Don't give me a choice.

It was Friendship Day and Goddess Laxmi was enjoying watching a new and a beautiful friendship develop between a 32 year old boy Pradyumn or Prads as Goddess addressed him and the 18 year old woman Swasthee or Swats as she liked to call her. Goddess Laxmi was unhappy with her husband, the creator of all our destinies, Lord Vishnu for not providing the much required life partner for Pradyumn. Pradyumn was strictly following a ek-naari vrath that too for some unseen girl in some distance place.

Goddess Laxmi wanted to do something about it and seeing her husband sleeping comfortably on the shesh-nag, decided to appear before Prads and give him a wish. Gods are never late in putting the decision to action. Next minute Goddess was in front of Prads and Swats and expressed her decision to make Prads life one filled with love. But she had a choice for Prads and that too a tough one, "You will have the love of your life. But you can either have her as a nagging and quarelling wife who will be there with you till the last of your breath. Or you can have her as a loving and caring wife who after a period of two years would breathe her last..."

Swats knew that Prads wouldn't give it much thought and would go for the second option, "You silly boys! Always want girls to be ever smiling and going ga-ga over you. Give the wish some thought! Whatever looks so simple is always complicated! If your girl is nagging and quarelling, yet she is with you till the last of the breath, it means that she has lots of love in her heart though not expressed through words. " Prads opposed the idea, "Come on! I want a life not only filled with love, but also with peace and calmness... Mann ki shanthi! that's what I also want... even if I get it for a small time... I am going for the..."

Swats again interrupted him, "See! For two years you would have love and calmness. But you would also have a child or children. And after two years, to look after them, you would definitely go for another girl!!! Then life can go anyway."
Prats didn't agree with her, "Two years spent in heaven is much better than a lifetime in hell. What would I gain by having a nagging and quarreling wife?"
Swats was remembered of her history classes, "Remember what Aristotle said, 'By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher'"

Swats gave a final blow, "The way you are selecting the wish shows you are very selfish. You want the love of your life to live only another two years so that you can have a love filled and calm life. " That completely put Prads to silence as Swats completed, "Lord Shiva drank that dangerous poison and kept it in his throat for the entire life so that the rest of the world can live peacefully. And you can't do that for even one person and that too for the person you say you love dearly." Prads understood what Swats was implying, "Love means not being selfish and living the life for the other."

Goddess Laxmi was enjoying this little conversation and was smiling the way Swats put forth her arguments. Swats asked Prads to focus on Goddess, "You should read the offer document properly. Whenever a boon or curse is given by the God, it is not for our benefit, it is just to take the life forward as they have planned for us." Goddess Laxmi was really impressed by Swats thoughts, "Wow! Such a wisdom in the young age! Good! With a friend like you, Prads is really blessed! But unfortunately I have to proceed to Vaikunta (Her Husband's abode). So the boon stands cancelled."

Prads looked very confusingly at Swats and Swats explained to him beautifully, "We should never get the love of our life through a wish. We should earn them,"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Happy Friendship Day to all my readers...