First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a carriage. Or, in some cases, lust arrives first, followed by awkward texting, unlabelled dalliances, choosing not to have kids and exploring polyamory. The definition and components of romantic relationships are evolving faster than the time it takes to explain a situationship to your nani. Yet, one thing remains constant—fighting with your partner, pati/patni or paramour. But don’t fret, we’re here to make sure your bedroom doesn’t turn into a WWE wrestling ring. A couple’s guide to conflict resolution styles While we’ve already e ..read more

“I knew he would come for you too,” said Anita*, my 42-year-old cousin, in the same flat tone you use when verifying your birth date before speaking to a customer service representative. It’s December 2021, and we’re in her swanky mansion on the outskirts of an American metropolis. She avoided eye contact as I sat there in stunned silence. “The only person I’ve spoken to about this is my husband. It’s been years; what’s the point of addressing these feelings now? You and I are both fine.” She paused, “Plus, Mummy never believed me when I told her as a child, and Daddy will be furious if he fin ..read more

They say opposites attract, but for 32-year-old media professional, Ankita Johari, that notion hit a snag when the political differences in her relationship with Arvind Kumar, a teacher, came to a head. Picture it: Ankita, a spirited anarchist at 25, challenging the status quo at every turn, with Arvind, 26, a conformist who always followed the rules. “To navigate the political differences in our relationship, I’d often resort to humour, using lighthearted comments to diffuse tension. Yet, beneath the surface, our ideological differences lingered,” reminisces Ankita, who is based in Lucknow. W ..read more

Lying in your partner’s warm embrace after a late-night session of Netflix and chilling, you suddenly get a whiff of something funky. And not the usual post-coital scents that tend to linger. It’s something… off. But before you can say anything, his deep snores resonate in your ears. Isn’t it ironic that two people getting down and dirty, sharing moments of deep intimacy, get a gulab jamun of hesitancy stuck in their throats when it comes to talking about certain topics, like sexual hygiene for men? It can feel like hitting a speed bump on a national highway. We’re slowly learning to prioritis ..read more

“Your wife will hate you when she’s pregnant, and for a while, post-baby.” I sneered at this joke made by my husband’s colleague after he heard the news of our pregnancy. But after eight tough months postpartum, when small disagreements routinely escalated into major fights, and crying spells were frequent (for me, more than our baby), these words echoed through my head once again. Did I really I hate my husband? Why was I not reconnecting with my partner after my baby? And, how could I hate him? I had never told him this, but my millennial man is the best father/partner. He has put on sympath ..read more

Now that the never-ending trial month of January is finally over, the year can actually begin. But February has a few days jisse mera koi lena dena nahi hai (that I have nothing to do with). If you instantly thought of Valentine’s Day too, then you and I are sailing in the same boat. While couples will be in the deep throes of romance, we’ll probably be kissing our glasses of Merlot. As tables for two will be overbooked all over the world, we’ll be phailaoed (spreadeagled) by ourselves on a two-seater couch, locking eyes with the takeout box of chilli garlic noodles and spring rolls. February ..read more

As humans we are hardwired to be inquisitive, and it’s only natural our curiosity is piqued when it comes to carnal pleasures like sex. It drove us to sneakily Google the name of the movie we were watching with our parents last night and Papa rushed to switch the channel when someone’s sideboob appeared. We’d click ‘wohoo’ in hot tubs while playing the Sims game and get horrified when an NSFW website popped up when all you were trying to do was find out when Uttaranchal formerly changed to ​​Uttarakhand for your political science class homework. These were the days before Ad Blockers existed ..read more

Among the unending ‘to-dos’ after marriage, a name change for the woman makes it to the top five. For aeons, due to legal, social and cultural reasons, women in heterosexual marriages have swapped their maiden names for a new identity, one which connected them to their husband’s family. Today, many women retain their maiden surname, or hyphenate it with their partner’s to maintain their individuality. But it is still rare to find a couple where the man adopts his wife’s family name. Meet the Ghoshes. This US-Sweden based interracial couple is one such anomaly that is making everyone question s ..read more

Imagine this: You and your friend are ready for a coffee-fuelled catch-up. Everything seems fine until your friend seems possessed by Kartik Aaryan’s Rajat from Pyaar Ka Punchnama, launching into a monologue about every calamity in their personal life. Suddenly, your gup sesh turns into an unexpected emotional rollercoaster, leaving you wondering when you stepped onto a splash mountain ride for this kind of thwack of feelings in your face. You’ve just entered the realm of emotional dumping, where casual conversations swiftly morph into emotional TED Talks. It’s a situation familiar to us all ..read more

Enter Password: The post Protected: At-home date night ideas that are actually fun appeared first on Tweak India ..read more