Changing First Name or Surname Post Marriage: are we overthinking it?

I am not going to dig deep into the subject that is very obvious – women are expected to change their surname after tying the knot. Lately, women have been using their surnames, sandwiched between their first name and the groom’s family name. Recently, I came across another marital norm where the bride’s first name too is changed. Shocking for some, this is rather common in parts of western India and provinces of Sindh, Pakistan. For some women this can be demeaning, almost a threat to their identity. For others, it is just about following a culture that is deep-seated into a community.

The Great Leveler, Humbled by the Metro & Work-life

I don’t ride the high horse of belonging to a niche section of society that cannot bear a single drop of sweat on their mighty foreheads. However, my childhood unfolded in a manner that could be best described as ‘arrested development’ despite growing a typically middle-class environment. As a result, many hesitations about people, places, and being in the outdoors got imprinted on my psyche. I am no Different—though I hold the bare minimum of typecasts that overwhelm many of us, some have passively filtered into my mind and corroded its judgment. Like any other true Delhi resident, I too often bitch about the fact that how the out-of-stationers are overcrowding our city or how our tax money is being used for creating facilities that we seldom use ourselves. However, this discussion is more about how public transit systems can instill some humility in you and how being humble can help you live perhaps a better life...