The other day, i happened to listen to a conversation in my house. One of my relatives (the kind who has an opinion on everything and think he is always right) had come home and the topic was the terms of marriage of a girl in my family who was getting married. The guy's family was being appreciated for demanding no cash but the irony was that he had asked for a 6 sovereign chain. And the girl's family was proudly bragging about the jewelery they had offered. I guess you can't blame the guys alone anymore. Doesn't this seem too absurd especially when the guy and the girl are educated and working in a metropolitan?! When so many things are changing, why is the way marriages are held aren't?!

I have always wondered why the girls agree to big weddings, that usually eat up the father's life savings. I guess, wanting a reasonably good wedding is ok, as long as the person who wants it is willing to take up the expenditure.It's not right imposing it on the people at home when we spend so much otherwise. People love the western ways and are adopting their lifestyle in so many aspects. But then, when it comes to marriage, why is it that nobody wants to put their foot down and minimize the expenditure. Is it necessary to spend so much for a day and that too, on people who come there to comment about things and usually find faults with the way things are done?!

I suppose all of us think about all this but just don't come out and do anything about it. I don't think it's that hard to at least, do it in your case for a start. If it was only about the blessings and announcement, that can be done on such a simpler scale. If it has to be grand i think the people who are getting married should bear the expenses or at least both the families should share the expense. After talking so much about women's rights and empowerment, i don't understand why every girl agrees to this crap and never tries to convince the people at home otherwise. And if the girl is not so sensible, at least the guy can offer to share the expenses. Even that rarely happens. We fight for freedom and expression in so many things at home and outside. So why aren't we doing anything about this.... Are we just taking the easy way out?!