The Shadi Craze

I was born in an society where a predefined pattern of life events have to be followed in accordance with the timeline provided. Unfortunately, I wasn't brought up to take care of these insecurities of the society. I was admitted to a school when I was 2 and a half years old. I opted to matriculations instead of o levels, when my friends were planning to join a medical college I was telling my career counsellor I would rather be a patient instead of a doctor. Then while all my university class-fellows were getting married I was plotting the arrest of abductors. I have never really paid attention to what most of my social circle is doing. 

At 27, I have been through enough to say that my experience with people and life surpasses the experience of a 45 year old. Not that it made me any wiser but it definitely has taught me how to react. The people I called friends are the ones talking about how I'm throwing my life away. Their definition of 'life' is being married, with children, a mother in law to bitch about and a sister in law to hate on. My definition of life is freedom. These 'friends' are incapable of thinking about anything that is outside the defined societal patterns of living. I would go ahead and say these are drawn for both genders, however, men have wider time-spans to play with unlike women. Shadi is the only social responsibility our nation seems to be aware of. The morning shows, the news bulletins, fashion shows, music industry, movies, television entertainment shows and drama serials, drawing-room talks, family gatherings, eid, shabraats EVERYTHING you name is based on the concept of Shadi. 

With our obsession with weddings we have forgotten the prime utility of the phenomenon. Every-time the phone rings, life drains out of me. I hate how my relatives are so concerned about why I am not married as yet. I hate to explain it to my parents why I don't like anyone they try to fix me with. I hate the craze all of us have fallen into. My shadi is my problem, looks like everyone else is concerned sick except me. The right to my life is mine. Only if the society respected that.