By Khushwant Singh / Sify
 
March 3, 2006

Having been bored to death by politics, cricket, news of accidents, murders, rapes and speeches of netas, the nation woke up to the rumours of a romance possibly leading to a matrimonial alliance between Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan. She is as beautiful as beauty can be. He is an upcoming actor, son of Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan.

Amitabh is a phenomenon of our times. Besides being the most versatile actor of our times, he is a good man. In my chauvinistic mood, I attribute this goodness and humility to his Sikh mother. Jaya’s father was my friend and drinking companion. My joy on hearing the rumour is understandable.

However, one aspect of the story as it broke bothered me. It was reported that Amitabh’s younger brother Ajitaabh flew from London, where he is based, to Bangalore armed with the horoscopes of Abhishek and Aishwarya to consult an astrologer on the prospects of such an alliance. From earlier reports, I was under the impression that there had been differences between the two brothers.

So Ajitaabh’s avuncular concern for Abhishek’s future came as a pleasant surprise. Not so pleasant was to hear that all these well-educated people should set store by what an astrologer would tell them after looking at two horoscopes.

He assured them that all will be well, sooner the better. And for good measure added a few words in Sanskrit to lend sanctity to his prophecy. No one in his right mind lends ears to soothsayers. Not one of them was able to forecast calamities like the partition of India (10 million uprooted, 1,00,000 dead), the assassination of Bapu Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, earthquakes, tsunami—the list of unpredicted disasters is endless.

All this fraternity of astrologers did was to later claim they had forecast these events to come, which is totally false. What they did and do is to use the language of gole-mole rigmarole about warning of dangers, which may or may not have disastrous consequences.

Murli Manohar Joshi, chief patron of this hoax of a so-called science could not forecast his own defeat at the polls. Nor could T N Sheshan (former Election Commissioner) who swears by it. As for matching horoscopes, I had a young lady in my staff when I was editor of The Hindustan Times. Her father was an astrologer, who like others of his fraternity boasted of being consulted by ministers and millionaires. We carried his forecasts in the paper. He arranged his daughter’s marriage after matching her horoscope with that of her husband to be. The marriage did not last beyond a year.

I have no doubt Aishwarya will look as beautiful a bride as anyone has ever seen. Whether or not she makes a dutiful, understanding wife, mother, or an ill tempered, shrewd nagger no one knows. Nor does anyone know what kind of a husband Abhishek will turn out to be: overbearing, possessive, jealous, harsh or kindly and understanding. Marriage is chancy business. As soon as the knot is tied, the romance goes out. Then love fades out and is replaced by either understanding or companionship, or by bickering and erosion of personalities.

In most cases, it becomes a humdrum existence, which becomes difficult to come to terms with particularly for those who are used to being in the limelight. With this warning, I send my blessings to Aishwarya and Abhishek—may your union be long, happy and fruitful.

(Editor's note: The views expressed by the writer are totally his personal. This is reproduced here keeping in mind the reader interest. It may interest our readers further that the astrologer in question hails from a village near Mangalore. - Editor)