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1、AnIndianArrangedMarriageWesataroundthediningtable,myfamilyandI,fulltoburstingfromyetanotherhome-cookedSouthIndiandinner.Itwasmyyoungerbrotherwhoaskedthequestion.“Shoba,whydon'tyoustaybackhereinIndiaforafewmonths?Sowecantrytogetyoumarried.”Threepairsofeyesstaredatmeacrossthewidthofthetabl
2、e.Isighed.HereIwas,atthetailendofmyvacationaftergraduateschool.IhadanairplanetickettoNewYorkfromIndiain10days.Ihadacceptedajobatanartist'scolonyintheU.S.MycarandmostofmypossessionswerewithfriendsinAmerica.“It'snotthatsimple,”Isaid.“Whataboutmycar…?”“WecouldfindyousomeoneinAmerica,”mydadr
3、eplied.“YoucouldgobacktotheStates.”Theyhadthoughtitallout.Thiswasaplot.Ifrownedatmyparentsangrily.Oh,anotherpartofmerationalized,whynotgivethisarranged-marriagethingashot?Itwasn'tasifIhadalottogobacktointheStates.Besides,Icouldalwaysgetadivorce.Stupidanddangerousasitseemslookingback,Iwen
4、tintomymarriageattheageof25withoutbeinginlove.Threeyearslater,Ifindmyselfenjoyingmyrelationshipwiththisbrilliantmanwhotalksabouttheyieldcurveandotherfinancialstatistics,whoprayswhenIdrive,andwhotriesbravelytorememberthenamesofthemodernartistsIadore.Myenthusiasmforarrangedmarriagesisthato
5、farecentconvert.True,IgrewupinIndia,wherearrangedmarriagesarecommon.Myparents'marriagewasarranged,aswerethoseofmyaunts,cousinsandfriends.ButIalwaysthoughtIwasdifferent.IflourishedasaforeignstudentatanAmericanuniversity,whereindividualismwasexpectedandwomen'srightsencouraged.AsIexperiment
6、edwithbeinganAmerican,IboughtintotheAmericanvaluesystem.IwasdeterminedtofallinloveandmarrysomeonewhowasnotIndian.Yet,somehow,Icouldnevermanageto.Oh,fallinginlovewaseasy.Sustainingitwasthehardpart.ArrangedmarriagesinIndiabeginwithmatchingthehoroscopes(星座)ofthemanandthewoman.Thosewhoprepar
7、ethehoroscopeslookforbalancesothatthewoman'sstrengthsbalancetheman'sweaknessesandman'sstrengthsbalancethewoman'sweaknesses.Oncethehoroscopesmatch,thetwofamiliesmeetanddecidewhethertheyarecompatible.Itisassumedthattheyareofthesamereligionandsociallevel.Whilethiseliminatesr