It was a summer afternoon and I along with my mother was visiting her friend. Once we got in the house we saw her maid cleaning her house. My mother's friend introduced my mother to her maid 'Jayashree' who was unmarried and wanted to get married. My mother asked her about her age, cast and qualification. The 36 year old girl was quite interested and gave in the details.
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Once my mother was home she decided that the girl was fit for her other friends nephew 'Ganesha' who was around 43 year old. She dialled in to ask if Ganesha is still unmarried and her friend told her that the guy has slipped into depression after seeing all his friends having kids while his change on getting married seemed just a dream. Ganesha was educated but was into farming and girls in his caste wanted engineers working in metro cities.
My mom explained to Ganesha's aunt about this girl who belonged to scheduled caste (SC). The aunt was a little sceptical about the alliance, but promised that she would talk to the Ganesha's mother (her sister) about it and get back soon. It took her over a week to get back to my mother saying that they wanted to meet the girl. My mother arranged for the meeting and Ganesha and Jayashree liked each other.
My mother explained to both parties that she is not a middleman and was doing it as a friend and they need to do the background check themselves and clear their doubts. They finalised the things all by themselves and within weeks my mother was handed over the wedding invite.
Initial days after the wedding went cool. Jayashree would call in my mother once in a while thanking her for the alliance and suddenly she stopped doing so. My mother was bothered but thought that might be she got busy with work. Meanwhile the Jayashree got pregnant with her child and the couple was happy.
When jayashree was in her last trimester, mom received a call from Ganesha's aunt, my mother's friend, saying that there was a huge fight between the couple and they we're on the verge of splitting. My mom asked the reason for it and the aunt explained that the Ganesha got to know about Jayashree's caste. Well, wasn't he supposed to know it before? She said he didnt bother to ask it then but when his baby was growing in her tummy he was more bothered.
My mom was furious. She dialled to Ganesha asking what was wrong. He said that Jayashree had not told him about the job she was doing prior to her wedding with him and she also belonged to scheduled caste. My mom, otherwise a very chilled out person, couldn't get more angry. She lectured Ganesha about how Jayashree agreed to marry a 43 year old guy who was dealing with depression. She told him hadn't it been for Jayashree, he would never get married and never be a parent.
I fail to understand why do they make so much fuss about the caste. Here in India when a guy marries a girl, the girl is supposed to leave her parents surname and henceforth use her husband's. Doesn't it apply to caste too? Once she marries a Brahmin shouldn't she also be considered a Brahmin? Fortunately Ganesha understood his mistake and is living happily with Jayashree along with their son Aditya who is now around 1 year old.