Expectation!

Was talking to a few friends at the breakfast today and in the conversation one of them said, "We should not have any expectation from others. Only then we can have a happy relationship with the person". I actually kind of agree to disagree on that stand.

If there is no expectation at all between two people, is whatever the thing it is between them even called a 'relationship'? ?They will just be two people, two random people if all they do is care about nothing at all for each other. If you are talking about an ideal scenario where both are very selfless and each person cares about the other person and at the same time does not 'expect' that the other person cares about her, then we definitely are living in the fictional Atlantis world. And why even in that world would someone do that? Just because they are related to each other somehow? or should one do that to the entire mankind living in that world?? Then we would all be part of "Vasudhaiva kutumbam", a sanskrit phrase which means, "the world is one family".

For a bond to develop in any relation, we should have some basic trust and belief in the person that he/she will be there for you when you need them whether or not it requires them to go over the line for you. You don't sometimes 'expect' every person to go over the line to help you. That part of not expecting is fine with me. But as long as it is within their limits, you do expect them to stand by you. Otherwise, what is the difference between a random stranger on the road, your friend, your relative and your family? In most cases, its how much or to what extent you can count on the person that makes up the intensity of the bond you share with the person.