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The word ‘happiness’ holds within an ocean of meanings and factors contributing to the state of just being happy. It’s not just a word. It’s an entire sea of emotions motioning with waves of contentment, pleasure, well-being, energy, liveliness, self-satisfaction, high spirits, and good relationships to name a few. It happens when your heart and mind are in uniformity with each other.

Our society, however, fails to understand this. It overlooks the depth of feelings and attributes a “zaati ghar, gaari, Bangla, nokar chaakar” as the ultimate sources of happiness. When objected, people say things like “Allah ka dia sab kuch tou hai. Aur kia chaiye?”

What they don’t seem to realize is that it’s totally absurd to link happiness with material things. A ghar gaari bangla cannot ever be standards measuring it. Yes, these may be vital for your good living but just them alone cannot necessarily make you entirely happy. There is a chain of factors linked with the state of being contented through your heart and soul.

In the society we live in, a girl after hardly a week to her marriage is asked: “Khush tou ho na?” Though no one has dictated this before to her she herself comes to the realization that saying a NO will absolutely mess up things for her. A woman’s level of happiness cannot be calculated in a day or a week. Though having good in-laws and a very supportive husband does matter alot.

But it takes time. Years maybe. Adjusting in the new phase of life and seeking happiness in little things around you is not easy. You have to fight your inner self and mold yourself to adapt to new changes. Your hormones in the entire journey never leave you and keep adjusting themselves in this new phase of life with you taking a toll on your mood, nature, and personality whenever they feel like.

The honeymoon period to doesn’t last long. You have to get over with it someday because practicality and real-life problems await you with open arms ready to hug you tight nearly squeezing your ribs and sometimes suffocating you. The fairytale period has to end one day with a pat on your shoulder saying “Adios! A whole new life welcomes you”

That’s when the bubble bursts and you are hit hard with a thud on the ground. Because yes, you were flying before. Flying in the fairyland. Dreaming. Hoping that life pauses. Wishing for the time to stop. But it doesn’t. It is meant to go on. There is no way back. You may look back and cherish those moments but you cannot entirely bring the time back.

Saying for myself, I got married and shifted to Karachi while my parents still stayed abroad. There was no such thing like my maika here. No weekend plans of visiting my parent’s house and staying overnight. No gossip sessions with my sisters. It was all over my face. The longing of snuggling in my mom’s arms and having a heart to heart conversation with my dad.

Mobile phones and video calls cannot replace the warmth attached with the human touch. People with the mentality “ab tou skype, WhatsApp, Imo hai. Ab konsi doori ka ehsaas” either have no feelings or they are very hard in their hearts. Because none of this can ever replace your bond with family.

Once back from my loveliest honeymoon, my dark days started. That was the time I had sudden outbursts of crying. Mood swings at its peak. Anger management issues. Nothing made me happy. I was trying hard to accommodate myself in a new lifestyle. Socializing with people was so difficult. I forgot what does laughing from inside mean. I had stomach upsets every other day. And then there were countless questions like “Ammi abbu yaad atey hain?”, “Karachi mein set hogai ho?”. How can people be so cruel to know what you are going through and still asking the same to satisfy their inquisitions.

Yes, I wasn’t happy back then. Disappointed with myself for failing to cope up with my new relationships. Complaining to God as to why only me without my parents staying in the same place. Why I don’t get to visit them every week like other girls? Why I don’t have anyone here to vent my heart out?

I remember seeing off my family at the airport when for the first time they were leaving after my marriage and I cried a river. From seeing them off till getting back home all I did was just crying. The security officials stopped my husband on the way back at a place or two and inquired as who am I to him. He had to show our wedding pictures as proof of our relationship and then he begged me to stop crying.

The newly married me was in a state of utter dejection. I was covered with gloom from head to toe. A genuine laugh from me was forgone. Yeah, it was that bad.

I then tried hard to embrace my new life and sought my support system in my mil and fil. I had my husband’s back throughout. My sister-in-law used to cheer me up as much as she could. She is a recently married girl understood me so well when at times my husband failed to do so. Because after all, it was a new journey for him too. And somehow with time, it started getting better.

I started owning my house. I started getting possessive about it. One day I walked through every room of my home, touched every nook and corner and whispered “yes it is mine. I belong here”. The mango tree in the front yard was mine. The fruit bore the next summer, I proudly called it mine and bragged to everyone about those desi ghar k aam. Mere ghar k aam!

It took time. A year for me. This journey of ownership and control took alot of patience, courage, and strength from me. It took 12 months to get used to all this. 12 months to cook what I liked and to express my likings and dislikes. 12 months to share my opinions in the house. 12 months to open up regarding my feelings and expressions.

All this taught me how to be expressive. How to be happy with things and relationships I have around me. And slowly the void in my life started filling. Though I had that typical “ghar gaari bangla” but happiness was what was missing. I started getting excited to eat a thailey wali chaat and gandey wale french fries.

Aalu k samosey and kachoris, samosa chaat and Gappa Gotala and 50 rupees wale bun kabab. I started memorizing the roads of Karachi because it was now my home. Gradually, I got in love with this city of lights and recommended people about the newly opened restaurants here. Started going shopping to Ashiyana, Gulf, Tariq road with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law not out of formality but because I was willing. Willing to explore the unseen.

Yes, all this took time. But I am happy I aced it. I finally found happiness. No one sold it ever. It was within me. I just had to discover it and I am glad I did.

Initially, it’s hard for every girl getting married. Especially a girl moving to another country. Leaving behind her best friends and family. Because marriage itself is a roller coaster ride in a topsy-turvy land at the start. Acceptability and realization is the key to enjoy it. The sooner this hit, the better.

Did you go through a hard time seeking happiness after marriage? Do let me know how did you cope with it.