Big Lessons from "Little Things (S01-03)"

Are you an ardent fan of love stories? Which amongst these is your favorite one- Eric Segal's Love Story, Punjabi folk tale of Heer and Ranjha or Mughalite story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal? As a matter of fact, all these ancient stories have one thing in common – the tragic ending. Their commonality stems from the usual theme of parents and/or communities going against the union of two lovers. However, in recent times, such endings have become rare and usually, modern couples are found to be battling against different beasts altogether. Their break-up reasons vary from the lack of one's self-identity to long-distance relationships to infidelity and so on. And the chances of finding relationships wherein the couple stays through the thick and thin is next to finding stars in my current home city Bengaluru. Therefore, from the first time I saw Kavya and Dhruv in their web series of "Little Things" I knew that they were special and would remain so for so many millennials such as me. But, what is so special about them and their little things? To know the core reason behind it, all three seasons need to be watched and felt through mind, heart, and soul. In today's blog, I will share the top three lessons learned from this very amazing series of episodes. 

Exploration-champion- Millennials believe in finding their mission, 'the career with a sense of purpose' as they like to call it. In the process of finding the one, they are ready to leave their comfortable and high paying corporate job to become Youtuber, pastry chef, writer, entrepreneur or whatever that suits their interests. Within the series, there comes a point when 25-year-old Kavya is unsure of her existing sales job and finds it lacking the much-needed mental stimulation. She goes on to confess that while growing up she had thought that she would do something kickass but, has landed up being lazy and ordinary at her work. To her rescue comes Dhruv- whose character has come out to be known as best reel life boyfriend of the town. He not only contemplates the decision with her but, expresses his support for any profession she would choose to follow post quitting the existing one.

When you are out exploring and trying to figure out 'what it is that won't feel like a job?' or 'which is the job that won't give Monday blues?'. The most important factor will be played by a person who stays by your side during its trials and tribulations. This person could be a mentor, parent, sibling and/or friend but, if it is your partner you know that he/she is a great catch! What is your take on it? Are you an explorer yourself or are you someone's Dhruv? In either case, I strongly believe that one should find a partner who motivates and supports. Because as shared in this deep quote "You are both a work in progress so, grow and build together."

Enabler (Positive Connotation)- Letting your partner explore what they love is a part of the process but, enabling them to be and do what they have been looking for is a real game-changer. Many times as individuals we know the best interest of our partner yet, we resist accepting the change because we are too invested in our side of the truth. For example, young Kavya in the series wanted to do her Masters in Mumbai but, her then-boyfriend placed in Nagpur resisted this decision because for him Nagpur was home. And home was where his partner should be. Contrastingly, 5 years down the line, Dhruv enabled Kavya to plan for the move back to Nagpur because she wanted to spend time with her parents. To rationalize his decision, he suggested that Kavya herself had set the right example by letting Dhruv perform his stint in Bengaluru.

Kavya's story follows the words of wisdom which are "What goes around comes around". That is, her decision to enable Dhruv to find a happy place for him made her find the relationship she is most grateful for. Thus, there is no more joy than finding a partner who cherishes freedom and space as much as the commitment. Have you found your Kavya yet?

Equalizer- Is being an enabler always possible or rather is it always healthy for the relationship? How about the situation when you do not agree with your partner's decision and know that it is in their best interest to put it to rest? Would you still be their accomplice, or would you try to get them out of the self-doubt/ self-destruction bubble? During one of the episodes, Kavya self-doubts her choice of Dhruv as a partner and questions whether she is better suited for someone else. In her conquest to find an answer, she includes Dhruv who is in denial of ever facing such a situation. However, as the conversation progresses he does confess to having found girls whom he could relate to more than Kavya. But, for him, none of them have matched Kavya because both are a team that plays well together.

When the music in your life becomes too loud, you need an equalizing partner to reduce the noise and distortion. The one who can show you the reality in a very responsible way. In the end, this poem aptly summarizes the equalizer role of your partner in life:

 “My partner has made me laugh.

Wiped my tears.

Hugged me tight.

Watched me succeed.

Seen me fail.

Cheered me on.

Kept me going strong.

My partner is a promise.

From God that.

I will have a friend forever. “

Last year this day, I got married to the smartest, kindest and most committed soul. Post the wedding, I was quick enough to introduce him to the social media world as my “Better half”. However, over the year, I have realized that we both are “complete individuals” who are on the path of forming a “Better team”. I dedicate this article to him- the one who has all the above characteristics and much more. Here is to be wishing us many more joyful years together!

Tell me about Riya

Riya is an avid reader, life-long learner and lively person. She gets a great joy in sharing her knowledge and developing others. Her interest lies in automotive safety, women empowerment and environmental issues. She lives by the quote of “Take risks in life. If you win, you will lead. If you lose, you will guide”

Tell me about Series 3X’s from Riya’s Reads

This series is targeted to cover 3X* powerful lessons/ characteristics that Riya has learned from the books she reads. Where, X={A-Z}. Let us hear what Riya thinks about the series in her own words.

Since childhood, I have always loved reading books. However, in recent years I noticed a big change in me. Let us take an example - If my friend asks me to pick a choice between binge-watching movies or doing a readathon. The chances are 7 out of 10 times I would pick up books. Don’t get me wrong here. I do like watching movies but, my intrinsic choice will be books over movies. Also, I am a strong believer in the theory that you attract the books that you need at any point of time in your life. One quick example on the same- In early-2015, I was flying from Kerala to Mumbai and in the flight noticed a person in the adjacent seat reading the book titled ‘Inner Engineering’. Looking at the book, one quick thought crossed my mind- “How nice would it be if I could read this book?”. And guess what? I was gifted this same book within a month and the cherry on the top was that the person did not know that I wanted it or that I would need it near future. During the same month, I was also gifted a book called ‘The Book of Joy’. With the fortunate accident, I had received two books which would prove to be my pillar of strengths in near tumultuous times. I have always appreciated the books I was gifted more than the one I purchased. Because it brings with it not only the well wishes of the giver but, more importantly, hidden messages such as “You can do it!”, “This shall pass too”, “If they can, so can you” and so on. In every chapter of the series, I will cover three well-worthy lessons I have learned from all these books. The aim of each chapter would be to give out the hidden messages of optimism, hope, and strength through the model, simple text and/or equations.