A smart Tech savvy Indian boy gets admission in a University in USA. Andrew was very good in his studies. Even though he was busy with his new routine and place, he never missed to be connected with his uncle, Mr. Harris through zoom sessions. He let uncle Harris know about his passion for cyber security and cyber forensics as it was evident in his conversations. Andrew’s smartness was not limited to digital devices alone. He showed marvel at reaching out to important people, which enabled him to establish a better network. Well, taking that into concern, it comes with no surprise when a youngster meets new girlfriends through his skills in internet; and through the larger network he has already created through them. Even though WhatsApp firmly announces that its communication is “end-to-end- encrypted”, it could not stop Andrew from snooping or hacking into a new contact every day. He had this ability to patiently sprawl near his laptop until a new fish got hooked on to his bait. And there he goes, picking up a new girlfriend every now and then! His ability to “hack and crack” into various social media platforms shook uncle Harris beyond imagination. Harris, having enough knowledge about digital media and devices, was always taken aback by his nephew’s astonishing skills to breach into various internet platforms. Uncle Harris was shocked and dismayed for the fact that his nephew was not just a budding ethical hacker, but that he was extremely talented at it. A promising craft for a modern age professional!
Days passed by and the two of them got busy with their responsibilities. It was a chilly winter morning. The aroma of the hot chocolate right before, all set to be sipped; and the sight of the steam rising up from the mug, making an art in the air assured a promising day to Mr Harris, when his mobile phone rang. Hesitantly did Andrew’s uncle answer the call as he did not want his morning to be snatched away from him by a mundane call.
It was Andrew on the line. They had a quick exchange of “Hi”, “How are you” and stuff like that, before Andrew hurried into the conversation.
“Hey Uncle, I’m in a hurry; but I must pause to tell you something that is very important. I’m in love with someone. I have decided to get married to her at the earliest”. Forgetting the comfort of the cozy morning, a feeling of astoundment arose in his uncle’s mind.
“Well, that sounds good. When and where did you meet her”? asked his uncle who was very liberal, yet curious. This was followed by his next query, “Do I know her”? “Ha,ha!!! Well, I’m waiting for my first meeting with her”. Replied Andrew, with a smirk on his face.
This came as a thunderbolt to the uncle who was a very open-minded person. He got rattled and raged, and asked, “How on earth can you decide to get married to someone whom you have not met even once?”
“Oh,c’mon uncle, this is the modern age, the era of internet!!! One can learn everything about a person with the help of the internet. There is so much information about a person online. We have exchanged everything about each other. We understand and accept each other through what we have learnt about us with the help of the internet. She is my future and I want to marry her.“Is there anymore surprise that you are planning to disclose”? Asked his uncle.
“My lovely Uncle, please don’t be so inquisitive. I will be meeting her next week-end in New York, after which I will let you know the date; we think will be perfect for us to tie the knot.”
“What? You mean, you are going to fix your wedding date? Without consulting us”? His uncle seemed quite unhappy while asking this to Andrew.
“Yes, Uncle! I will send you the link to the invitation where you and the rest of the family can join on ‘Zoom’ to make my wedding ceremony memorable. Bye! See you soon, see you on my wedding day, uncle”. Before even he could complete the sentence, Andrew disconnected the line pretending to be in a hurry. His Uncle was gobsmacked and lost for words.
Harris kept wondering as to how different things used to be in the past. People believed that marriages were made in heaven. A match made by an infinite wisdom Who knew ‘who’ could best suffice ‘whom’! Marriages were not small things in the past. The sequences, the long wait, the ceremonies, the planning and the preparations before the wedding involved not only the parents and the immediate families; but friends, distant family members, and in certain situations, the entire community as well. It was considered a big event. But look at Gen Z! It looks like there is no role that the family has to play in their decisions.
Matrimonial sites too have become a thing of the present day, where people put their trust to find perfect partners. Internet has become a great tool in such a platform getting set in today’s world. Harris realized that Andrew is not just a single person in this new drama that has unfurled before his eyes. There is an industry of its own kind, the matrimonial!!! Of course, marriages are no more made in heaven!!!
“Tata Consultancy Services, with an employee-base of 5,000 in Bangalore, even has a system of putting up matrimonial ads on the company’s cafeteria bulletin boards”.
Data Source: The Wire.
Definitely, Marriages are no more made in heaven!!!
Author: Olivia Ann Bouvard,
Masters in Science.
Head – External Communications,
Mc & Me Techserve
Email ob@mcme-world.com
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