"i have a new roommate of the opposite sex"

When the same day to day life is defined in different time and space by various generations, both old and new, the way it is defined and explained takes a new outlook altogether. The culture, value & social system, financial condition, modernity, technological advancement, lifestyle and trends in which the term is defined automatically takes all those elements along with it.

When I asked a PG classmate of mine casually in a friendly telephonic conversation about her married life and how her life has transformed after marriage, her instant reply was  - "i have a new roommate of the opposite sex.' There stopped our discussion about married life.

Perhaps, this is the realistic definition of new generation marriage. The entire meaning of married life is encapsulated in a 6 worded short sentence along with a preposition and an article. Perhaps, a new generation marriage could be rightly defined - Roommate of the opposite sex is to meet one's personal, financial, social, family, physiological, psychological and sexual needs.

When he/she was away from home during his/her school and college days, he/she would have roommates, of course of the same gender, while living in hostels or as paying guests. Based on the chemistry with his/her roommate, living with them could be found difficult, therefore, roommates tend to change in every six month or after every year.

Seeing the life partner just as a roommate of opposite sex could be one of the reasons for the high rocketing rates of divorces in new generation marriages. It looks like the new generation married couples haven't come out of the shell of 'roommate' and continue to see marriage in those lines. Unlike, the roommate relationship during school and college life, here it is a life long commitment.

The institution of marriage has gone through various changes from how the old generation looked at it, to how the new generation looks at it. It used to be considered as a divine call. For the old generation, religion and sacraments gave so much significance and seriousness to the institution of marriage. Perhaps, because of the 'roommate' attitude, the new generation married couples tend to keep changing their 'roommate of the opposite sex' or try to have a new 'roommate' while already having a 'roommate' through the institution of marriage with legal and religious validity.

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