It was after two years that I planned a trip to Pune for a
month. I visited home for almost a month beginning from the New Year’s. I was
super excited to see family after such a long time. The feeling was mutual.
Mom, dad, grandparents, cousins everyone had planned variety of things for welcoming
me.
One thing that slipped out of my mind which family never
forgets, that I was returning at an age of 27!! Well for an Indian guy.. this
is THE age. You know what I am getting into. You just have to look at your
facebook wall and every other day one of your pals leaves the bachelor cult and
puts a ring into someone’s finger! You can pretend to overlook this but your
family won’t. Esp now, when even your parents are on facebook, you do not have
any excuse.
So from the very first day people started indirectly asking
me about my plans, about the girl. I tried to dodge the questions but couldn’t hold
the fort for too long. It was the moment when my maternal uncle/ aunt asked me
point blank.. “Dude.. it’s the age.. when are you getting married”. I had no
answer! Grandparents added to the fire.. “We are ok with anyone, need not be Marathi,
or Indian for that matter (haaw… ajobanche vichar pudharlele ahet). Just tell
me if you have anyone in mind, or should we start searching for a match”. Then
mom gave a bummer that her friends had already given patrikas of a couple girls
for a potential match. Oh my God.. this means even the people from my housing
society know that I am of THAT age. (Yeah.. In india.. if you don’t take any
steps at the right age.. your family and even the society will put all their
efforts in the ‘right’ direction. Jab
saari kayanat use milane mein jud jaati hai.. that’s what we call as “arranged
marriage”).
I don’t know how to answer these questions? You talk about
not dating anyone, they will pull their contacts to find a match. You talk
about career, they will tell you how your dad managed it after marriage when he
was of your age. You talk about “not being mentally ready for this next step”,
they will tell how everything falls in place after marriage. So basically..
they have all the strength to put the ball back into your court until you
concede.
It was a fun experience. I am still not engaged or married
and I am back to the US. So.. I can now postpone all such talk until next year.
But probably I should do my homework before facing my family again! :)
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(image from google)
