For last two months or so, my life has been quite interesting, as all my non-wandering friends are tying the knots and I am wandering about to make preparations and plan surprises for them.
In these 2 months, I realized how complicated of an affair is this wedding business. I am quite astonished at the amount of time and money required to be invested even in the most nominal wedding.. And what is the end result? I wonder many a times, and I have come to embrace it that my thoughts over this topic are more or less stuck in a vicious cycle, at first everyone is worried about getting the right partner, once they do or believe that they have, they move towards the next step, marriage, sometimes it takes to overcome a few hurdles, and for some it is pretty easy parents agree, proposal is sent, marriage, yes and tada date fixed. Don't forget but all of this requires many kilograms of sweets, a number of dresses and of course the most important element, gossips.... And among all the elements the most interesting, irritating, truly annoying is of course GOSSIP. So, lets take a look at the topics of gossip involved in a wedding.
- MUST BE A LOVE MARRIAGE: Yes, no matter how the bride and groom met or didn't even ever meet, they are almost always ACCUSED of tying the knot due to love (which is incomprehensible to me why is it so important to these xyz people) but the best part is played by the poor parents who go around convincing people as if they are criminals of sort that their children their children couldn't ever dare to commit the crime of looking at the opposite gender let alone falling in love! Na na na... such a hideous crime can never be committed.
- BRIDE IS DEFECTED: SO, what's next; of-course, have to discuss the bride, if she is not fair then definitely she is not beautiful, if do not have a pencil perfect figure, toooo fat, if has done Bachelors in Arts not educated, if is a professional must be cunning and the list goes on and on. What I don't get is, who the hell is anyone to comment on anything or give such nonsense opinions. Why is it so difficult to be happy in someone else's happiness. If cannot be happy, at least can pretend to be.
- ACCUSATIONS: Of many other series of accusations, one that is a complete must is accusing the bride for trapping the groom. Don't mix it up with the love marriage accusation, it is a different one; normally no matter whatever the social profile of the groom be, he is considered to be the most innocent man ever born and it is always the bride who somehow traps the groom and lure him into tying a knot with her. And unfortunately, this sort of mentality prevails in the people throughout Pakistan and is not just limited to major cities.
- WEDDING PREPARATIONS: Another topic of discussion is usually related to the dresses of bride and groom and how huge the wedding was. No matter how much one spends, or not (which is also a personal matter), it is always discussed. If one spends alot, they are usually labelled as the extravagant people and are discussed behind their backs in the following manner;
- Weddings shouldn't be so expensive, there is already so much poverty in our country and they spent on a lavish wedding for no reason.
- WOW! such a huge and awesome wedding, I want similar wedding for my son, tell the girl's side to start making preparations.
- Yeah! the wedding was really nice and colorful with so many dishes but not of really good quality, my wedding so simpler and only two dishes of food but were so tasty that one could eat off his fingers.
- ASTAGHFIRULLAH!!! JEHANNUMMI (I seek forgiveness!!!! you are going to hell!!)
- Did you see how the mother dressed up as if it was her own wedding. MY GOD, Buddhi ghori Laal Lagam (An aged woman behaving like a young girl)
- Money could be sensed everywhere!
There are many other points that can be added but I don't want to be any more cynical. All this is definitely not applicable to the whole society but some bit of it is experienced in almost every wedding but then maybe such happens all around the world and criticizing Pakistan wouldn't be right either!
This blog is not intended to offend anyone and it is just a point of view, my point of view. It can both be right and wrong and at the same time none and can just exist on its own! I really enjoy weddings especially Pakistani weddings, I love the colors and henna and girls giggling etc but attending too many in a row can be quite burdensome to my pocket and hence I end up saying.. WEDDING!!?? REALLY??!!! DAMN!
