‘Parents, culture, or religion, everything is secondary to love’

I am in a relationship with a guy I met on a dating site. We love each other a lot. He does not have a father, and his mom is okay with our relationship. My parents, however, are against our marriage. My boyfriend has also spoken to them, but they refuse to budge. Please help.

MM This, in cricketing terms, is home advantage, Ms MM. When India plays against Australia in India, we have a better chance of winning as we are used to the local conditions. So, having his family on your side gives you home advantage. That’s 50% support you’ve already received. In India, passing marks for board exams is 35%, so even mathematically, you are in clear. I say go ahead with your plans, and let your parents take their time. Besides, weddings are always very expensive. Two plates less is ‘kharcha’ saved. Be patient with your parents, but don’t stop your life going forward. I am a student of mass media and am in love with my classmate. But I am confused if it is just attraction. Should I express my feelings to her? KK KK, the sadhu Krishna Gopal Swamy had a similar problem. He wanted to prove he could talk to animals, so he entered a cage of a huge Bengal Tiger. And though his experiment completely failed (he was destroyed in seven-and-ahalf seconds), he left us with an important principle. This was the Krishna Gopal Swamy principle — before entering into a partnership, please check with the other partner first. So, follow this example and don’t rush into telling her your feelings. Instead, interact more with her, gauge her feelings, and figure out where she stands. Please don’t get eaten up in seven-and-a-half seconds. I have been dating an expat girl for five years. She is headed back to the UK and wants me to join her. But my parents want me to get married and I know they won’t allow me to marry her. I am worried that if I tell them about it they will get ask me to dump her and get married to a local girl. What should I do? AG AG, why do we make the simplest questions so tough? For example, my then fiveyear-old son, Mikhaail, once asked me, “Who is God’s mother?” I had no idea what to answer; mind you all this happened pre-Google. The question you are posed with is do you guys love each other or not. Your second question is do you have enough money to get married. Your third question is who is God’s mother. Answer these questions positively and you are good to go. Parents, culture, religion, all are secondary to the main question, which is about love.