Wanted Bride or Groom

I was sitting at the dentist and it’s where all the interesting things happen.  I swear, from romance to sex, to who is dating who to the politics of this country and how we needed military rule to the latest, Modi’s underwear that costs 5 cr. Is he wearing La senza or Victoria Secret embedded with diamonds? Well, this is definitely Kejriwal’s imagination or an overactive one in Goa! However latest home were the subject that grips everyone in Punjab (not drugs, not even the Badal _ Amarinder feud) but the favorite subject, who is eligible for marriage for the coming winter season,

We, Punjabis love our marriages, the bigger, the better, louder, binger, ostentatious and over the top. In fact, planning for them is what we love best, starting from constructing something, even if it’s a small wall or a bathroom. However, what I found interesting and what really made me think as a mother who has sons, that I would be a loss for matches soon. A young twenty something girl dressed up smartly in her jeans and her smart off the shoulder with hair brushed all over was, with winged eyeliner, and a stack of bracelets, was talking to an identical twin of hers who sat close to her. She wanted a cut sardar, with landed property, she didn’t want in –laws, preferably he should be living in Chandigarh, drove a robust jeep or the latest SUV and would party a lot, plus she needed a maid for herself and also a hefty amount every month for maintenance.

I was taken a back. For the uninitiated, these girls want sardars, jatts who tie the turban but have shorn hair and are probably orphans (no in-laws, you see); miraculously they should have loads of property, fetching a high rental income but should be staying in Chandigarh. These girls want a high-income husband who doesn’t work, but has oodles of money, akin to robbing the bank. In fact, they would prefer they were orphans with no in-laws to deal with but somehow had inherited huge tracts of land. These girls are not being materialistic , it is the society we live in. And, then the chat started to what boys want .

They want, Sikh brides who are a perfect blend of the modern and the old . The modern girl who can blend into any lounge, club nursing a glass of wine, or vodka or what ever is the poison for the night. However, she should also be able to don the hat of cooking all desi meals, and being a superwoman at running the house, being an unpaid maid , being traditional and being well –versed .

It is sad what at what we have come to , the world is not decided by values, traditions, empathy or compassion but by the outer shell which is that  he should be driving an expensive car , should have cut hair he looks smart and sexy and handsome , be moneyed to afford a lavish life style , to support the glamor of designer wear and outer manifestation of the so called projected image of being with it .

It is sad that the next generation has become so shallow. They do not build relationships based on what the girl or boy is but more on what his net worth is!  A shallow world, where love is measured in the carat size of the engagement ring, and the designer spindly , horribly uncomfortable sandals that have no use what so ever except give the podiatrist hefty fees . I think the best business these days is not to make your child a doctor or an engineer or even the simple good old teacher but you should just make them designers, or a beautician or aesthetician , that is where the money lies.

I actually didn’t worry about the tooth anymore, the pressing matter for me was , that I live in the pind, have sons who are sardars, and we have a joint family and I wonder who want to marry ‘em.

Maybe , I need to put my picture on the wall with a garland! And that might swing the vote as we are Akalis too.

All naughts I am afraid , currently .