Ll^f a" "arran9ed marria9e"? In Which countri" or cultures is -nS SSf Mmm0n? D°     *» ■*» who has had J
J£e«ad. about
Real-life EH
Sarita and Ranjit Sharma talk about their arranged marriage
How was the marriage arranged? Sarita: I was studying in America at the time. A friend of my family told us there was this man living in Britain who was looking for a suitable girl. My dad liked the sound of him. We made some enquiries - his education, what he did, that kind of thing. The news was very encouraging. Ranjit was a good catch. Ranjit: The first I knew about Sarita was the day before she arrived here! My father organised the whole thing. I was happy to meet Sarita but I knew I could always say no if I didn't think we'd be right together.
What were your first impressions of each other? Sarita: Good. Although there wasn't a great surge of attraction, I remember thinking, "He seems nice." The atmosphere that day was quite intense because our families were watching us, so Ranjit suggested we go out for a drink on our own.
Ranjit: I liked Sarita. I found her attractive, but there wasn't that spark you get if you see someone you fancy at a party. It was more mental attraction.
How did you decide on each other?
Sarita: We met up three more times over the two
weeks before I returned to America - by then I'd decided that Ranjit was right for me. Ranjit: There was pressure from my family after the very first meeting. I'd seen three girls before Sarita, but she was the first I was interested in. So I said yes after those first three meetings.
Do you love each other now?
Sarita: Yes we do. I couldn't pinpoint an exact time
when love began, but it was about two years into the
relationship.
Ranjit: Love came into our relationship after a while. I didn't wake up one morning and think, "I love this woman." The love we now have is warm, deep and lasting. New Woman
2  Read the story again. Write T (true), F (false) or ? (don't know) in the boxes next to these statements. ' Sarita and Ranjit had known each other as children Santa s mother liked Ranjit a lot
The first time Sarita and Ranjit met, their families were present S IS'F**? 3ttraCted t0 6ach 0ther when "hey met.
a^Br*to get mam'ed after kn°wing
They fell in love with each other about two years after their marriage.
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liked the sound of him liked what he heard about Ranjit
a good catch a good person to marry for reasons of social status
a great surge a sudden,
powerful feeling spark emotional flash fancy find attractive pressure strong persuasion lasting going to continue for
a very long time