A round of applause

I started disliking Virat Kohli a few seconds into the advertisement while at the cinema.

I recall the days when my parents were searching for a groom for me. The tricky way in which one of the prospect’s mother demanded dowry still amuses me. She wanted to know whether my parents could afford a diamond necklace for me, by mentioning that she had one ready for her daughter, who was a student then.

Our parents spend a lot to bring us up. They provide us education. These days most parents do not discriminate between their sons and daughters. In fact, most daughters are pampered as they would move away from their parents after marriage.

Parents’ constraints

Parents’ expenses do not stop after they get children married. They need to be ready to spend more for their children. Most parents are near the retirement age a few years after their children get married and are left without a regular source of income.

Even if they receive a pension, the amount received would be meagre compared to the living expenses they need to incur.

Health care and medical expenses deserve a special mention. In case the parents had not thought about old age and planned for it, the children must be able support them monetarily.

A good percentage of employed women quit their jobs after a child arrives. This is justified and unquestionable. In such situations, the extent to which daughters can help their parents financially is not relevant.

I was taken aback when I watched a Talk Show for a few minutes on a major TV channel where girls started demanding dowry from their mothers. One of them was not ready to wear a saree a second time. Another started demanding her share of the property.

Our parents’ primary responsibility is to provide us with skills and make us ready to face this world. Once we women can take up employment, it is our responsibility to earn, save and support our parents in their endeavours for our well-being. We should not think of cornering all their hard-earned money to enjoy our life without toil. Children should be financially independent.

I was the first one to clap when Virat said the marriage expenses would be shared by the families of both bride and groom.

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