India, Feb. 28 -- A few years ago, I was attending a wedding in the family - a congregation of old relatives distributed across geographies, who attend such events out of reciprocity. "They came for our son's wedding too, we'll have to visit," is the usual tenet put forth by parents. The multi-billion-dollar wedding industry survives due to this quid pro quo.

This bunch of relatives only meets at property-dispute court hearings, family weddings and funerals. There is always some attrition between two events. Covid led to a reduced headcount, but the ones who survived it, brought forth their renewed North Indian nosiness to this wedding.

One uncle asked a young looking guy point blank, "Beta, what's your in-hand salary? Haath me kitna aa...