When marriage changed everything : a sister's perspective

Marriage is a huge gamble in India, especially arrange marriages. 

As the saying goes, "Marriages are made in heaven" well, my brother's was made on a "marital site".  

I write this article six months after my brother got married. 

He found his "love" on a marital website. Still astonishes me, but I am happy if he is happy! (Cliche no. 1)

The entire world except for India remains curious on how arrange marriages work. How do we marry and start living with our spouse without knowing them. Probably that is the beauty of an arrange marriage, you fall in love later. 

But what a gamble !

It is also true that, In India not two people but two families get married. (Cliche no. 2)

Here we were, six months before we welcomed the daughter-in-law of the house. And so began the adjustments in the house. 

Change no. 1: In a family of four, where we were habituated to take 4 plates                                          at the dinner table, or our car was used to accommodating four members                             now it had to get used to 5. A family of four became a family of five.   

According to Hara Estroff Marano in the magazine "Psychology Today", siblings are generally present before the formation of friendships and beyond lives of parents. Like each brother-sister, our relationship was the same. 

But soon this relationship started changing over a period of time, I started missing my brother.  Even though we all live together, I miss spending time with him as a sister.  

Change no. 2: My father, my brother and I are big fanatics of football and tennis.
                       We three are used  to pulling up all nighters to watch matches.
                        But soon this changed as my sister-in-law arrived.
                          We were used to cheering and celebrating our team's victory at night,
                    now it is either my father and I or just myself at night watching the match.
                     I miss our hi-5s. I miss having sports conversations with him.

Change no. 3: It was also slightly difficult to accept the fact that he has his own new                                 family apart from us when he went on a vacation with his in-laws this year.                    We have been going on for vacation together for the past 25 years and suddenly                    one day he flies away with someone else. Slightly weird !

Again let me tell you I am not unhappy but it is just another aspect of brother- sister relationship that I am discovering along with him.  I don't think my brother has realized the change yet.

I don't blame him or anyone. The couple has to be together too. Newly-weds after-all.

I wish my brother and his wife a very happy and successful married life !