Newindpress
Bangalore, May 15: Indians are well-known for their adaptability to any circumstance and the trends in modern family settings is another good example of this.
Just when we thought the joint family system in urban areas had all but disappeared, it has staged a comeback, albeit in a completely new form.
The city which is home to many outsiders, can find clusters, where relatives choose to rent apartments in the same complex.
Sharada, a native of Mumbai is married to a software engineer.
When they had to move to Bangalore, their first choice of residence was a apartment complex in Koramangala that already housed four other cousins’ families of her husband.
She says, ‘‘I was a total stranger to this town and it was comforting to have all the people around me. Plus, I have a young kid. I did not have to worry about finding my way around in a new town. Several of us are of the same age, so we go out together and we can leave our kids in each other’s place if it is necessary.’’
She also says that it is easier to adjust when her husband has to travel abroad for weeks at a time and the aunts residing with them are particularly helpful whether they need help with the children or cooking.
Another trend that can be seen is the brothers and sisters buying plots, houses or apartments in the same area. Sridhar, a bank employee had purchased plots along with his two brothers in the same road in Banashankari.
He says, ‘‘We bought these plots together several years ago and forgot all about it. Initially, we all stayed in separate areas and cities, but when our kids grew up and started moving out, we realised that we brothers wanted to stay closer. In the last three years, my brothers and I decided to construct houses on the plots and move in. It is a good experience.
We do not feel so lonely anymore. Our families go out together and we have someone nearby for any emergencies and even when we travel, we don’t have to worry about the house being burgled.’’
Most families find that their privacy remains inviolate with this arrangement.
While they are free to pursue their own lifestyles, they also have their near ones to spend time with as well.