Page 27 - MASALA LITE ISSUE 85 | OCTOBER 2017

ETIQUETTE

MR s
CHAUHAN

ThE LONE ONE

Dear Mrs Chauhan,
I am 33 years old and still single. It’s not like there hasn’t been any opportunity
to be with someone, but rather I haven’t been able to find the right person. At
times, I think to myself that I am alright being alone. I enjoy my own company.
In spite of that, everyone is pressuring me to get married or at least go on a
date. I don’t like feeling suffocated and being pushed to do something I don’t
want to, but at the same time, I feel like I am letting my family down. What
should I do?

Dear The Lone One,
You shouldn’t focus too much on what
other people think. It’s perfectly fine to
be alone, and no one should pressure
you to change your mind, especially if
you are happy. After all, it’s you who will
have to live with another person, you
who will have to compromise, you who
will have to involve her or him in your
favourite activities, not anyone else.
Marriage is something you will have to
want, if you ever decide to take the plunge. But at the same time, why not
give it a try? At the end of the day, it is just a date and nothing more. And
after you do try, and you still feel like you haven’t found the one, just tell
your family in a calm and collected manner. They should understand your
viewpoint, especially after you’ve given into their matchmaking efforts.

ThE sILLY ONE
Dear Mrs Chauhan,
I met someone very recently and her personality is amazing. She is energetic,
ambitious and fun. However, she is 10 years older than me, and we have gone
through very different experiences in life. I want to pursue this relationship
further, but I am worried that it might turn awkward, because we don’t have
too much in common.

Dear The Silly One,
We tend not to deviate from the norm, which
means not having partners with a wide age gap
from our own. But does it really matter? After
all age is just a number, and everyone goes
through different experiences in life, regardless
of their age. If you really like her, why not just
date and see where it goes? Don’t overthink
the situation right now, especially because you
don’t really know her yet.

ThE AMbITIOus ONE
Dear Mrs Chauhan,
I have been working in my family’s textile business for the past 14 years. I
honestly think that I have done all that I could at this job, but I can’t quit
because of obvious reasons. My father wants me to take over, but I’m not
interested in the field. Instead, I want to open my own garage and work with
cars. It has been a passion and dream of mine for as long as I can remember.
How do I just leave the family business?

Dear The Ambitious One,
The situation may seem difficult to deal with at the start, but a lot of young
adults are now going through this same predicament. You are not alone. I
would suggest having an honest and open conversation with your family
to see what they expect from you. You will have three
possible options to choose from. One is to take over the
family firm, which may make you unhappy at first, but
you can grow to enjoy what you do. The second is to try
pursuing both. Ask for a compromise from your family,
by working for them part-time, while spending the rest
of your time doing what you love. The third is to go
out on your own. Whichever you decide, make
sure that you speak to your parents
properly so that everyone is happy
with your decision in the end.

Have an etiquette question? Send your dilemmas to
info@masalathai.com. Write “Mrs Chauhan” in the subject line.
ALL-ACCESS INTO BANGKOK’S CONTEMP OR ARY INDIAN LIFEST YLE