She lay on the bed tossing and rolling unable to fall asleep. Her aunt's tear filled eyes kept flashing in her mind. She knew that her mother had also gone through the same during her marriage. She felt sorry for her cousin because she knew history was to repeat itself.
Marriages are made in heaven they say. May be thats true. Because in most parts of India, the true spirit of marriage is lost and forgotten. In both urban and rural India, the brides side is forced to shell out money in the name of marriages where as the grooms side do nothing but expect and expect and expect from the bride and her parents. In most of the marriages, may it be love or arranged, may they be educated or uneducated, this situation is unavoidable. The situation might not be as grave as stated in all cases but there is always this thing called expectation living deep down their heart.
She knew that this expectation turns the relationship between the families sour. This for sure affects the newly wed couple by stealing away the peace, trust and good will for each other. She flinched thinking of her newly wed days. How the mere thought of her marriage had become a taboo for her. It robbed her of her carefree days, her childish and innocent self. It broke her and mutated her into this more mature and practical being with a bitter heart. "Mutation. Yes. Thats what happens after marriage." She thought. Her husband was not spared from suffering either. He had fought his own battle. Battle of finding a balance between his family and his wife. But in due process he ended up losing his peace of mind and hope. Hope of a "Happily ever after" life.
She understood why the youth was now trending with live in relationships. Because they feared commitment. And it was a wise decision she thought. To love, it takes just two like minded people. But to marry, it needs 2 families, caste, money, social status. She could not help but feel sorry for her cousin who was to be married. She could not help but think of her aunt who was grieving at the prospect of marrying her daughter out of caste. It was again another marriage happening between 2 incompatible families. All she could do was pray to God to spare the young couple the heat of their elders which comes in the name of marriage. She turned to her son sleeping beside her. Patted him gently on his head and pledged not to put him through what his parents have undergone. She prayed to remain as sane as possible to not impose the mindset of the their generation onto the younger one.
Fingers crossed
Marriages are made in heaven they say. May be thats true. Because in most parts of India, the true spirit of marriage is lost and forgotten. In both urban and rural India, the brides side is forced to shell out money in the name of marriages where as the grooms side do nothing but expect and expect and expect from the bride and her parents. In most of the marriages, may it be love or arranged, may they be educated or uneducated, this situation is unavoidable. The situation might not be as grave as stated in all cases but there is always this thing called expectation living deep down their heart.
She knew that this expectation turns the relationship between the families sour. This for sure affects the newly wed couple by stealing away the peace, trust and good will for each other. She flinched thinking of her newly wed days. How the mere thought of her marriage had become a taboo for her. It robbed her of her carefree days, her childish and innocent self. It broke her and mutated her into this more mature and practical being with a bitter heart. "Mutation. Yes. Thats what happens after marriage." She thought. Her husband was not spared from suffering either. He had fought his own battle. Battle of finding a balance between his family and his wife. But in due process he ended up losing his peace of mind and hope. Hope of a "Happily ever after" life.
She understood why the youth was now trending with live in relationships. Because they feared commitment. And it was a wise decision she thought. To love, it takes just two like minded people. But to marry, it needs 2 families, caste, money, social status. She could not help but feel sorry for her cousin who was to be married. She could not help but think of her aunt who was grieving at the prospect of marrying her daughter out of caste. It was again another marriage happening between 2 incompatible families. All she could do was pray to God to spare the young couple the heat of their elders which comes in the name of marriage. She turned to her son sleeping beside her. Patted him gently on his head and pledged not to put him through what his parents have undergone. She prayed to remain as sane as possible to not impose the mindset of the their generation onto the younger one.
Fingers crossed
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