Frog Prince syndrome

Why did the princess kiss the frog? So that he turns into Prince Charming. However, in real life don't kiss frogs and expect them to change into ideal partners?

"A woman marries a man thinking she will change him and a man marries a woman thinking she'll never change. But the truth is, no matter how hard you try you can't change a person," says Goel. There's also a belief that women look at bad guys as 'renovation projects'.

They fall for them because they secretly want to change them. "Women like bad boys just because they are fun to chase and nurture our secret desires of riding a bike in a leather catsuit. But I don't think we want to change them. If they change they lose that charm," says Atray. But she suggests that all women keep the bad boy for a small fling and the good boy for the solid relationship.

"My experience with my husband who looks like a complete good boy is that he has a bad boy hidden inside. And that's even better!"

Happily ever-after
The most common fairy tale cliche. But surprisingly many people want to believe in it.

"Couples can live happily ever after if they are willing to take the pains to make the relationship work and not take each other for granted. No relationship is perfect, but we can always aim for perfection," says Soor.

Atray says "happily ever after" is no Utopia. "We have become too cynical and give up on relationships even before trying.

I think it's a good cliche because it makes us believe in a relationships that lasts. And Bhatia sites examples of ever-after couples. "I have many friends who seem to be straight out of a fairy tale. It is not so hard to make a relationship work. Yes, one will have problems, but why be pessimistic? I will not stop working towards living happily ever after," he says. So don't believe that a magic wand can do it.