Marrying into a rich family sounds like a dream, no? Especially if you’ve hustled for years and managed to save ek mahine ki entry level salary. Money solves all problems, doesn’t it? But only when it’s your own money. Kisi aur ka paisa, even if it’s your husband’s, is always kisi aur ka. And marrying into a wealthy family comes with its own problems. That charmed life can easily turn into a golden cage if you marry only for money, power and influence, not compatibility. Like this sad bachcha of mine. She married a rich man from an influential family only to discover all that money was hiding years of secrets.

 

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Apart from discovering sordid secrets, here are the signs that will tell you that your jannat is about to become jail.

“Hamare ghar ki bahu betiyan baahar kaam nahi karti”

No waking up early, no painful commute to office, no boss getting on your nerves, and no impossible deadlines to meet. Sounds amazing, na? It’s not! Joining the family business might be great for some people, but if you have never worked in that particular industry, what will you do there? Or are they waiting for you to get bored of “working” in their office and sit at home like a picture perfect bahu? Will you really be happy doing nothing at all? Won’t you miss having your own money, no matter how little, and doing whatever the hell you want with it instead of being answerable to your husband or your in-laws for it? Won’t you miss the freedom of leaving the house and going to work even if it means handling a toxic boss every day? Who will you talk to all day?

“Our home is your home. How can our waaris live in a separate house?”

Marriage means making a life with your partner, not sharing a room with them in their parents’ house. The house could be huge, a kothi, a mahal, a qila! But is it yours? No. You can’t do up the place the way you want because mummy ji ne apne taste se sajaaya hai ya phir didi ji ko bura lagega if you change her décor. The wealthier the family, the more they want their heir apparent to be right next to them forever. And if you do suggest moving out with him, you’ll be taunted not with the regular “chudail bahu mere bete ko le gayi” stuff, but with the more hurtful stuff like “How will she know how it works in our world? Look at where she comes from.” Just like that, your opinion will be dismissed without ever being considered.

More money=more control

Do you really want to live with people who try to control your every move? People who think they have authority over how you dress, how you speak, how you sit, how you stand, who you meet, and everything else. Well, if you’re marrying into a rich family, you have to be prepared to handle some of this nonsense. Because everything their bahu does affects their social standing. And social standing above all else in elite circles, bachche. All the glitz and glam will look super attractive in the beginning, but when you want to go to the mall in shorts, and your MIL stands at the door like the guardian of her galaxy, you’ll really miss your normal, middle class life.

Your luxuries are their everyday

Chalo, let’s say sab badhiya hai. Your rich in-laws are loving and nice people and treat you like a person instead of a charity project. But let’s face it, being surrounded by luxury can get a bit claustrophobic. Imagine going on holiday to Burj Al Arab. You’ll love the pampering and the splendour, but will it ever feel like home? Probably not. Because even if you get the presidential suite at a 7-star hotel (karna mat, it’s a waste of your hard-earned money), eventually, you want to go back home to your good old, comfy 2 BHK.

Marrying into a rich family doesn’t always mean juicy content for your memoirs. They may not have any dirty little secrets at all. But you should be sure that those heavy gold kadas don’t become hathkadis for you.

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