I am back in the capital after
attending yet another wedding. This one was in the village so it was an
occasion for all family members to re-group and indulge. Returning to my
ancestral home is always a pleasure. As I walked with my hands full towards the
modest green cottage, I felt a sense of gratitude. The next day I heard many
people discuss how they regret not having a village to go to during weekends or
holidays. We are indeed fortunate to have this haven awaiting our visit every
once in a while.
 |
| The younger brother with the bride and groom |
The groom is my nephew in
relation. His is an inter-community marriage therefore quite a few were left
disappointed with his decision but I think long term this might prove to be a
wise choice. I met some long lost cousins too and the most popular topic of
discussion was who would get hitched next. Naturally I figured somewhere at the
top of that list but I did a good job of avoiding the dreaded questions. Although
I admit I am getting a lil conscious of the fact that my time is nearing, my
thoughts wandered to the events that have been unfurling around me in the past
few weeks. A couple is struggling to find balance in their lives even though
both families are pretty happy with their match. Another has a more bizarre story.
The girl gave the nod for an arranged marriage and now that the dates have been
finalized, in walks her close friend who claims he just realized he loves her
and doesn’t want to let her go. This might sound selfish on his part but I can
understand both sentiments. Now she doesn’t want to go against her family and
he is desperately convincing her to do the same. A third couple, who I shall
slap when I see them next, happens to be my twenty year old niece who ran away
with her boyfriend during her month long break from her university in
Mangalore. I fail to understand how people can take such crucial decisions with
the blink of an eye, without having any clue of how they are going to sustain
themselves in the near future.
Some have it all yet they are
looking for open doors to escape the inevitable, others are struggling to cope
with choices that’ll affect their future and yet there are a few who rush
through the process not realizing that they’ve just kissed goodbye to one of
the best phases of their life. As I sit in the terrace and type this post under
the warm (almost) spring sun, I watch my brother-in-law lovingly cut the nails
of my heavily pregnant sister and I wonder if I will ever arrive at this stage
myself. There are many thoughts striking me at this particular point but I
shove them away to be dug again at a later date.
No comments:
Post a Comment