job and back-pack across India on a cycle... 

But I can't... not just because I have a family to run... not just because I love my wife, my parents and that they would be shocked at such a decision... but because the social conditioning I have received since birth would revolt against such an idea... no sooner would I set out then I would start pining for the comforts of a homely life... the solitude that I now look forward to would become a burden... the daily chores that I now take for granted would be appear in my day dreams as the sweetest of tasks... 

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