Rita looked sad and forlorn. It was time for Dinesh to come home. Yet, the excitement of  (this moment) in yesteryears had been replaced by tension. It s been a long time since Dinesh had made any advances. He seemed to have become too distant and cold. Rita missed the playful, friendly, warm and loving man she had married. She could not understand why they had drifted apart. And now she has reached a point where she blames herself for his lack of interest.

My concern for Rita (name changed) goaded me on to find out more on this subject.  And to my absolute horror I discovered that a sizeable amount of the female population suffer in silence because they blame themselves for the man’s disinterest in amorous activity. More often than not the couple just drifts apart and live isolated existences under the same roof because neither of them has taken the trouble to discuss.

Legend has it that Aphrodite the roman goddess of love had endowed the marjoram with this special spicy, woody fragrance to symbolize happiness. And this is the reason why the ancient Romans, who called this herb “the herb of happiness” used garlands made of this herb to adorn the heads of newly weds in order to usher in marital bliss. Our very own Kamasutra advocates the use of ittars and scents. While, the Vedas dedicate the entire Vajrakaran tantra to the use of aromatic oils.

Similar rituals and customs were prevalent in most ancient civilizations of the world. So, the connection between aromatherapy and marital bliss is as old and time-tested as the institution of marriage itself.

Do you remember that rush of adrenalin when the air was perfumed by the familiar fragrance of his cologne heralding his arrival? The knotting up of the nerves at the thought of that anticipated gentle touch on the nape of your neck and the headiness in his voice as he inhales the seductive fragrance of  the jasmine in your hair. Well that’s how strong an impact your sense can have on your love life. Aromas have the power to awaken emotions, desires and memories.

The top relationship struggle fronted by most of today’s women is the dating relationships that have failed because the man pulled away, stopped calling, or just turned out to be Mr. Wrong. Women report that these unsuccessful relationships leave them feeling powerless, mistreated, and sometimes wondering if they are even worthy of love.

Well, ladies, here are some great suggestions to motivate you to toss out your tissues and climb aboard the happiness train! First and foremost, we can assure you that, as bleak as things may seem right now, things will get better. Man or no man, you are in control of your destiny in a relationship. Let’s explore how you can take responsibility for creating a healthy relationship.

To build a great relationship, we have to start by loving ourselves. It is impossible to love someone else, or to be loved by someone else, if we don’t feel worthy of love. In relationships, people tend to attract their mirror images. If you want to attract a self-assured and fulfilled partner, you must also have a healthy self-esteem and a life that works, regardless of where the relationship is headed. A relationship and a partner cannot be expected to fulfill all of our needs. It is important to have a strong sense of who we are in order to bond with a partner without losing a healthy sense of our own worth.

It’s raining rain from the skies and with every pitter patter of a raindrop kissing the parched and dry earth the monsoon is weaving its romantic spell around us. Rain and romance are absolutely inseparable. Starting with the Raj Kapoor, Nargis classic to the modern day romantic rain songs the monsoons is proof of this fact.

As far as rain and romance goes all people can be broadly divided into two categories- people who find rains romantic and people who find rains depressing. But, there is a catch here. Those people who find the rains depressing do so because their partners are not with them or they still haven’t found a partner. So, even depression during the rains has a romance related reason.

Rita was nostalgic when she was introducing her friend Seema to the various friends and relatives as they flicked through her wedding album. “Wow! Rita. Now we know why Ravi fell head over heels in love with you. You were so pretty.”

Rita moved uncomfortably in her seat. Gingerly she said, “I know I must loose some weight.” They chatted for a while and soon Seema left and Rita got busy. But, every moment that she had for herself her friend’s remarks seemed to be ringing in her ears.

Rita found herself reflecting on her decade long marriage. She was very happily married in the social sense. How different her relationship was now. Though she continues to be the perfect wife and together they make the perfect couple. She couldn’t remember when they had last touched each other.