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Reddit user regrets sharing his income.
Family gatherings are usually meant for food, laughter, and catching up.
But for one Reddit user, a cousin’s son’s birthday party in Suraj Vihar became something entirely different.
What started as small talk soon turned into a financial inquisition and even a matchmaking attempt, all because he revealed his salary.
Indian uncle’s intrusive questions on salary
In a detailed post on r/india, the man explained that he had not met some of his uncles for nearly six years.
After the usual greetings, the conversation shifted quickly.
“Within 10 minutes of polite hellos and head nods, one of them leans in and casually drops, ‘Toh beta, abhi kitna kama lete ho?’” he recalled.
The man initially tried to dodge the question with humor. “I said bas pet paani ho jaata hai uncle, thinking the conversation would move on.”
They chuckled at his response, but the conversation did not stop there. One uncle patted his belly and remarked,
“Haan dikh raha hai beta, pet toh kaafi accha ho gaya hai! Ache se paani mil raha hai!”
Another uncle joined in, patting his cheeks and pointing out how chubby he had become.
Feeling cornered by the teasing and the social pressure, he eventually revealed that he earns around ₹60 lakh per annum. That was when things took another turn.
“One of them got really cheerful, congratulated me, fed me a gulab jamun, and wrapped their arms around me saying Muu meetha karoo beta!”
“Then came the real questions. How much do you save, where are you investing, do you own a flat, are you renting, what car do you drive, are you looking to go abroad, what’s your long-term plan?” he shared.
The situation reached its peak when one uncle even suggested a marriage prospect.
“Beta, ek ladki hai. Bahut acchi hai. Khoobsurat hai, padhai likhai bhi badhiya ki hai. Shaadi ka socha hai kya?”
Pride or Personal Boundary Violation?
Reflecting on the incident, the Redditor admitted that his uncles were not necessarily being malicious.
“In their minds, I think this is how they show interest. Maybe it’s even pride like they’re happy someone from the family is doing well. But at the same time, it just made me feel deeply uncomfortable,” he shared.
He also reflected on how common such exchanges are in Indian families, where discussions around salary, finances, and marriage are rarely considered private.
“There’s such a casual disregard for personal boundaries in these conversations. And if you try to avoid answering, you’re seen as rude or evasive,” he noted.
What struck him most was the realization that a person’s worth is often measured by income and possessions. The entire exchange reinforced for him how curiosity about earnings and assets frequently takes on a transactional tone rather than a genuine personal interest.
The post has resonated widely because many young Indians face the same situation at family gatherings. While older relatives may see such conversations as harmless or even affectionate, for the younger generation they often feel invasive and uncomfortable.
As the Redditor summed it up, the real issue is not pride or curiosity but boundaries. Until those are respected, money and marriage will continue to appear as casual topics in places where they do not belong.