I was browsing through orkut, evesdropping on random lives and in a general state of wonderment at the lives people lead when I chanced upon photographs of a friend's new born. He's a friend's friend and my connection to him was brief, but when in college, you are privy to everyone's dirty laundry. Ofcourse, mine was washed out on the front lawn too.

His story was one of love and longing. They met in grad school- dated for almsot 2 years - the parents approved and just when wedding bells were about to ring, they called it quits. A year later, he got married to a doctor from Delhi and bought her to Amrika. Another year later, they made a baby in their recently-bought house.

I wonder about relationships. I wonder about people. Everything is so calculated once the mind begins to understand and want. I think, it's life. It's so calculated. Milestone after milestone. It's like we are forever ticking off items of our THINGS TO DO list. Graduate, First job, first car, grad school, 100K+ job, new house, marriage, babies, blah blah.

The thought almost stifles me. Like suburbia. Moving up in life, climbing the social ladder. It doesn't have to be that way, you know. It doesn't have to take you 30 years to make your first million. Or you don't have to get married at 27. and make babies by 30. There are no rules. You make your own and yet, just a few realize that.

Funny I say that, when I'm shackled by the same bloody rules.