I have been living away from home for 10 years, but getting married makes me feel I am leaving something behind

What is it with marriage that demands girls to give up years of familiarity? Photo Courtesy: YouTube/ SonyMusicIndia

There is no place like home. There truly isn't.

About 10 years ago when I left my home in hopes of pursing a good education and a fulfilling career, little did I realize what I was leaving behind. Back then, it was all a big adventure for me.

Seriously, at 18, living away from my family meant only one thing--freedom. The freedom to do whatever the hell I wanted to. To get up late, skip breakfast, binge on junk food, watch television all day, and come late at night. No questions asked!

And I did get to experience it all, except once the novelty of it subsided, I realized that with great freedom comes great responsibility and that gave me little time to pursue my childish fantasies.

With every passing day, I started missing home a little lesser. However, the nostalgia hit me hard when I tied the knot recently.

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For someone who has been living away from home for the past 10 years, I didn't expect longing of any sort. After all, I am used to living away from my family, not sleeping in my bed, and not used to seeing my parents every day.

But, when the day of my wedding arrived, I felt as though I was leaving a part of myself behind. And I blame the social conditioning, us girls, are subjected to.

"Ladki paraya dhan hoti hai," "Ladki ka asli ghar susral hai," "Yeh ab tumhara ghar nai". These are a few of the many comments I have heard people constantly making. Seriously, why?

What is it with marriage that demands girls to give up years of familiarity? Why does getting accepted by a new family automatically translate into giving up the biological one? The answer alone lies with the caretakers of the society.

All I know is that the nagging feeling of giving up something just doesn't go away. And more I think about it, the more nostalgic I get.

All these years, I hardly gave much thought to the posters on the walls of my room or the dinning table I used to have dinners with my family on. But now, those inane objects mean so much more to me. They represent memories and a time I can't go back to.

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