You’re thinking, ‘Enough is enough!’ You’re tired of dating men who refuse to commit; or are still sadly single; or just can’t understand why the men your parents are introducing you to have the personality of a tree.

You’re looking for your True Love aka The One aka Mr Right and are (secretly) desperate for help. Well, Mr Love’s not going to come knocking on your door at exactly the moment you want him to, but here are some tips that could help him hurry!

Whatchya lookin’ for?

Keep an open mind. If you imagine your Prince Charming will look and behave exactly like Hrithik Roshan, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.

Make a list of things you’re looking for in your Mr Right, such as maybe he should be tall, sensitive, have a great sense of humour, be a close-to-his-family kinda man, or maybe the type of guy who loves buying you expensive presents.

Then make a list of points you’re ready to compromise on, like it’s alright if he hasn’t got a Masters degree like you, or that he drinks/smokes, or that he would like you to give up your job to look after the house once you’re married.

Once you know what you’re looking for, it will be that much easier to identify Prince Charming.

Ditch the singles

If you insist on finding love on your own, quit hanging out with your single and ready to mingle girlfriends because a) you’re ALL looking for eligible men, why do you want the extra competition?; and b) it’s not like you’re really going to give the dweeb who accosts you at the bar, the time of day! It’s not an Indian dating ritual!

Instead hang out with the girls that are already married or at least seeing someone – their boyfriends'/husbands' circle of friends should include someone who catches your attention.

Flirt like mad

Once you’ve zeroed in on an eligible bachelor, get to know him better. A little innocent flirting should let him know that you’re interested. Laugh at his jokes, hold his gaze for a few seconds longer than necessary, listen attentively, and smile!

This could even work if you’re meeting a guy the parents have introduced you to. After all, if you like him, you will laugh at his jokes and you will smile happily, if not shyly, right?

Kissing frogs

Don’t get disheartened if Eligible Bachelor No 1 turns out to be not-so-eligible. After all, you always end up kissing a couple of frogs (either literally or figuratively) when you’re dating or meeting a guy in an arranged scenario.

At least you’ll be able to add some more qualities/points to your lists!

Finally, spot your prince

He’s lurking about somewhere, just waiting to sweep you off your feet! In the mean while, enjoy the hunt.

Now compromise, and all the baggage that clings to the verb, tends to spook the Indian bride. How much should she give in? Or should she give in at all? After all, she's educated, financially independent and if need be, can stand on her own.

Yet, considering the kind of social structure we live in, bending a little to fulfill her role as a daughter-in-law and wife hasn't hurt a girl yet.
In fact, there are several reasons why 'Compromise' isn't (and shouldn't be) a dirty word in the Indian woman's dictionary. Here's why:

Happy in-laws = happy husband

Since hers was a love marriage, Sheetal J knew from the get-go that she'd have to work hard to get her more conservative Marwari in-laws to adjust to her.
That's why, the 25-year-old business consultant decided to take a break from work to play the role of a traditional daughter-in-law. Explaining her decision, Sheetal said, "We have to learn to balance the conservative with the modern. And to be happy all I had to do was take a step to reach out to my in-laws - for me, one step was to wear a sari at home for a couple of months."

She added that it was the simplest gesture she could make to reach out to her husband's parents, and it definitely made her in-laws, and therefore her husband, happy. "It's easier for someone with an open mind to adapt than to try and change someone with a conservative mindset. Eventually, my in-laws figured that I was uncomfortable in a sari, and they said it was okay if I didn't wear one. So, though I got what I wanted, I made sure they were okay with it," Sheetal said.

"The main thing is making the effort."

It keeps the family together

Getting married is all about give and take, as Nikita Kothari learnt. A practicing Jain, Nikita 25, never thought she'd marry a meat-eating Punjabi. "I'd always grown up thinking I'd marry a nice Gujju boy my parents chose for me. So deciding to marry someone who practiced what my religion strictly forbade was very a very big decision… I'd say it was a compromise between my love and my religious principles."

Yet her willingness to change her lifestyle - dressing more conservatively, and changing her profession to allow her to balance her home and work life better - meant her in-laws encouraged her to practice her own religion. This in turn, didn't make Nikita think she sacrificed too much.

