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sthapit

There's a couple in Kathmandu we're good friends with. They recently found out they're pregnant and they're very happy about it and decided to get married. First get the court marriage out of the way and then do the bigger wedding in two months so they can prepare they thought.

When they applied to get their marriage certificate, the dude at the office tells them with a straight face that they can't get married since she's already pregnant. This incenses her and she yells that she's not pregnant and that's she's just fat. Not that it's any of their business. A big crowd ensues and it becomes increasingly clear that they're just asking for money. With multiple people and at multiple levels apparently. In the end they came back married but Rs 28,000 poorer and exhausted from the whole ordeal.

Marriages are supposed to be happy events. Not a time when you're fighting the system and paying people to push papers that they should be pushing anyway because it's their job. And this is just one of many things young people without proper connections have to go through all the time to get anything done in our country. Are we then surprised that our youngest and brightest leave never to return? What are we supposed to feel proud or patriotic towards?

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