Some Annoying Relative: “Jao baccha Karo” (Go prepare a baby?!)
Me: Seriously? Right here?
This morning I and a couple of my crazy girlfriends decided to discuss something interesting. No it didn’t have anything to do with clothes, shopping, in-laws, boys, men or husbands. Don’t look so surprised; girls have more variety of thoughts than you could ever imagine! Don’t believe me, look around. So without racking your sweet little brain further let me just tell you what we discussed. We chatted about the most hilarious lines we would have heard in our lives or just some amusing situations that we would have been part of as a result of that.
It is then that I recalled being told “Jao baccha Karo” (Go prepare a baby?!). I have been told this several times in the past two years since my marriage; either by nagging relatives or overstepping neighbors. The very sentence gets me rolling on the ground laughing, well not literally but you get the idea right! It is as though a child is a dish to be prepared. Perhaps a ready to eat meal or a pizza which if ordered would be delivered in less than 30 minutes (Though in future I wouldn’t mind the 30 minutes option at all)! Better yet, or perhaps worse I’m not really sure, something like a quick visit to the washroom for potty! I don’t understand what they mean when they say what they say. Without any subtlety they just blurt out words, which believe me, if ever taken seriously by me would have them ducking for cover!
Some Annoying Relative: “Jao baccha Karo” (Go prepare a baby?!)
Me: Why? Can’t you do it yourself?
I wouldn’t call myself an expert on Indian relatives because I only have a few hundreds of them you see! Sad I know by Indian standards. Still I feel that they are the most interfering bunch in the world. Whether they do it consciously or perhaps they carry birth defects which make them cross every damn line, I don’t know! Ofcourse, there are the good ones but we’d talk about them some other day. So if there’s one thing that relatives (the birth defect ones) are really adept at; it is making your business their own in a manner that it would either leave you seething with anger or in splits!
Some Annoying Relative: “Jao baccha Karo” (Go prepare a baby?!)
Me: And what’s in it for you?
Can you imagine meeting someone for the first time and that person theatrically tells you “Beta baccha Karo”! There have been times when I wanted to say “Aunty, mujhe bacchi nahi aayi hai!” Aunty, I’m not feeling baby; along the lines of I’m not really having a nature’s call right now! I don’t know about the guys out there, but I’m sure a lot of married woman would identify with what I mean to say. Infact, why only married women, unmarried girls are pestered with the rhetorical question about their marriage as if ‘a husband’ is an item to be purchased from the neighborhood grocery shop! Indian relatives, I tell you!
Some Annoying Relative: “Jao baccha Karo” (Go prepare a baby?!)
Me: And who made you the queen of my world?
Perhaps next time when I hear this line, I could ask their help or even better ask them what ingredients I would need for the same and what would be the preparation time! Maybe a slight dose of shameless and audacious retorts from me would shut them up for good!
Some Annoying Relative: “Jao baccha Karo” (Go prepare a baby?!)
Me: I don’t think so!
I heard similar lines before my kid was born…strange enough but everybody consider it as their fundamental right to order about the baby to other couples….i even heard this advice from one of my office cab driver!!!
Oh my god a cab drive too!! This is our country! We excel in advises about procreating to others!
wish you could ask these people – are we world's last dodo or dinosaur
facing extinction issues ? 😀 Why hurry … so what if its been 2 years ??
I swear !! Even being a man .. I hate a question like this persisting like a disease in our society !!
No matter how much you are a gem of a well wisher .. but OK !! I mean what ???
🙂
See I am speaking on your behalf !! 😀
haha…I faced similar situations for yrs and wish I would have really replied like this instead i just gaped in horror and looked away 🙂
I can totally relate to you Nabanita, as I'm facing this same sh*te after 3 years of marriage. And Bengali relatives actually go on saying, "Jao Bachha Nao" (I still don't know what that means).
