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1、AnIndianArrangedMarriageWesataroundthediningtable,myfamilyandI,fulltoburstingfromyetanotherhome-cookedSouthIndiandinner.Itwasmyyoungerbrotherwhoaskedthequestion.“Shoba,whydon'tyoustaybackhereinIndiaforafewmonths?Sowecantrytogetyoumarried.”Threepairsofeyesstaredatmeacrossthewidthofthetab
2、le.Isighed.HereIwas,atthetailendofmyvacationaftergraduateschool.IhadanairplanetickettoNewYorkfromIndiain10days.Ihadacceptedajobatanartist'scolonyintheU.S.MycarandmostofmypossessionswerewithfriendsinAmerica.“It'snotthatsimple,”Isaid.“Whataboutmycar…?”“WecouldfindyousomeoneinAmerica,”myda
3、dreplied.“YoucouldgobacktotheStates.”Theyhadthoughtitallout.Thiswasaplot.Ifrownedatmyparentsangrily.Oh,anotherpartofmerationalized,whynotgivethisarranged-marriagethingashot?Itwasn'tasifIhadalottogobacktointheStates.Besides,Icouldalwaysgetadivorce.Stupidanddangerousasitseemslookingback,I
4、wentintomymarriageattheageof25withoutbeinginlove.Threeyearslater,Ifindmyselfenjoyingmyrelationshipwiththisbrilliantmanwhotalksabouttheyieldcurveandotherfinancialstatistics,whoprayswhenIdrive,andwhotriesbravelytorememberthenamesofthemodernartistsIadore.Myenthusiasmforarrangedmarriagesist
5、hatofarecentconvert.True,IgrewupinIndia,wherearrangedmarriagesarecommon.Myparents'marriagewasarranged,aswerethoseofmyaunts,cousinsandfriends.ButIalwaysthoughtIwasdifferent.IflourishedasaforeignstudentatanAmericanuniversity,whereindividualismwasexpectedandwomen'srightsencouraged.AsIexper
6、imentedwithbeinganAmerican,IboughtintotheAmericanvaluesystem.IwasdeterminedtofallinloveandmarrysomeonewhowasnotIndian.Yet,somehow,Icouldnevermanageto.Oh,fallinginlovewaseasy.Sustainingitwasthehardpart.ArrangedmarriagesinIndiabeginwithmatchingthehoroscopes(星座)ofthemanandthewoman.Thosewho
7、preparethehoroscopeslookforbalancesothatthewoman'sstrengthsbalancetheman'sweaknessesandman'sstrengthsbalancethewoman'sweaknesses.Oncethehoroscopesmatch,thetwofamiliesmeetanddecidewhethertheyarecompatible.Itisassumedthattheyareofthesamereligionandsociallevel.Whilethiseliminatesr
