The Silver Jubilee year of existence

Recently, when I was in India for a month, a wierd thing happened which set of a wave of thoughts in my mind. I was sitting on the computer with my ack turned to the balcony at my sister's house. My sister has this huge connection with all the kiddos, thanks to Aryan who befriends everyone who is 3-4 times his age. She lives on the ground floor and every passer by drops by to wait and say hello to Aryan and can't stop to exclaim how adorable a kid he is! So this 18 year old kid did not know it was me and says "Aunty, Aryan ko mein khelne ke liye leke jaoon"[Aunty, can I take Aryan with me to play] I just turned my back and gave him a puzzled look! [In the mind I was like "Aunty, mat kaho na"] So, here is a brief convo between the kid and me: Me: Kya re, mein kya Aunty lagtee hoon kya?? [Do I look like an Aunty to you] Him: You are Aryan's aunty na, isliye meree bhi aunty [In my Mind...What?? Aryan is 3 and you are 18!!!!!!!!!!] Him: Waise aap aunty nahi lagtee. lekin aap Roshni aunty ke sister ho na. isliye I called you aunty. [You dont look like an Aunty, but you are Roshni Aunty's sister na, thats why] The kid wouldnt budge from calling me aunty and I would not accept it either. Me: BTW, Roshni aunty also doesnt look like an aunty. And what exactly is your criteria of addressing someone as Aunty?? Him: One who has a kid!!! Me: But, I am not even married!!!!!!!!!!!!! Him: Lekin you are doing your PhD na???????? I realized that there was no point in talking to a kid about it. He was stubborn and would not yield to the fact. But, I was just wondering about the notions people bear in mind. And it has all to do with age. Especially, in India. The moment a girl has a kid, she is automatically labeled as "Aunty" or if she is married, then she is close to being called as "Aunty" or "Behenji" or better still 'bhabhi" For unmarried girls like me, who are 25 and who still dont have a licence to flaunt, people are generally confused as to how to address you as. Most of the times, didi works. But, if she [read, me] has an older sister who has a kid, there is an identification crisis. The age 25 is a golden year of a girl's life. Err!!basically, there is a confusion here..if she is a girl or a woman!! No! these are not my thoughts but I am echoing the thoughts of people including my married friends. Basically, in India marriageble age is anywhere from 22-26/27 and 25 is the middle ground, when you are married with a nice 27 year old handsome guy and it is projected that you will have your first kid when you are 27 and the next kid before you turn 30. It is set if you step your foot on the wrong side of 25, then everyone including the bajowalii aunty, kelewali aunty, kaamwali bai start wondering why you are not yet married. So there is this kaamwali bai who asked my Mausi in marathi. This bai knows me since I was a kid. "Baby cha lagna ka nahi karat" [Why aren't you getting her married]{Thank god! atleast for her, I am still a baby} To which my mausi says "Tee ajoon shiktey"[She is still studying] Another unyielding bai says"Vayy jhala ki"[Isnt it her age, already]" Finally, my Mausi just to keep her quiet says " "We are looking, she doesn't like anyone' To which the over enthusiastic bai says "Only if elders find a suitor.Only then children remain happy" I had no intention of changing her traditional thoughts with my revolutionary ideas. So, I left the conversation over there. This is the case of an uneducated person, but later I happened to go to my friend's house. She and me were classmates in B.Pharm and she recently got married to her college sweeteheart. So this friend of mine, R says "Lagna kadhi karnar"[When are you going to get married] Ohhh!! Not again!!!! Me: Lets see. Not in another 2 years. She: Mhataree jhalyavar lagna karnar??!!![You will get married when you get old?] [In my mind, WHAT!!! I will be 27 for God's sake after 2 years! But, I just say "Did not know that the difference between youth and old age was just 2 years! She went on to explain, how things should happen at their "specified time" and how difficult it gets later on! Thankfully, her husband did not second that thought!:O Now, I do not know..in which Veda or hindu mythology it is written that a girl is supposed to be married at so and so time! Who makes such rules which do not take into consideration any exceptions? Who makes common norms and rules that is supposed to fit all?? Anyhow,I think the post has become longer than whatT I wanted it to be. Wanted to add few more things..Sigh! BTW,finally the kid and I came to a consensus that he will call me "Aunty didi":O