Lockdown wasn’t that easy and same for all. You might have heard of stories wherein people were practicing their forgotten hobbies and having a quality family time, while on other side there were people who were struggling to have a two-time meal. Moreover, the stress and anxiety that covid19 induced lockdown brought with itself broke all records of depression.
The TrueScoop team recently interacted with people especially girls who had some strange stories about lockdown to share. You believe or not, there were families who forced their children to get married in order to save some money without facing societal pressure.
In the month of March to May 2020, Tanisha Gupta (26) has paid as many as four visits to a mental health counselor. Reason: She has been feeling depressed due to the continuous pressure from her parents to get married amid the raging pandemic.
Tanisha, who lives in Model Town in Jalandhar, says Covid-19 has proven to be a blessing in disguise for middle class families as marriage expenses have reduced drastically owing to capped guest lists and other pandemic-precipitated restrictions.
She says she has done everything she can and given every possible excuse to change the mind of her parents, who have now started ‘emotionally blackmailing’ her by saying “they will be at peace only when they see her well settled”, or “their eyes long to see grandchildren before they die”.
“I work for a finance company here on a salary of Rs 35,000. I have my dreams that I wish to fulfil and want to grow professionally. Above all, I am not mentally prepared to get married,” she says, adding that she does understand that once the pandemic abates, weddings will again become outrageously grand exhibits due to the societal pressure, but that does not mean she shall ‘sacrifice’ her dreams.
Like Tanisha, many young girls and boys currently living at home have a similar ordeal to share. Most of them are from middle class families and say their parents have been pressuring them to get married in the pandemic era and tie the nuptial knot by organising a sober ceremony to save money.
Ritika (name changed), who failed to convinced her parents and got married last month, says: “My cousin’s wedding was scheduled in the month of May and was supposed to be a big-fat event but due to the Covid-induced lockdown, the marriage was solemnised at our residence in the presence of 10 to 12 relatives. My uncle was happy with the way ceremonies were held. He then convinced my father to find a match for me and get free of his ‘responsibilities’.”
Ritika’s father then contacted a marriage bureau and sought pictures of suitable matches. “Within three months, everything was planned and I married in September. Though I am still angry with my parents for rushing things, destiny had its own plans and I must say I have got a quite understanding partner,” she says.
Daleep Kaur, who runs a marriage bureau, says during the lockdown she had received a lot of queries for partners. “Covid-19 failed to dampen the spirit of those willing to get married,” she said.
Kavita Sharma, a psychiatric, said that during lockdown children had already struggled with job and career-related issues and the pressure to get married must have added to their woes. Although I haven’t come across any such case personally, I must say that Parents should always show some understanding and support their kids no matter what. Besides, decisions like marriage, having kids should always be left upon the children to decide, she added.