Pradeep Chhabra

Each day is a Valentine’s Day if you marry the right person , each day can become a martyrs day if you marry a wrong person and every day is an Independence day if you don’t marry at all. 

Most of the persons born between 1955-1970  will remember the phenomenon of Box number . If  you were to advertise in Matrimonial  columns of a newspaper during those days , a box number will be allotted  to you. Written responses received for the advertisement box number will get mailed  to the advertiser by the newspaper . This helped in keeping the identity of the advertiser under wraps.  Had pleasure  of reviewing many such responses in the family as most of us are happily married through these boxes. Most of the responses arrived in hand written inland letters, post card, or envelopes. The process was slow as next stage was getting connected on land line phone and than the formal meeting . Most of the time people did manage to figure out the antecedents of the advertiser or the respondent thru informal ways of asking neighbours, office enquiries or even from persons like post man.Keeping responses, required a storage space , maintaining the files and getting the postal stationary always ready .Hand writing of the person, his ability to express, physical address, revealed few basic things. Process was slow but full of excitement as one imagined many things after responding to an advertisement or receiving a response.Number of advertisements has since reduced drastically. There were dozens of face to face meeting at homes or offices as there was no choice of place other than office or at home like a Starbucks , Costas and CCDs

World has changed since and this box number phenomenon has  vanished . The need for keeping identity secret has also reduced quite a bit as most of the advertisers give the mobile number for WhatsApp or email ID. One can thru many apps figure out the person and his whereabouts. Profile picture on WhatsApp number also discloses the person. Watch  the picture on FB, Linked, Instagram etc and you know the person fairly well. While most of the data can be captured thru social Media; possibility of posturing and fake information is not ruled out. No sooner your WhatsApp number is disclosed , many matrimonial agencies will start reaching you seeking to offer their services

Everything has reduced to your hand set ,thanks to the technology. See online all the classified ads, respond on WhatsApp, send picture in  matter of minutes, and than all is over in matter of seconds .Decisions are taken in matter of nano seconds whether to take next steps or not , unlike earlier days when the process was slow and  imagination about the proposed alliance kept you engaged till you came face to face. Face book and other social media apps have destroyed the charm and excitement of waiting and meeting the person face to face. If you marry the right person each day is a Valentine’s Day. Each day can become a martyrs day if you marry a wrong person and Every day is an Independence day if you don’t marry at all.

Pradeep Chhabra

Author-Non fiction books

1. UNCORK YOURSELF NOT BOTTLES
2. CONQUERING CORPORATE CIRCUS
3. THE ACCIDENTAL ENGINEERS -TOPPERS EXCUSE