Pre-marital counselling

Dear Auntyji

I met a wonderful man 18 months ago and we are getting married shortly. Now Auntyji, I am surrounded by divorced people: two of my five cousins are divorced; two of my uncles have separated from their wives; three of my best friends are in the process of divorcing. I am desperate for this not to happen to us. I have done a lot of self-assessment and so am conscious of my behaviour and what triggers me. I am determined to always treat my husband with respect. I will always show him affection and will be grateful for what he does. I will compliment him and be nice to his friends and family. I will not be quick to anger, and will always try to see his point of view, before I put mine forward. I will communicate with him in a productive manner so that we can resolve our arguments - when we have them. I will aim to give him my best self, and I’ll seek his support to ensure I remain a kind, loving and respectful wife. Is there anything else I should know? What sage counsel can you offer me? I will most definitely invite you to the wedding!

Auntyji Says

Well, my dearest gulab jamun, I am so proud of you! You sound like such a cultured, level-headed young lady. How I wish your peers could learn from you. You have such a sensible head on your shoulders that you couldn’t possibly go wrong. You have highlighted all the things that a loving, kind spouse does. If you have spent time analysing your behaviours and your thought patterns, then you can’t go wrong. If you continue to do this throughout your marriage, you will be sure to stay married. If I were to be so bold as to offer a suggestion to someone who already is a guru in this, it would be this. At the end of each day, ensure that there are at least three or four things that are left unsaid. The things that we don’t say are sometimes even more important than those things that spring forth from our muh. There will be many moments when you get angry or resentful. You will want to say things - which ultimately, a self-aware person like you will regret. So if you ensure you have the discipline to hold back on some things, and leave them unsaid, then you are way, way ahead in your quest. Keep in mind that we don’t want you to keep those things unsaid and have them simmer under the surface. We want you to control your zubaanwhich is like toothpaste, once it leaves the tube you can’t put it back in. So, with this key strategy in mind, many blessings for your married life. Will there be rasgullahs at your wedding? I have a particular fondness for these!

DEAR AUNTYJI

Oh my goodness! Have you seen all the tamasha about the Meat and Livestock Australia advertisement about lamband about our dear Lord Ganesha being portrayed as a meat eater? Auntyji, how outrageous! I have written to the MLA protesting this advertisement in the most vocal terms, because I believe the lamb ad is in poor taste and depicts Ganesha incorrectly. I am deeply offended. This is such a cheap gimmick and I don’t know what the ignorant and insensitive creatives were thinking. How could they come up with something so inaccurate, and did you see, even the Indian government has voiced its displeasure. As Hindus we should all stand united. We should all voice our disgust. What do you think, Auntyji, where do you stand on this important issue?

AUNTYJI SAYS

Arre you people! I felt VERY confronted when I saw my favourite bhagwan Ganesha so portrayed in the ad. Selling a meat product? Ram, ram! What an insult to my Indian-ness in this land far away from my Hindustan. I almost tweeted-sheeted my anger, but then I held back for a moment and decided to think. So I got off my twitterbox and put my facebook back on the bookshelf, made myself a cup of garam chai and calmed down. Ganesha came into my thoughts and helped. The key question to ask ourselves here is, what would Lord Ganesha say about all this? I think he would be delighted that he got to make the Australians aware of the pantheon of gods he represents – the representation of our gods has been a long time coming. Second, Ganesha would say, he has so many obstacles to overcome in the world that he would not care about a meaningless little ad on Australian TV, in fact he would totally ignore it. Perhaps, you my dear little lamb chop, you need to go and find yourself a more meaningful issue over which to vent your spleen. Like Pawan bhai wrote in his editorial, how about we direct our passion and energies on more relevant issues like domestic violence or mental illness. The Ganesha I pray to, will not like this constant whinging and need to be outraged; he is too large-hearted a god to be affronted by some ignorant ad maker who does not appreciate the depth of what Ganesha stands for. If my bhagwan was here, he would have said, “Get over it. And get over yourselves. Don’t be as boring and as bland as an overcooked seekh kebab. Let’s go and do some real good and help those who need real help.” And as for the Indian government, seriously, they really do need to focus on more important and pressing domestic issues.

AUSTRALIA POST, HORSE FEED AND GENERAL STORE

BUSINESS FOR SALE $150,000 only!

Established business (30+ years) in Douglas Park, NSW, generating income from four revenue streams with potential to add more Current owners now looking to retire, got their Permanent Residency (PR) via this business and have been running for 14+ years Very profitable electronic post office and horse feed business, close to Menangle Park Racecourse with loyal customers This business has been generating net income of 100,000+ p a with growth potential

No prior experience required, perfect for husband/wife team Close to a train station, petrol pump and school This bargain price includes all stock at value, containers used for storing feed as well as Post boxes Call us today!

Contact: Jaspreet or Bharat Munjal +61 2 46327240 or +61 416773433; Email: jloodu@gmail.com