The Silent Pressure: Why Marriage Still Feels Like a Deadline for Indian Girls
- Neha Kumari
- Jul 14
- 3 min read
She’s 25. She’s educated. She’s working.
But whenever there is a get together in the family, then the first thing which she will be asked is--"Shaadi kab kar rahi ho?"
This is the life of millions of Indian girls who have to live with the pressure that no one ever talks about.
Marriage: A milestone or Mandate?
Marriage is regarded to be the greatest success that a woman has in Indian society.
No, it is not love, it is not companionship and it is not time, but it is age.
Cross 26, then all of the sudden everybody starts treating you like your expiry date is coming soon.
Aunties to matrimony advertisements the message is the same:
Good girls do not take much time to wait.
But why do they say that a woman has a value according to the wedding date?
The Timeline Trap
Have the money to buy a house by 22, get married by 25, skirt kids by 28.
This is an unseen checklist that follows women across the cities, classes, and communities.
Rebellion is considered as delay.
When a girl concentrates on her career, she is considered to be too ambitious.
Single female in the 30s?
There must be something wrong with it.
Even men who are divorced receive more respect than the women who have never been married.
Children know that it is not only parents who are watching. It is common to criticize parents.
And the reality is that, society supports this pressure on every level.
The courtship of early marriages is romanticized in movies.They sell bridal glow cremes to 20 years olds.
At times the job interview questions include things like, are you planning to settle down soon?
In India even marriage is not a personal choice.
It is open show and everybody is waiting to be in the first row.
An Emotional Baggage that Nobody Speaks About
The most horrible thing is? The guilt by default. Girls begin to lose confidence.
Should I consider myself a selfish person to wait? Is it going to be ever alone?
“Am I causing trouble among my parents?”
They not only have their hopes on their shoulders, but also their family, the expected schedules of the society, and fear of being too late.
Girls Are Choosing to Wait - It's Her Choice
The current set of Indian women are not anti-marriage.
They simply are pro-choice.
They desire to get married at the right time according to their choice and not according to the society.
They are seeking someone to relate to- not someone to pressurise.
They do not need deadlines, they want stability.
More women are today saying:
I would prefer being single than settled.
and that is not daring, it is simple self-respect.
The Role of the Social Media in Breaking the Silence
Many women have been telling their stories because of Instagram, YouTube, and blogs.
They are breaking taboos, even with their viral rants and their honest reels.
They are clarifying that it is not just through marriage that happiness cannot be met.
Hashtags such as #LateAndProud, #MyTimeline and #StopMarriagePressure are creating online groups in which women can support one another.
There is change taking place.
Yet, it is slow and can take place in an lonely way.
A Message to Families: Do Not Push, Love
Hello to the parents, relatives and family friends--
The marriage must not be forced it should be a choice.
Treat your daughter just like the way you treat your son.
Let her live, love, failed, and succeeded on her own.
Since forcing her will not make you feel happy. It will simply upset her.
Her Life, Her Pace is a good conclusion.
Marriage pressure on girls is not a cultural pressure, it is something emotional, mental and highly unfair.
But all the girls who have decided to wait, walk, or simply live by their own rules are writing new rules.
Why then keep asking Shaadi kab?
Then we must begin to inquire:
Happy ?
That is so, because that is what really counts.
📅 By News Anek Digital Desk | July 14, 2025