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‘I never told her I loved her’
Manas Katyal (22), media professional and finalist, Rakhi ka Swayamvar, talks about his participation in the show and whether it will actually work for Rakhi.
Manas Katyal (22), media professional and finalist, Rakhi ka Swayamvar, talks about his participation in the show and whether it will actually work for Rakhi.
Overall, what has Rakhi ka Swayamvar done for you?
I’d say this experience has made me much more mature. I have become more responsible towards my family. I will also be responsible towards the girl who will eventually become my wife.
Has this experience improved your stock in the ‘marriage market’ even if you didn’t win?
When I returned to Delhi after the show, a lot of people visited me. One of the aunties even urged me to see her daughter, saying she hoped her daughter would get married into a family like mine (laughs).
I just smiled, and told her I hoped her daughter would get a great groom and a great family. Incidents like this make me feel good, though my friends tease me about them.
How did friends and relatives react to your participation?
There was a fair share of both criticism and appreciation. Some people asked me why I wanted to marry Rakhi, some wondered why I wanted to get married at such a young age.
People also appreciate my honesty. Both my relatives and friends feel that I was myself on the show. My family, too, is exactly what they were like on the show.
Do you believe the Rakhi-Elesh marriage will work (if it takes place)? Can any marriage fixed in such circumstances work?
Honestly, I don’t think the two people involved get to know each other too well on a reality show like this. If I calculate the entire time on the show that Rakhi and I spent alone, it would not be more than 24 hours.
So I just didn’t have enough time to get to know her. That’s why I never told her I loved her, even though the other guys repeatedly said they loved her and wanted to be with her forever.
I can’t have feelings for a girl unless I know her well. So, for me, a reality show marriage really doesn’t really work as well as a love marriage or a traditional arranged one. Moreover, on a show, the settings and locations are so beautiful that love blossoms.
But when one spends quality time with a girl in normal circumstances, the feelings are more mature and lasting.
