What is an arranged marriage?
Well if I were to go into semantics, then an arranged marriage can be described as that arrangement where our parents choose a life partner for us and ask us to love that person for the rest of our lives. As weird as this concept looks and sounds, it’s actually one which is still adopted by a majority of Indians. Those who aren’t able to find a life partner or those whose parents don’t approve of their romantic interest are usually the ones who are forced into an arranged marriage.
That was the literal definition of an arranged marriage. Now here’s what I believe it actually means – it’s a compromise, an enforced adjustment and a gamble that you take, a gamble which you should never be taking in the first place, all of which is precisely why we all need to stop opting for arranged marriages now. Aren’t we supposed to marry the one we love instead of loving the one we marry? The institution of marriage is sacred and pure and should be solely based on true love and compatibility. After all, shouldn’t love, compatibility, respect and genuine liking for your prospective life partner be more important? After all, marriages thrive on these factors a lot more than they do on one’s family and/or financial status.
Another thing I am not able to fathom or comprehend about arranged marriages? How can anyone possibly decide who their life partner will be in just a few meetings? Deciding to spend a lifetime with someone is no small thing, and to make this decision after barely knowing someone for a few months just seems like a recipe for disaster. Contrast this to love marriages, and people at least have an idea of what they are getting themselves into.
When we get married, we end up making a lifetime commitment. Our marriages symbolize us becoming mature enough to start our own family. And so shouldn’t they also symbolize us being mature enough to choose who we want to start our own family with? On that note, I would leave you guys to ponder upon the fact that do we really have to succumb to the societal pressures of marrying at a particular time or age? Or are have finally become wise enough to wait till someone worthwhile comes along? Even if that means going against societal norms? I’d like to believe that.