@mysay – My husband actually told his father that he's not the last generation of dinosaurs to be conserved by having a kid.
haha thanks a lot! You know what sometimes I feel like I am a dodo 😉
haha… its never too late to give befitting replies to such relatives 😉
haha……jao bachha nao meaning go baby bring/ take!! uff our great Indian relatives ! 😀
I know how it feels. Every family get together, the favorite topic of relatives is that I should now make babies! Then they tell me that by next time they meet me, they should be "something"…I feel like telling them, "are u my boss asking me to complete the assignment by the time u are back from a meeting?" Hehe…relatives..! Awesome post..:)
haha…assignment yes indeed its sounds like one!
Thanks Shaivi 🙂
Relatives and neighbours are annoying. I wish I was rude enough to tell them on their face how irritating their advice is. I mean, for some people it is a very sensitive topic. Bringing it up at every given opportunity is downright rude. The worst part is.. even our generation hasn't learnt anything. The moment a person has a baby, he/she starts to question your 'childlessness'!
Haha…I can understand. Right now I am being pressured to marry but I don't give a damn about it. Because after marriage, I will be pressured to have kids, then I will be pressured to marry off my kids, then I will be pressured to pressure my kids for their kids, and then I will be pressured to turn into a saint and then I will be pressured to die if I live beyond 90 years…
Haha.. I can totally relate to this.. well, in a different context though. I am pestered with question .. "shaadi kab ho rahi hai" … though.. I am lucky to have sane relatives not asking me this silly-pilly question but can't say the same for my neighbors. ANNOYING to death.
Btw, "Jao bachha karo".. seriously… the choice of words takes away the cake.
Yes they are, aren't they? Wonder when they'll change!
Yes never ever give in to their pressure !
haha yes I agree weird choice of words na ? 😀
haha, nice one
Thanks Ali!
Hmm! interesting topic. Not only relatives, it seems like everybody's mind is occupied with other's personal matters and they tend to give free and unsolicited advise. This is a serious issue that these people need to understand the relationship borders and shouldn't tresspass.
Yes exactly Fayaz…
My sentiments exactly. I hate it when people have the baby card flashing when they are unable to make conversation. Loved it Nabanitha.
hahaha…My dotty would love to read this. She's going thru the same phase 😀 😀
Am sending her the link straight away. Lovely…lovely piece of writing!!
Thanks so much 🙂
haha … thanks Panchali .. glad you liked it 🙂
Same issues everywhere!!! Such annoying people, not even respecting others privacy…
Kenfolios
I know!!
Read this earlier on my mobile but could not comment. These people always have questions – some girl is yet single, they will keep pestering her to find a guy. Then its about bacche and then bacche ke school and then bacchon ki shaadi and then to them again there would be a 'Jao baccha karo' Never ending vicious cycle Naba!
Yup… Well nailed… When you are not married, they ask – Shaadi kab kar rahe ho? and once you get married, they say – Baccha kab kar rahe ho!!!!
It is, isn't it Jaish! A bad and annoying viscous cycle!
I know!! So annoying and overbearing of them all right?
Thanks
LOL That was hilarious :). Go prepare a baby, wish babies could be prepared like this and brought up too!
hehe yes if only Rachna 🙂
I know exactly what you mean, these aunties hunt down girls and barrage them with questions. If it's an unmarried girl then it's 'when are you getting married?' If its a married girl then it's 'when are you having babied?' and if it's a married girl with a baby then it's 'when are you having the next one?' Blah!
haha yes exactly Prasanna! Wonder why can't they just stop meddling in affairs which has nothing to do with them?
Ha ha… this was funny Naba and so real as well… Every other day someone is advising the newly weds to have a baby as if it was just a pen to be bought from the nearby shop…
hehe yes too much isn't it ? 🙂
Naba, they would not allow any singles to sleep peacefully till they give them their wedding invitation. They count their days in the calender and keep asking you about the 'expansion' from the thirtieth day. I feel, the honor of getting married to be bestowed on only to those who are really 'qualified' and 'prepared' for it. The privilege of creating another generation should be considered only by those who are really 'committed' and ' responsible'. Let the neighbors and relatives watch TV serials for the time being!
Indeed Sibi!