No two persons are alike, nor should they be. Everyone is an utterly unique, one-of-a-kind individual with a dissimilar personality that should be appreciated, rather celebrated. This diversity is what makes the world go round and life worth living. In fact, we should thank God that the human thought and vision are not linear or myopic, or else we would be living in a world of gravely boring symmetry.
Luckily, we are all different people with varying tastes, opinions, and capabilities. Some are good with numbers and some at the artistic expression. While some enjoy company, many others are happier when they’re by themselves. There are avid moviegoers, and there are those like to binge-watch TV shows in the quiet of their bedroom. Similarly, cooking may have the same effect on some as does cleaning on others. We have our passions, whims, and our peculiar ‘selves’ that essentially make us who we are: humans.
Unfortunately, we often fail to acknowledge and embrace this diversity, especially when being or getting in as sensitive a relationship as marriage. When tying the knot, we tend to fail to foresee some inevitable conflicts that the union is set to accompany. It’s also true that some marriages bring challenges that are more profound than one has the nerves to tackle. How a couple handles this big change in their life and lifestyle, however, determines if the marriage will hold firm or fall apart.
In spite of marriage holding a very sacred status in Pakistan and Islam, our country, in recent years, has seen an unfortunate spike in wedlocks that end in divorce. To help reverse the situation, Dua e Reem brings a powerful message for wedded couples, especially the married women of Pakistan. Through a mix of soulful music and expressive lyrics, the song promotes women’s empowerment in a compelling, yet very relatable manner.
The song highlights how it’s just the wife in a typical Pakistani marriage who is expected to change and adapt to the new settings – both place and people. This often means forgetting herself and going out of her way to please the husband or in-laws only to get little or no appreciation. She has to cook well, be a good homemaker, and prove herself as a master multitasker. The pressures she’s faced with are often so overwhelming that even men with the strongest of nerves will find hard to beat. Husband, on the other hand, faces no such pressure, although marriage does bring him challenges of other sorts.
Marriage is the joining of two people in a bond that is meant to last until death, so it must not be cut short by separation or divorce. The union, for sure, makes the partners compromise on many things but that is supposed to result in mutual happiness and empowerment, not harbored resentment that gnaws at the relationship instead of strengthening it. Dua e Reem celebrates this very cooperation with a beautiful key message: #RotiSayKhayenChawal.
Odd as it may sound, that’s the key ingredient of marriage. You must accept a person with the good and with what in your view is the bad. If there’s mutual respect, love, and understanding, neither of you would mind eating roti with chawal, no matter if you like roti more than chawal or the reverse. With a wise and cool coordination of heart and mind, and care for our better half who is doing a lot more than they’re appreciated for, we can save and strengthen the institution of marriage, and with it the family unit!
“What many married couples feel to be disillusionment is actually the unfolding of the life’s realities which can be bitter, rather cruel, at times,” expresses Qashif Effendi, CEO of Reem Rice. “The love, care, respect, and companionship are the part and parcel of a marriage. But people must realize that certain events and developments happening post-marriage can cause the extent of these sentiments and commitments to fluctuate.” He adds that a successful marriage demands both partners to understand these realities, manage expectations, control impulsive reactions or decisions, and put all efforts into giving this blessed relationship a chance.
This is what Dua e Reem aims to achieve. It urges viewers and listeners to give marriage a chance by beginning to understand their partner of life and meeting the challenges that marriage has brought upon them. After all, things have a way of working themselves out. So does marriage if given the right amount of time and effort.
