It is the same like in every other middle class family,
where the parents worked – hard – in order to make both the ends meet, to pay
for everything from the monthly bills, to education of the kids, to save for
the future to give both themselves, and their kids a better-than-today
tomorrow.
And in addition to all these essentials, like any other
typical middle class family, they also had to maintain the status of an upper
middle class life and show that living-beyond-their means is actually within
their means. Thus, taking upon themselves the additional responsibility of
upgrading themselves from a two-wheeler to a car, upgrading themselves from
their old color TV to the latest LED in the market (wide enough to the cover
the entire wall of the living room), washing machine that even dried to reduce
the burden on the wife, refrigerator to accommodate as many people as in a
marriage party, an air-conditioner to keep the flaring tempers down, sofa set
that cost more than the entire household furniture put-together, and more
importantly, by-passing all the interests and talents – natural born and
developed ones’ (which they nourished in the first place) – of their children,
and force-enrolling them into medical colleges or engineering colleges in order
to brag before their colleagues’. The expenses of which has to come from bank
loans (and that getting an education loan is viewed at par with getting a
scholarship is a different story altogether).
As if these were not all, they also have to fulfill their
long term goal - to get themselves a home of their own - despite the fact that
there is a home awaiting each of the spouse, by means of inheritance, which off
course neither ones will be interested in (as it lies in some far-off rural
area, away from their place of work).
My parents belonged there. And I - a brand new parent,
myself - am on my way. Despite being a rebel all my life trying to prove my
parents wrong.
