Meri yaar ki shaadi

Another close friend of mine tied the knot last weekend, a cross-cultural wedding, an alliance between the fast-talking Malyalees and the calm Konkanis. A few months earlier another childhood friend got married to his love too, in pure Bengali tradition. My sister stands ready to become a mother in a month or less. And I cannot help but feel a sense of happiness wash over me, as I am for all these people. I grew up with them, we've played together, we've fought with each other, we've spent time pondering over our futures together. And today that future is upon us.
Each one stands at an important juncture of their lives.
But with increasing incidence among my friends near and dear, each one has chosen a life partner of their own choice. More importantly, they have done so while having hand-held their families through their decisions. Their choice to spend their lives with an individual of their choice has not been at the risk of abandoning their families, nor did they decide to abandon their companions of choice when faced with pressure. They have persisted and been able to rise above cross-communal differences while pacifying resistance from within their families. It speaks volumes about their character, and my friends I am proud of you. I am proud of your families too, for they have trusted your decision which indirectly is a firm trust on the way they have brought up their children, a belief that their children would make the right decisions when they decide on their own. My own family is a witness to this phenomenon, from resistance to acceptance, my brother-in-law (who became so solely by my sister's volition), today has become a pillar of support in the family. A life without him is unimaginable.
Marriage is a defining moment in our lives, and is less of a gamble when we choose our life partners. But the Indian marriage being as much a marriage of families as a union of two individuals, couples that ensure the bonding between their families, steer the ship of marriage towards calmer waters.