Written by, May 3 -- Meher Malhotra, Moitrayee Das

In the journey of young adulthood, Indians commonly face a question from those around them: "settle kab ho rahe ho?" ("When are you settling down?"). This question follows them no matter where they are in their professional life. The idea of a settled-down individual has little to do with their careers and, more so, with their personal life, especially their marital status.

A person may be on the rise on the career ladder, have bought their first house, have well-established friendships, be taking care of their health, or just be in tune with their own self. Yet they would still be far from being "settled" according to social norms in the Indian context as we know it. Marriage and build...