5 Things I Did Differently Before And After Marriage
shivani k 
Image: Shutterstock
Life changes after marriage, doesn’t it? Hands down, all the married folks out there would agree to this. Life takes a drastic turn. Mostly, it’s a positive change, but at times it takes a negative turn too. And most importantly, it’s the shift of pronouns, right? You wouldn’t understand this if you aren’t married yet. What I mean to say is that after marriage “I” becomes “we” and “me” becomes “us”. And this simple change in pronouns is capable of triggering a whole new batch of mixed up emotions.
I’m 26 now, and according to the norms of the Indian society that I live in, it’s the right time for me to get settled with another human in my life. I’ve pushed the “time to get married” topic among the family discussions for long enough, or let’s just say until I realized that I was ready for marriage (mentally prepared I mean). But, how exactly will my life change after tying the knot? This question has always bothered me.
I was fortunate enough that in my friend circle, two of my girlfriends were married. One was married for six months now (newly-wed girl you see) and another was married for a year and a half now. I decided to meet Priya (the newly-wed girl) over a cup of coffee and take some notes about this whole “life will change after marriage” concept. Three hours of conversation with Priya, and two tall cups of cappuccino later, this is what I found out about life after marriage:
1. Partying Takes A Sober Turn
Before
Priya is a party animal. A new pub in the town? She would be the first one to visit it and give us a review. And even her boyfriend (who is her now husband) was of the same nature. In fact, they first met at a party and hit it off from then on for 4 years until they decided to get married. And I couldn’t believe it when she said, “Of course, before marriage, it was all about the late nights that always ended up with breakfasts in the morning.
After
But now, after marriage, my husband and I enjoy the game nights and you wouldn’t believe if I told you that Netflix makes for most of our “party time” now. And even if I get any party invites, if they happen any time after 8 pm, we choose to give it a skip and cuddle together at home instead.”
2. It’s Sweatpants Every day
Before
“I used to shop just every weekend so that I could be this girl who is updated with the latest fashion trends. I always felt that there was a need to constantly impress him, or he might lose interest in me. Not that I doubted his love or anything.”
After
“But, after marriage, I’m more of myself now. I’m more of an effortless dresser now. A loose t-shirt and pajama keep both of us happy. And he loves my no-makeup face. He says my freckles and wrinkles are cute.”
This is what Priya told me and I couldn’t help but utter a long “aww”. How incredibly cute, isn’t it? I’m up for this change for sure.
3. We Can Talk With Our Eyes
Before
Priya’s in-laws are extremely social. Plus, they have at least one family get together every fortnight or so. Priya says, “When relatives come over, our personal space is gone for a toss. There was a time when he and I thought we couldn’t even understand each other’s words.
After
And now, after getting married, we’ve become experts at communicating without uttering a word. With relatives around, most of the times we do a lot of ‘eye-to-eye talking’. The level of understanding between us has grown over the time.”
At this point, I was just wondering if I could ever do ‘aankho se ishara’!
4. From One Family To Two
Before
Brought up in a nuclear family just like mine, Priya’s world too, revolved just around her parents. After marriage, she took time to adjust to the fact that now she equally belonged to two families.
After
“It’s a lot of added responsibility now after marriage. I thought mom and dad were my only ‘babies’ that I needed to support and love. Now, I have my in-laws too. I have a lot of babies are to take care of now,” she laughs.
5. #MySelfie Isn’t My Selfie Anymore
Before
When she complained about this as a change, I exploded laughing (quite literally). Priya is known as the selfie queen in our group of friends. She complained, “Bro, I miss my selfies”.
After
After marriage, I end up taking selfies with him. I feel like he completes every picture of mine. But, at the same time, after uploading the picture, I realize that there are hardly any solo pictures of mine”. After I was done with my laughing, I just replied, “No comments on that bro”. And in my head, I thought, “I’ll click selfies with my husband only after he has finished clicking good pictures of mine.” (I’m wicked like that)
So, for the better or worse, tying the knot even with your beau can definitely change your world in the sweetest and bizarre way. To make way for these changed and living a happy life together is what matters. How has your life changed after marriage? Answer in the comments below.
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