Living in Sync!

Whoever says marriage is the ultimate test of love and affection, has clearly not considered the prospect of living together, minus the legal validation of fondness. For all the opportunities that Bengaluru offers youngsters, it does demand a heavy price to pay. Rising living costs here are booming, compared to smaller towns and this has stirred the trend of moving in before marriage.

Twenty-three-year-old human resource associate Manami Das claims, “Coming from a smaller town, I was obviously riddled with doubts regarding the people I would have to share space with. That’s when he (her boyfriend) happened and it was just so logical. A rent of Rs 35,000 every month is a huge amount but we share rent and electricity and multiple other personal expenses. I spend on groceries while he pays off EMIs.” Manami moved to Bengaluru in late 2014, and within six months of being together, she had moved in with her boyfriend.

IT professional Kritika Kelkar, who has been in a live-in relationship for a year-and-a-half now says, “Sometimes, I feel like I’m back at home. Living with your partner gives you the feeling of a family. And with my work schedule, there’s hardly any time left for dates. This way, at the end of the day, I know I’m going to see him. Worth it!”.

Dr Karthik Kashyap, consultant psychiatrist at Pragnya Mind Clinic states, “Unlike marriage, there are liberties that come with the prospect of moving in. Earlier, marriage was the ultimatum and the woman had to move in with her in-laws, but living-in is about testing the effort and convenience. It doesn’t make sense to wrongly judge the couples who opt for it as it allows a lot of scope to learn about each other.”

The youth is looking at moving in together as a cheaper, more affordable option where the ultimatum of marriage is not a mandatory element. Moumita Basu, a film making student, believes in a similar concept. “I think it is much more cost effective and easier than moving in with random room mates because I am somewhat aware of the habits of the person I am going to live with, whereas moving with new roommates has its own vices as that person is completely unknown to us.”