Young people today place great importance on personal freedom, and as someone from a previous generation, I respect this mindset. Often, when visiting places like Lodi Garden—especially in the soft warmth of the winter sun—we come across various photoshoots: pre-wedding shoots, pregnancy announcement shoots, and more. These images frequently find their way onto Facebook and other social media platforms, aiming to garner ‘likes’ from as many strangers as possible.
Interestingly, I observe this more often in India than in the USA, where I frequently visit. If this brings people excitement and satisfaction, so be it. However, the disheartening aspect is the rising rates of divorce, domestic violence, and other grievous issues stemming from marital discord.
This led me to reflect on whether our generation has something valuable to offer Gen X, and I penned a poem in both Hindi and English, which I share in today’s post.
प्रेम हमारे ज़माने का
आज याद आ गया
कैसे मिले थे हम और तुम,
हमारे परिवारों ने कुछ सोचा
और लिया हमारे जीवन का
ताना-बाना बुन।
जहाँ हम मिले,
जगह तो नहीं थी रूमानी,
पर पारिवारिक दायित्व से हो प्रेरित,
शुरू हो गई
तेरी-मेरी कहानी।
उस दिन से आज तक
और जीवन के अंत तक,
हमने ढूँढा एक-दूसरे में
प्यार और साथ देने का जुनून।
साथ-साथ जूझ जिंदगी से,
पाया एक अलौकिक सुकून।
न सही उन्मुक्त अपरिमित प्रेम,
न सही प्रपोज़ करने का गेम,
न सही फोटोशूट के फ्रेम,
न सही महंगे रेस्त्रां के क्यूज़ीन,
न सही डेस्टिनेशन वेडिंग के ड्रीम।
कभी-कभी ऊब-थक कर
कुंठा जब सताती थी जीवन में,
कुछ अभिव्यक्त कर, कुछ सुन,
कुछ समझा कर अपने मन को,
आखिर में मिल जाता था सुकून।
था तो बस एक कृतसंकल्प—
साथ देने का नहीं कोई विकल्प।
बंधन में ही ढूँढा सुख,
साझा किए सब सुख-दुःख।
प्रेम की और क्या होगी पराकाष्ठा,
इज़हार चाहे किया, न किया।
– विजय कुमार ढींगरा
English Version
Love From Our Time
Today, I recall,
How you and I met, after all,
Our families met, and planned a way,
To weave our lives together, one fine day.
Where we met, no romance in the air,
Yet familial duty, a bond was there.
And thus began, our tale so true,
Of you and me, and of me and you.
From that day on, and till life’s end,
We found in each other a love to fend.
Together we fought the struggles of life,
And Supported each other, in peace and strife.
No wild love, nor grand displays,
No games of proposing in lavish ways.
No photoshoots, no fine cuisine,
No wedding dreams in places unseen.
At times, when life felt dull and cold,
Frustration would make our hearts grow old.
But through some words, and some deep thought,
In the end, peace was always sought.
There was one resolve, firm and strong—
To stay together, our journey lifelong.
In this bond, we found delight,
Sharing both our joy and plight.
What greater love could there be,
It is just Me and You and You and Me.
– Vijay Kumar Dhingra
Inspire Positivity 