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Wedding - Yes, Marriage - Ummm....

Warning - This piece needs to be taken with a pinch of salt!

Wedding season is here again in India!

Large, lavish, in-your-face glossy weddings that wipe out a large chunk of a family's savings. Usually a four-day affair, weddings or "shaadis" in India have no less paraphernalia than shooting a small film or organizing a rock concert. 

Mehendi, Sangeet, Bachelor parties, Haldi ceremony, pre-nuptials to post-nuptial events, Indian weddings these days follow the Punjabi template popularized by Bollywood. With a lot of song, dance, glitter and DJ music, and sulking and bitchy relatives to boot.

There have been recent additions to the razzmatazz. Now a professionally shot pre-wedding session of the couple has become something of a must. One can't really expect an Insta-crazy generation to let go of this golden opportunity to pose in various outfits against stunning back-drops. Its a legit opportunity to flex, after all. This takes care of the social media views, and the oohs and aahs in the comment box for a couple of days. "Looks" are curated, and the bride and bridegroom to-be pose - styled as maybe a zamindar couple, film stars, or a bohemian pair. All kinds of props - from rickshaws to old buildings, to antique furniture are brought out for authenticity. Location shoots include visits to the seaside or a hill station or a heritage property.


Post wedding, the couple drive into the sunset, and there is a honeymoon in Thailand or Mauritius or Switzerland, depending on the budget. More dazzling pictures in all kinds of outfits and lovey-dovey poses follow. "Ideal couple", "Made-for-Each-Other", "Cute Pair" hashtags trend on the couple's timelines.

Now, after all this elaborate show-sha is over, the actual task of living together starts. And boom! Reality strikes like a bolt. Married life isn't a week-long celebration; you have signed up for actually existing as a family. 

You have to deal with poking in-laws. Body odour, snoring, AC settings, food preferences, differing sleep habits, hygiene are other issues. Then comes the sticky subjects of mutual respect, sharing of house chores, empathy, space, freedom, tolerance of differences etc. etc.

The newly minted couple soon realizes - Party Over! Maybe they have taken the decision in a haste. Maybe it wasn't a right decision at all? Who's this person they have signed up to live with?
Its their cross to bear now. And they must make it work, or the whole "expenditure" has been in vain.

Welcome to the world of shaadi -yes, marriage -not really! Everyone likes the party, no one likes to clean up afterwards. The couple has to do the dirty work....

Fake shaadi celebrations may well be the answer for a while, till people get tired of the trend!


#Shaadi #WeddingCelebrations #WeddingCeremony #LivingasaCouple #MarriedLife

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