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The parading of the bride is a quintessential Indian custom where she is 'approved' or 'rejected' by the groom's side. But can the groom's side always be at fault?
The parading of the bride is a quintessential Indian custom where she is ‘approved’ or ‘rejected’ by the groom’s side. But can the groom’s side always be at fault?
I had no such funny interviews, no bride seeing ceremony because I married the person of my choice.
However I have heard about plenty of these hilarious, bordering on obscene interviews from my friends.
In our times the ‘trending’ grooms were MBAs and CAs with jobs in MNCs. Their balding pate and beer bellies were a symbol of their success.
The interview scene was set, it was always the groom’s family that was more excited than the groom himself. He didn’t speak, he treated himself like God’s gift to mankind. The future mothers in law would start their monologue about their sons’ pay packet, busy schedule and eating habits. The fathers in law nodding in approval.
There was an incident at one such groom advertising ceremony where the mommy said, “My son wears shirts worth ₹1500.” My friend’s parents half confused, half expectant; smiled like fools. They also wanted an MBA/CA for their daughter, even though he was unhealthy/unfit. They were itching to flaunt their prize catch amongst their family members and neighbours.
I wonder, why did they forget that they too had educated their daughters and no one was doing them a favour by marrying their child?
The beginning of the 21st century was marked by the ilk of indecisive girls- dangling between being liberated and following the established societal norms.
They wanted to rebel but they succumbed to societal pressure; overlooked the pot belly and married the lucrative pay packet.
Let me also tell you that barring a few, most of the women willingly underwent the humiliation of being sized up by their physical attributes and not their education and qualities. I was aghast by the pettiness of my creed when I saw that they treated their husbands like trophies. They flaunted them and never gave up an opportunity to belittle their spinster cousins and friends.
So why blame the men and the interview board alone?!
Published here earlier.
Image source: By Yanajin33 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons, for representational purposes only.
Born a brought up in Delhi, a PG in English literature and a B.Ed degree I set out to conquer the world. Married to an army officer, had to move several places. Taught in read more...
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Being a writer, Nivedita Louis recognises the struggles of a first-time woman writer and helps many articulate their voice with development, content edits as a publisher.
“I usually write during night”, says author Nivedita Louis during our conversation. Chuckling she continues,” It’s easier then to focus solely on writing. Nivedita Louis is a writer, with varied interests and one of the founders of Her Stories, a feminist publishing house, based in Chennai.
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Nivedita was born and raised in a small town in Tamil Nadu. It was for schooling that she first arrived in Chennai. Then known as Madras, she recalls being awed by the city. Her love-story with the city, its people and thus began which continues till date. She credits her perseverance and passion to make a difference to her days as a vocational student among the elite sections of Madras.
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