Is all this drama only existent in desi families? When I tell my non desi girlfriends what happened they really can't believe it and are like OMG are u serious? lol
No, but we do tend to feel more obligated to involve extended family in everything we do. In many circumstances, people do things because they're supposed to, or to avoid hurting someone, or out of fear it will "look bad," not out of true care and love for each other. Our huge weddings have people who are practically strangers to the bride and groom (tho not to the rest of the family). That's how the talk starts. They don't really know you. You're just entertainment, and they'll gossip about you the same way preteens gossip about Serena Vanderwoodsen.
Expect only bad behavior from them. We are mostly hurt when we do a lot of favors to people and (naturally) expect at least a good behavior in return.
A great ayah to share, STP. Thank you.
Your last point is really well-taken. I think the times I've been most frustrated by relatives is when I've felt I've gone out of my way to help them, to make them feel welcome, to care for them, to celebrate with them, etc, and then have felt rejected, used, and abused.