Marriage

If you are a young man or woman of marriageable age in India who still hasn’t settled down, then when you step out of your house at any point in time, night or day, you can be accosted and asked the following question.

'WHY aren't YOU getting married??!!!!' (This will be said in a voice which is part concern part nagging with stress given to all the words in Capitals.)

Now this question can be asked by ANYONE, and I mean ANYONE, from the neighborhood aunty, to the security guard in your office to some person you are meeting for the first time in your life! (Remember, we live in India, where it is not too personal to ask people you barely know any random thing, as long as you make it sound like it is of grave national importance!)

I’ve also found nowadays, that my bored expression seems to get through to most folks and hence they provide multiple choice answers to make the questioning process simpler!

So here go the answers:

a) Do you already have a girl friend/boyfriend? Just that you haven’t been able to convince his/her parents or yours about the idea of marriage? (In the beginning the person asking the question is always hopeful!)

b) Don’t tell me you are waiting for the right person to come along! Do you think u will find the perfect person??!!!! (The person asking the question will then stress, “A perfect person doesn't EXIST, you just have to compromise!” All the while looking in the direction of their spouse, as if to explain how they got stuck with such a loser in the first place!! It could be for support too, but I prefer my theory!) :-)

c) Do you NOT believe in marriage and never intend to marry??! (If u choose option "c", which I sometimes do for fun, I've found it back fires because then am forced to listen to long lectures about loneliness and the importance of marriage for the human race!!!)

d) Are you gay or lesbian? Hence you are unmarried because you are waiting for it to be completely legal in India to marry! (This option is never there when old folks ask the question but it would be funny to introduce the idea and watch the fun!)

I keep choosing different options every time to keep myself entertained! After all, everyone is entitled to some fun! And it’s always good to keep people guessing… ;-)