(Image source from: brightside.me)

Cisco system gets sued by the California regulators as an engineer at their headquarters in Silicon Valley faced discrimination because he is a Dalit Indian. Two of the Dalit man ‘s supervisors were Higher-caste Indians and discriminated and harassed against the employee for being a Dalit Indian and also dark-complexioned.

Caste system has been deeply rooted in Indians. Higher caste, lower castes, untouchable all prevailed for centuries. Though India is a democracy now, there are still people who discriminate against caste in India especially the Dalit’s who were placed at the bottom of the caste hierarchy. Dalit’s were once termed as Untouchables as well. Even after India has banned caste discrimination, violence against Dalit’shas been going on for decades.

One such incident happened at a firm called Cisco in San Jose California where a Dalit man was discriminated against based on his caste. The engineer worked on a team at Cisco’s San Jose headquarters. He was not the only Indian there. There were many other adult Indians who had migrated to the United States to work in the Silicon Valley. All of who belonged to the higher caste based on Indian Caste system.

On Tuesday a lawsuit was filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing addressing the discrimination faced by the Dalit man in the premises of Cisco systems.

Talking of stages, have you ever lied down looking at your ceiling on a windy evening wondering who would be your better half? Especially if you are someone whose saved oneself for one man or woman. Well, this in itself is a typical stage of waiting for that someone special to land into your life.  

Even before you can lose your heart to someone or feel the magical change in your life, you are already going through this beautiful phase of dreaming and imagining. If this can be called a stage, how would it feel when the two of you meet each other, hold hands, and say ‘Yes’.

Even that would be called a stage and thereon your love life will be all about phases and stages. Before you get to enjoy those stages, would you like taking a quick look at the typical stages before getting into a relationship and decide if you want to walk this life together or let it go on cordial terms? or even if you choose to be with the person, you are still going to be a part of those phases. Here are some of the unavoidable stages in a relationship everyone goes through before they say ‘I am yours’ and ‘You are mine’ and even after they are together.

Stage 1 : You Get Clues That He/She Is May Be The One

While you would have never thought of a close buddy to be your boyfriend or girlfriend, but the hints you experience with each other also wouldn’t mean that the two of you are only friends. Ever been in that confused trap?

You end up appreciating his/her efforts, defend that person from trouble, feel comfortable around the person and don’t find the need to look for anyone in his/her presence. You’ve been there, I have been there, and most of us planning to date someone is going to be there. You never know how ‘may be’ turns into ‘he/she is the one’.

Stage 2 : Casual And Silly Conversations Last For A While

If you want to hit on that sweetheart you’ve been admiring all this while and whether that person you love is as thrilled as you or not, the casual messaging and silly conversation stage comes. You can call it, the ice breaker and from here a couple start getting to know each other.

Stage 3 : Constant Stalking

Social media gives minute details of a person and initially you will want to know everything about the person you’ve started to admire. Watch his/her posts, pictures, and area of interests. Today’s love stories begin and end because of stalking each other on social media. Yes, this stalking phase is bound to exist.

Stage 4 : Awkward First Dates

Going on a date with someone special for the first time can be overwhelming. More than excitement you are nervous about how to talk, behave and react. But you will find yourself laughing at this stage if the two of you end up together around the same time next year. First dates are always sweet and memorable.

Stage 5 : The Romance Stage

After the awkward first date and the other meetings that follow. If there is a strong attraction between your partner and you, all the love and happy hormones are activated. This is the primary and crucial stage. If the two of you click well here, rest of the things fall in place. In this stage, you’d be attracted with the first touch, looking into his eyes and you’d be swinging in happiness.

Stage 6 : Mingling Becomes Juggling

There are exceptional cases where couples get along despite the difference in opinions and the way they live life. However, after the romance stage kicks in, partners get close to each other and probably see the odd qualities they never saw while dating each other. For most couples, mingling becomes like juggling. They either survive this stage and stay close or fight and part ways.

Stage 7 : Acceptance Stage

After struggling through a phase of understanding each other, if the two of you finally get adjusted and compromise with each others reality and changes, acceptance gets easier. Even if you dislike something about each other, you would still be at peace in being a part of the relationship. This phase is about standing by your partner no matter what.

Stage 8 : Happy To Be Hitched

The choice of moving in together or being married depends from person to person. A few couples are okay with being married if they click in one meet, while majority of the others love taking their time by going on several dates and figuring each other out. Having said, it is always the best to get to know your partner, understand if you can get along in the long run, and then make a choice of getting hitched. Couples reach this stage only when they are madly or sometimes blindly in love.

Stage 9 : A Two-Way Street

It is incredible if the two of you come until here. Remember, your stages of love and tests doesn’t end here. Now you’d have to put in constant efforts to nurture your relationship. If you start thinking, now that I am with him or her, there is nothing much to do. Well, that’s not the right way to look at it. This marriage would stay and be a happy one only if the two of you reciprocate efforts and when love is a two way street, it will always keep the two of you united.

Stage 10 : Sparking It Up Now And Then

After a few years, many couples either lose interest in each other or everything is at a standstill. But it is a choice and if you don’t want your relationship to get stagnant, ensure to do the mischievous things the two of you did together before being hitched or kiss like never before. Every now and then, leave your busy schedule to spend quality time with each other and light thing up.

To wrap it up, be it any age, the moment you feel attracted to someone and things click, you’d start living these stages of a relationship. This will happen whether you are in one relationship or you get into many relationships. In fact, even if you find your well-defined ‘Mr/Ms Perfect’ you cannot escape these stages of a relationship.

By Neha Makhija