Manu, as she affectionately calls her husband, looks smugly satisfied. Those of us who knew Bharati before she was married have to admit she has gained confidence, matured and looks very happy. Bharati's mother, Manju, misses her daughter tremendously, but is satisfied that the arranged marriage was the best she could have done for her. It can also go horribly wrong. Sharing their home in Los Angeles, California, was her husband's American girlfriend.
Indian society is quick to reject divorced, separated or abandoned women.
If Meena went home, her parents' status in society would be shattered. She had no choice, but to accept her husband's mistress and live as a semi-servant in his house. The custom of arranged marriages in India has survived migration and modernization remaining central to the fabric of society. Although no exact figures are available, some 95 percent of all marriages in India are arranged, even among those in the educated middle class. Many Indians contend that arranged marriages are more successful than marriages in the West, particularly given the latter's staggering divorce rates.