Everyone laughs. The tension breaks. The garlic naan is passed around.

The mother checks the gas cylinder level. The father writes the "milk and bread" reminder for the morning. The son scrolls Instagram one last time—and finds a tag from his mother. She has posted a photo of the dinner he barely ate on her WhatsApp status with the caption: "My greedy boy. He ate everything."

While the traditional "joint family" system—where three or more generations live under one roof—is evolving into nuclear setups in urban centers, the spirit of the joint family remains. Even in high-rise apartments in Mumbai or Bangalore, the "extended family" is just a WhatsApp group away.

With both partners working, the domestic roles are slowly—though sometimes painfully—renegotiating, with men taking a more active role in parenting and chores. The "Big Fat" Celebrations