Nano Fiction 30 : Matchmaking

Despite Bollywood painting a very flowery picture of eternal love and marriages based on love, somehow I have lost faith in the Indian matrimonial system and Love too. In India, marriages don’t happen between two individuals (which actually should happen) – it happens between two families, like a royal political treaty. Which kind of screws it up.

Uninvited neighbours and guests gate-crash the wedding and gobble free food. Basically everybody has fun except the ones whose wedding it actually is.

The moment a girl learns how to walk, hawk-eyed relatives start targeting her as the prey. “Tumhare liye rishta aaya” is the death-knell on a woman’s desires. She is scrutinized like an object on sale and is needed to know how to cook, clean, walk on the tight rope, perform stunts etc (I know exaggeration!). Shooting fire from the mouth was the only stunt which wasn’t accepted as that was the exclusive talent-cum-right of the prospective mom-in-law. (Hahahaha)

Soon Sherlock-like matrimonial agents aka the aunties emerge as matchmakers where caste, family, and the girl’s “merits” are the prime concern.

I wonder whether if we can ever find Mr. Right or Ms. Right. And why this race to find the right? Why can't we accept people for who they are?! Why do we leave people for little faults of theirs? Why are we not a bit patient?  

Off late, I have turned anti-men and the concept of marriage puts me off, after I see what is currently going around. I wish India finds somehow a way for a woman to bear a child without a man. (winks)

With the changing dynamics of the “partner selection process", matrimonial sites are getting tough competition from the dating portals these days. Even still, we have such a high divorce rates, because too many options are available to get people replaced.

Does “Tumhare liye rishta aaya” scare you?!