The Limitless Idiocy....

Hitherto, the waves carrying the sound "wedding" , which when used to vibrate my tympanic membrane would render me fully exuberant. The merriment in me would overstep all bounds as I would be equipped with total liberty to devour the choicest of foods and drinks to my heart's content. That delight and joy probably bear ample testimony to the immeasurable innocence I used to house during my salad days.But as the childish glutton in me began to die down and as my ability to comprehend the world began to garner power, that childish emotion I was talking about, sadly, is no longer in its cheerful existence.

With so many cousins and friends of mine, having attained marriageable age , I witness marriages being solemnized almost every week. One day , I happened to attempt a closer and careful observation of how exactly a match is okayed. To my sheer horror, I found that the the way a marriage is settled is fraught with supreme idiocy. Appalled to the highest degree, I realized that the people who are getting bound by wedlock are absolute strangers to each other !!! Then I could sense my brain fountaining a deluge of questions. When we are so particular of choosing our 'friends' whose mindset and wavelength matches with that of ours, who apparently belong to our age group , who mostly belong to the same gender as we and who stay with us only from morning to evening on any typical working day in college, how particular and careful should we be while finding a soul mate ???? In any class of students , its quite an open secret that there do exist cold vibes among students often leading to dirty skirmishes in the campus. A girl not being able to stand her own benchmate or a guy not being able to get along with his group is all so ubiquitous.

When a person cannot mingle with his own classmates, whom he knows for quite some time , whom he keeps meeting everyday and who are as old as he , then how risky and hazardous is uniting two strangers who do not know each others' tastes and preferences , views and opinions and each others' behaviour. I mean , just look at how a guy or girl zeroes in on his/her soulmate : 'A mere glance at a photograph and probably a visit to the would-be in-laws' place'. Doesn't it bear close resemblance to selecting a T Shirt from a shop ?? Are we actually choosing a person or picking up an apparel??

When I went around questioning the stupidity of these traditions, the elderly people had to say that when wards get married to a person of their parental choice , its a matter of great pride to them , as their children have awarded importance and immense respect to parental opinion. Another intricacy embedded is the concept of endogamy(marrying people from within the caste). Even today , marrying a girl/guy from another caste is considered to be a sin and would invite banishment from certain communities. It is opined that the task of understanding the traditions and customs for the incoming girl/guy wouldn't be an issue . God Help Me !!!! To hell with castes and creeds. The prerequisite for a marriage to happen , is that the views and opinions of both the groom and bride match , irrespective of the caste or religion they belong to. The most important tradition or custom to be followed is the entity called 'happiness'. All our life, we are taught the concepts of individuality and unfortunately individuality during marriage is puked at.

To those elders who say " Though we didn't know much of each other then, are we not happy today ??" , I'd like to ask them " Do you have an option ??" The mindless society of ours has made this divine institution more of a compromise. If giving importance to parental choice is an issue , then I would ask all such parents to go and gingerly select friends for their wards too. How long will we be forced to select our companions in excruciating parent-chaperoned tea sessions ??? How and why can parents conclude that such and such a girl is the best choice for their son , completely dismissing off his choice . When will wisdom dawn on our society ?? Had there been no barriers of caste and religion , no torturous parental glare, imagine how many people would have been happy with the companions of their choice ?? Let us not make 'marriage' a matter of selfish parental pride and ego. Let us respect the likes and preferences of individuals giving them complete freedom of choice , dumping this very atrocious concept of endogamy and forced parental opinion into total oblivion.