Relating with Relatives

My cousin is getting married this december in Chennai.She had come over to Hyderabad to invite a few relatives of ours here.So,I had to go along.We must have gone to around 6 houses atleast.Every house had couples,their children,and old people and every time they looked at me they would say"Oh Alekhya beti!wait for 2-3 more years,you will come here to give us your wedding card!",and I give them my whole-heartedly-half-hearted fake smile.Not even one person asked me about what I wanted to do further,what did I want to study.None.

I wasn't really surprised or annoyed.I feel thats how they perceive things and life.They are innocent.Unaware of today's world and its people,or maybe they just don't want to know.They think everybody was brought up the way they were,and every body brings up their children the way they did.If their daughter got married at 22,then even I should get married at 22 and take care of my family like they once did and are still doing.If their daughters stopped studying further after graduation,then me studyin further is beyond their expectations.And when I don't do anything of the above,then Iam spoilt and bad,because Iam not like them and neither are my parents.And they try new ways of making themselves feel good.They start looking down upon you.Because deep inside they know that you are doing way better than them or their children.I won't really call that jealousy.It's pure innocence and ignorance.Just a very childish way of making themselves feel good about themselves.

You can't help it too.You have to be around them at weddings,smile at them,nod at their stupidity and foolishness.Relatives are just a bunch,who think alike,and can do several things to boost their complex.Looking at them,Iam reminded of small kids.A kid makes friends with children who have similar toys and like or hate the same person whom he does.They play together with the toys they have,and make a gang of friends.Other children are looked down upon as they are expected to have similar toys to play with .So they are bad girls and boys.They are too innocent to realise that maybe those kids don't like the toys they are playing with.These people might have better toys at home,which they like to play with.Later few people grow up to be matured and learn different ways of distinguishing things.The other lot don't,and they are none other than our fakingly-loving relatives.But Iam sure all are not like that.There must be really cool relatives too who can think the way you do.