Tuesday 4 November 2014

The Arranged Marriage Saga: Titbits

We have this "awesome" concept of arranged marriage in India. People don't just ask you whether you are married. They go a step further and ask whether it was a love marriage or was it arranged. The only difference being you select the partner who will screw your life over in the former case and in the latter case, your parents do it for you. Thank them well.

In a regular middle class Indian family, when the girl reaches "marriageable" age, say, 22-23, the questions automatically take a different turn. Earlier, until say 20-21 years of age, the statements/ questions were something like this:
1. What do you study?
2. What is your area of interest?
3. What do you want to do in the future?
4. Be happy, healthy, study well, get a good job and then we'll take care of everything (when you touch the oldies' feet for their alleged blessings)

As you turn 23, these are the statements/ questions you get:
1. How old are you?
2. How much have you studied?
3. Jathakam edutacha? (Is your jathakam out?)
4. Are your parents looking for you? (Mind you, this ain't a game of Hide n Seek. People ask whether groom hunting by your parents is going on?)
5. What's your salary? (God forbid you have a job)
6. You are so tiny, how will you have children?

See the difference? When you are a "kid", the statements and questions are basically education and career related and peppered with "We'll take care of everything after your education and job." Once you turn 23, career takes a backseat, marriage is all it is about!

Somehow, the oldies managed to find their partner and think it is their birthright to find me one! Also, apparently, my uterus is under their dictatorship.

Anyhoo, The Arranged Marriage Saga will take you through my what-should-be-forbidden journey of arranged marriage (if it does happen). I try to find humour in anything and everything. Hopefully this doesn't get overbearing and tiring.

4 comments:

  1. I had a lot to comment , but I fell off the chair at 'Uterus under dictatorship'. Honey you will be fine. I saw your mail. Shall reply. :)

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    Replies
    1. Aiyo! :D That "you are so tiny.. how will you have children?" was a comment that I actually received from a relative that managed to piss me off more than anything else. Thank you :)

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  2. True that. Well said. Keep writing!

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