The irony of Indian culture; a girl's whole background get a whitewash after she gets married !!!!!!! for good or for bad and the whole goddamn world accepts this fact.........really don't understand this.
This is an undeniable reality voiced by a woman who is happily married and independent. A woman, who by no means represents the parochial stereotype of the society. She takes care of her family and is taken care by them. But, this is the stark reality where she is expected to accept her husband’s family as her own and the presumed standard is the clean mutilation of her prenuptial ties. I remember, during one of the rituals in my marriage, the priest asked my husband to bless me with a new name that would give me a new identity and release me from my previous bondages.
This is the irony, where a girl is chosen on behalf of her disposition, education and the most important her ability to adapt. All these are attributes of her upbringing. Then how relevant is it to expect her to push the reason of her existence in the background? There is absolutely no need of this. Firstly, we should get rid of this ancient belief that this new home is her ‘real home.’ The new family should rather try to earn her than to impose the pre-meditated mindset of establishing itself as her ‘true family.'
The new family should be an extension of the existing family. It is the way we grow; we make friends in spite of having siblings and cousins. So, do we get married and add new people to our lives. This whole point of ‘real home’ and ‘real family’ is bizarre. We as humans have tremendous ability to forge relationships that have ‘names’ and those ‘without names.’ So, we can always accommodate new ones without replacing the old ones. My parents are the simple reason for the way I am and who I am and You chose me for who I am.
I don’t need to divide my love and attention between the two families as I can always engender more love and warmth that will suffice. So, no need to whitewash my background.