I have received a clip on WhatsApp a number of times of a stand up comedian telling a story about a difficult father of a bride to be and an old man. Unfortunately I am unable to find the clip to insert it here for my Hindi speaking readers but, will publish it if it comes my way again. Some flavour of the story will be lost in translation but, it is still worth sharing with my readers.
Just before a baraat is about to leave to the bride’s home for the wedding ceremonies to begin, a messenger from the bride’s father arrives with a request that if the marriage is to take place, no old men should accompany the baraat. Perhaps the father really does not want the wedding to go take place due to some reason or the other.
The groom is adamant that the baraat should leave without old men but, one old codger insists on accompanying it by offering to hide himself in one of the carts with baggage accompanying the baraat.
The old man is carefully hidden and the baraat reaches the venue when the bride’s father sets another condition to be fulfilled before the wedding can take place. And the condition is that the well in the village should be changed into one containing milk instead of water.
The groom’s party considering this to be ridiculous, decides to return.
Feeling the cart turn around and start back the hidden old man asks what the matter is. On being given the explanation, he tells the baraat that this is such a simple thing to respond to and sends word that the baraat is ready with the milk and that the bride’s family should empty the well.
Hearing the response, the bride’s father immediately responds that there must be an old man in the baraat and so the wedding stands cancelled anyway!
Hi Rummy,
LOL LOL indeed, nothing beats a senior’s sense of wisdom. Experience is everything in life. I liked this story, very good. Hindu weddings are so beautiful, so full of colour, that I am wondering: logic tells me that with so much colour, a marriage is set to be a blessing from the get go; but perhaps statistics contradict me (who knows)…what is the rate of divorce in India?
Cheers
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The official statistics say that the divorce rate in India is less than 1 %. I would imagine it to be much higher because many separations do not end up in official divorce due to various factors here. In general however, urban marriages seem to be showing signs of increasing divorce rate.
Rummy,
Still, less than 1% is very good when we think of 70% in the West, right? But like you said, the number may be higher since there are more separations than official divorces. Thank you for the clarification.
Max Coutinho recently posted..Analysis: The Plague of Locusts in Mecca and the Catholic Anti-Jew Plot
Hi Ramana,
I’ve been catching up on your last few posts and see that you have been ill. The last chest infection I had (maybe the only one I’ve ever had) left me tired for weeks so you have my full sympathy.
As for the wedding story, I have now become old enough that I often say to my children what my parents said to me “Do youthink I came down in the last shower?”
Ah, I have the advantage of being an Indian. Seniors are given all due respect here bar, in very rare cases. The youngsters in my life are all already parents themselves!
My children are very respectful but I sometimes catch them saying things that are a little foolish and when I correct themthey look amazed…that’s when I allude to my advanced age!!!
Hey Ramana, it’s been too long since I’ve visited your blog. I’m glad that I’ve landed on this particular post.
Old is gold, but I’m afraid that in today’s society more and more people are losing track of the importance of our elderly. That is indeed a sad state of affairs. I’m of Italian background, and while we love our elderly, I’m afraid it doesn’t go past that.
It’s great to know that you guys give them their due respect.
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As I write this, I am 75 going 76 and am one of the luckier people among my friends and family who stays with his offspring. The advantages are too many to list here but believe me that I consider that as being very fortunate indeed. I also enjoy being the Senior Citizen with all young people visiting and being very respectful and reverent!
I’m 60 and my kids, 30 and 28, love teasing me when I stuff up. But, it’s all good, I’m so moral I know how to take a joke. 🤣
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