TOUGH LOVE

Ever wondered why some folks mistake violence for love? It's a major no-no! If you imagine yourself as Shahid Kapoor or Vijay Deverakonda, who picks your poison, with bloodshot eyes, in a wild brawl, cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, all macho and possessive of his lady. He grabs her hand, and voila, he claims her! The crowd erupts in cheers and claps. Hold up, did he just win her over by being bossy? That's not love, it's just telling her what to do.

Let's get one thing straight, CONTROL isn't love. Nope, not at all! It's not care, it's not concern, it's just plain old abuse. Sometimes it's sneakily disguised, like a mean comment about an outfit or a not-so-funny insult. Other times, it's more obvious, like physical or sexual assault, or emotional manipulation. But here's the real kicker - We often miss the signs. We want to believe it's just our partner being protective or that it won't happen again. Reality Check -  That's dead wrong.

Abuse in relationships is more common than we think. We tend to turn a blind eye and make excuses to salvage the relationship. From concealing the truth to slathering on makeup, we try to cover up the dominance in our relationships. And now, with our lives moving online, abuse has found a new battleground.

Taking pictures without consent, stalking online, exposing private conversations, these are all forms of online harassment. And guess what? It's abuse, my friend, and it doesn't discriminate based on gender. Whether you're giving it or receiving it, it's just wrong.

So, the next time you see a possessive hero telling the heroine she can't talk to anyone else because "you are mine alone," feel free to gag right there in the theatre. There's no room for an "Exclusive Rights" clause in a relationship. If you sense any violence or anything that makes you feel scared or terrible about yourself, do yourself a favour, hit that Delete button! Don't play the saviour or therapist, thinking you can change someone. Let Mother Teresa handle that. And for the love of all things good, don't make excuses for violence, not the "my boss messed me up" excuse, and definitely not the "I promise I won't do it again, honey" excuse. Don't make them, and don't take them. Just hit delete on that toxic relationship.