Because You’re a Girl

Vaidika was more excited than usual; she was visiting her aunt’s place with her mother for the first time in five years. She had just returned to India after obtaining a PhD. in probability and stochastic processes from the University of Sydney. She loved her aunt a lot and couldn't wait to meet her and share everything about her experiences with her.

Once they reached her aunt’s place, Vaidika and her aunt immediately launched into a seemingly never-ending conversation about her time spent in Sydney. It was only when her uncle reprimanded her aunt for not having offered the guests anything while himself idling in a lounge chair that they paused.

Just as her cousin was about to follow his mother into the kitchen, Vaidika’s mother asked the boy to not take the trouble of doing so because it wasn’t his “job” and prompted Vaidika to go and see if her aunt needed any assistance. Vaidika noticed this but didn’t say anything at the time. She quietly got up from her place and followed her aunt into the kitchen. After a while, she and her aunt returned with trays full of refreshments. Out of habit, they first served her uncle and her cousin and then the women. Finally, the two sat down and resumed their conversation from earlier.

Vaidika had just begun sharing her plans for her career when her uncle suddenly chimed in––

“All of that is okay, beta. When do you plan on settling down?”

“What do you mean by that, uncle?”

“You’re almost 26, beta. When do you plan on getting married? Girls should get married at the right age and free their parents from tension. The more you delay it, the more difficult it becomes. Moreover, you cannot live in your parents’ home forever, can you? One day you must go to your own home and start a family.”

Before Vaidika could respond, her mother grabbed the opportunity and began––

“Thank you for bringing this up, jijaji. I’ve asked her countless times to get married before it gets too late. Finding a good match would become difficult later on. But this girl? Intransigent, just like her father. She doesn’t listen to me at all. What if all the good men are taken by the time she decides to get married? I’m so worried about her future.”

“Why don’t you ask Kartik to get married as well? He’s also 26. Why is my staying unmarried an issue of great worry but not his?”, retorted Vaidika.

“Don’t try to change the course of discussion and listen to what your elders have to say. They don’t say anything just for the sake of saying it; they know what is best for you”, asserted her mother, thus having the last word in the discussion. 

Nobody said another word once the discussion was over and focused on their respective dishes. After everybody had had their fill, Vaidika’s mother again prompted her to assist her aunt in clearing the table and took the empty dishes back to the kitchen while her uncle and cousin sat in their places, idling away on their respective phones.