India will spend ₹50 lakh on a wedding nobody will remember in 5 years. And ₹0 on the two bodies that have to survive the next 50.
We fund the event. We don't fund the life after it.
Here's what an average upper-middle-class Indian wedding looks like.
- Venue: ₹5-10 lakh
- Catering: ₹8-12 lakh
- Jewellery: ₹5-10 lakh
- Lehenga and sherwani: ₹2-5 lakh
- Photography, decor, DJ, gifts: ₹15-20 lakh
Total: ₹35-60 lakh. For 2-3 days.
Here's the health budget in year 1 of marriage.
- Gym: ₹0. "Abhi settle ho jaayein pehle."
- Bloodwork: ₹0. "Koi zaroorat nahi."
- Nutrition: ₹0. "Ghar ka khaana kha lenge."
- Insurance beyond employer: ₹0. "Company ka hai na."
A family that spent ₹50 lakh proving to 500 guests that their kids are doing well won't spend ₹5,000 proving to themselves that their kids are actually healthy.
1. Year 1. Both gain 5-7 kgs.
New house. Eating out more. Moving less. "Shaadi ke baad thoda weight toh badhta hai."
2. Year 2. First warning ignored.
His sugar borderline on a corporate checkup. "Thoda control karna hai." Nobody does. She's exhausted. Nobody tests her.
3. Year 3-5. Baby arrives. Health abandoned.
Sleep gone. Both gain another 5-8 kgs. Both stop moving. "Bacha bada ho jaaye, phir dekhenge."
4. Year 10. He's on BP medication. She has thyroid.
Both 15 kgs heavier than their wedding photos. The lehenga and sherwani sit in a cupboard as the most expensive reminder of what their bodies used to look like.
₹50 lakh created a 3-day event. ₹50,000 a year could have created two healthy bodies for 50 years.
The smallest country in terms of population which qualified for the world cup is Curaçao
It has a population of 1.58 Lakh
Their total population is less than the number of people who pass thru Dadar Station between 6 to 8 PM
And they are playing the World Cup
So I need to work 40 hours per week just to get two extra days to live life. And in those extra two days, I have to skill up because AI could make me unemployed any day.
Uber Driver in Dubai:
“Sir, are you carrying your passports and phones? Which airline are you flying with ?” ❤️
Uber Driver in India:
“Where do you want to go? Paid online? Cancel it. Cash? Maybe. Also, can you pay more? I won’t get a ride from your drop location.” 😖