It means you find you happy ending

The Prince Charming of your reality isn't always the same as the BMW-driving hero of your dreams. A girl's got to give in somewhere, to find her happily ever after. For Minotee Dutta, 27, compromise meant moving to a new city.

For her, the move from Mumbai to Bangalore was a huge and scary change. "My parents chose my partner for me. So not only did I have to deal with adjusting into a new family, but also settling into a totally foreign place and learning a new language. Initially, it was a big adjustment," said the mother-of-one, adding, "Of course, I'm happy now! I don't know if I would have been happier married to someone in my hometown, anyway."

Expert speak

"In the closest relationships of one's life compromise is a very ill-fitting word. There is no space for compromise," said Dr Rajiv Anand, a Mumbai-based psychiatrist and marriage counselor."When we enter into a relationship, we have to surrender to it and accept the whole. After all, you're not obliging [your partner]."

Deciding that marriage is worth making an adjustment or two isn't such a bad thing, is it? What do you think? Leave us a comment and let us know.

The rule is that you shouldn't date your ex-boyfriend's best friend! But what if you really, really like him and he likes you too! Dating your former boyfriend's best friend is really dependent on how you and your ex handle it!

Know your feelings

Be very sure of your feelings. Take some time to sit down and examine exactly what it is you feel about him. If it's just a time pass affair with an attractive guy that you're searching for, find someone else.

Dating your ex's friend can generate too much anguish for everyone concerned. This will definitely cause a dent in their friendship. And it doesn't matter if your ex is seeing another woman; she isn't your best friend, is she?

Read between the lines

If you are still on good terms with your ex, let him know about your feelings! If he gives you his blessings, go for it. However, if your ex says something like, 'Yeah, go ahead, I don't care', they may actually be thinking, 'Why did you have to find my best friend to date in the whole wide world? What's wrong with you? Are you trying to make me jealous? Or has this been going on behind my back?'

No matter how much you try to convince him otherwise, suspicion will linger.

Moment of truth

Though your decision should not be dependent on your ex's approval, this new relationship will definitely put a strain in their relationship. And one way to judge if you should go ahead with this relationship, is to put yourself in your ex's shoes! If you feel the anguish is not worth the effort, forget about it!

Finally, if nothing works out, don't get too worked up. After all, there are many fish in the sea!

You're of marriageable age and have begun meeting eligible men. And there are so many things to consider before making a life-long commitment to someone! Here are ten questions you must ask any potential suitor while you're deciding whether you want to marry him or not.

1. Why do you want to get married?

If he so much as hints at something as ridiculous as like 'because everybody gets married' or as crass as 'for the free sex,' show him the door!

2. How do you spend your weekends?

How he answers this might give you an insight into his lifestyle and tastes. Movies, music, clubbing, eating out… see how many of these are your interests too. If you are a total foodie and he doesn't like anything except plain homemade food, you might want to think again because of clashes of interests.

3. What time do you wake up in the morning?

It will also give you an indication of what time he sleeps at night and if he's a night person.

4. What makes you tick?

Now this is an interesting question that will give you a sneak peak into his inner self. You'll know if he's the adventurous type if an impossible situation or challenges keep him going.

5. Do you watch porn?

If he says no, nine of out 10 chances are he's lying and perhaps projecting an image that's not really him. If he says yes and elaborates, he's opening up with you and encouraging you to open up too. But only ask the question if it doesn't make you feel uncomfortable.

6. What do you think will make our marriage work?

See if his answer is in tune with your own ideas of a successful marriage.

7. Would you like to tell me about your past relationships?

If he comes clean, he's honest and quite open with you. If he says he's had some but he'd rather talk about it another time, give him the benefit of doubt. If he says he's had none, then you might want to tread more carefully.

8. How would you handle a potential financial crisis?

Through the answer to this question, you might get an idea about his take on problem solving and how dependent he might be on others vis-à-vis his own abilities.

9. What do you value most in a relationship?

See if you two are on the same page with regard to this one. It's among the crucial questions.

10. If you had to say yes to me, what are your reasons?

You'll know exactly what he likes about you and also give you a chance to figure out if the reasons are right!
Mark him on these answers and see if you've finally found The One… If not, don't worry, you will get to interrogate many more.