Brought up in a conservative Indian family, I was told that marriage is one of the most sacred things one could commit to. For most part of my life (I'm not that old yet!) I was also made to believe that "arranged" marriages were the ones that stood the test of time, led to more obedient kids and a lifetime of assurance that your spouse would always be there for you.
However, no sooner than the end of my adolescent years, I discovered that I was more in support of "love" marriages. It sounded like much more fun to not have to pretend to be someone else for the sake of your spouse-to-be... guys pretending they don't smoke and drink, girls pretending to be shy and coy virgins, the list is long and surprisingly creative. A love marriage also gave one the feeling of having made an independent decision about selecting one's life partner. It was in and very very cool.
Alternatively, everything about arranged marriages seemed dull and boring. Meeting random strangers at the insistence of your parents, trying to strike interesting conversations, wondering how weird the guy/girl actually is in real-life, and the endless trepidation the follows you around.
I do not wish to take sides now, having seen a bit of life myself. But as I look back on the many happy marriages I know of, I see fair bit of pull in favor of arranged marriages. True, it had a head start, for I know of very few couples from the generations before us who ventured into love marriages. Irrespective of how the tale is told, lucky are those who find the quintessential 'happy married life'.
