Marriage..

The next thing I do not like beside the fact that I am 23 year old girl now, is the fact that I am a 23 year old ‘Indian’ girl. At my age, we are always asked to present ourselves in the nicest possible ways. Prepare a song so then you can sing when the occasion arises. Prepare a dance so then you can do it when in a family function. Don’t wear this, don’t wear that. Sit like this, sit like that. After the meal is over, rush out to pick up everyone’s plate even if you are not done eating. Why is that dress cut-sleeves? Why is that skirt over your knees? Why do you wear shorts to the beach? Why do you have so many guy friends? Who just called?

I mean etiquettes are one thing, but suffocating the air out of your lungs for taking a deep breath is another! I am not saying that I resist this idea of protecting women. But then why are we faced with so many restrictions and so many questions? I mean, why?

Well, It shouldn’t be a surprise, someone’s grandma liked the fact that I was dressed in a sari in one of the functions. The fact that I was doing my MS in SE and my height were definitely constituted as plus points. Not to mentions the ‘sight in sari’ I presented.

She approached my family and the talks continued. After my entire family was interviewed and I was not even consulted (which just don’t make sense…) the lady of the other house(my supposedly future-mother-in-law) announced the most amazing idea: The ‘bahu’ should become house-wife after the wedding. So, basically my quarter-century-led-life worth of education held no meaning to this profound family!

*Gets up and applaud*

I am interested in modeling, traveling the world, learning about new religion, and many things I dun even wanna mention here, but when I talk about them to anyone here...I get the same reply ‘ do it after you get married’ . I mean, why is it that everything begins and ends at marriage? Why that husband’s concent on everything is required? Be it from the length of clothes you wear to the places you visit? Why is that I am beginning to feel like either I should get married to the first guy my family would bring to me or my permanent elopement? My ‘janamkundali’ has been the talks of evening discussions of almost everyone in the family now…The auspicious periods of time have been calculated when I have a ‘shaadi ka yog’for the next three years..(trust me, I have plenty…by the various ‘jyotshis’). The ‘pandits’ are also picking up chits of paper scribbled ‘love marriage’ or ‘arrange marriage’.

I think, I just can’t wait for my wedding day!