INDIAN LEGENDS
Every culture has its mythical stories that are passed down through generations. But in our Indian traditions, we have haunting tales of certain types of people that we are constantly regaled with. Whether they are real or imagined, you surely have heard of these Indian legends:
Ram-ji’s son, who has achieved everything
Besides the fact that you might not even know who Ram-ji is, you have definitely been told about his most accomplished son. He learned to run before he could crawl; he finished school at age 12 with top marks, and he is a “doc-law-geer”–doctor, lawyer, and engineer all in one! There’s nothing this guy can’t do, and you hear about it all the time:
“Ram-ji’s son never talks back to his parents!”
“Ram-ji’s son promised his mother he would live with her forever, and you didn’t even remember to wish your mom on her birthday?”
“Ram-ji’s son is already curing incurable diseases in a new hospital he built himself, and you are telling me you can’t clean your room?”
Pooja Masi’s daughter, who never got married
You’re 22, excited about your new career path and finally living on your own terms, when your parents remind you that their clock is ticking and you should think about marriage soon. You reply: “I’m not ready.” Shrieks! Bangs! Explosions! Don’t you remember what happened to Pooja Masi’s daughter? She said the exact same thing, thinking she would have all the time in the world, and look at her now! Alone! All alone! What good has her job done her when she comes home to an empty house? She can’t even find suitable pet cat to keep her company! And so we hear the sad fate of Pooja Masi’s daughter to scare people everywhere into getting betrothed.
Sonia, who married a non-Indian and ruined her life
On the other hand, if you dare to dangle the prospect of marrying someone outside the Indian tribe, then you will meet “Sonia”. Oh, the shame she put her family through when she brought home Jack, which wasn’t even short for Jackminder. They were wed in a hush-hush ceremony with more sad tears than happy ones. Now, poor Sonia has to suffer in some cold, foreign country with no drivers, helpers, or extended family to make her life easier.
Akshay, who is super successful abroad
Unlike poor Sonia, remember the legend of Akshay? He bought a one-way plane ticket and built a life made of dreams overseas. He’s on all sorts of important committees, pictured with famous people, and doesn’t look like he misses home one bit. Unlike you, who just feels stuck in your routine, boring job, and mindless traffic. You may be tempted to leave when you’re reminded of how effortlessly Akshay conquered new lands and took on a brave new adventure all on his own. He may even be best friends with Ram-ji’s son.
Lakshmi, the perfect daughter-in-law
You may just be having a bad day or feeling hormonal when you hear a loud sigh: “What did I do in my past life to not get a daughter-in-law like Lakshmi?” Now, this isn’t so much a story that is announced loudly but rather one that is mentioned conveniently while you are in earshot. Lakshmi, the perfect daughter-in-law who always touches her elders’ feet, makes them scrumptious chai, whips up delicious meals, and never, ever shows any unfavourable moods. We may be told that “Lakshmi” is real, but we are pretty sure she lives in an imaginary land because that’s the only place where the perfect mother-in-law can exist, too, along with all these other Indian legends.