Where Do You Go When There's Nowhere Left?

It’s meant to be the happiest day in a girl’s life when she finds her prince charming. The one she falls in love with, marries and has the perfect life. But what if you never had that chance? In South Asia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and East Asia 90% of the marriages are arranged, and 60% of all marriages in the world are arranged. Yes, that’s right. Teens and even pre-teens are forced into a union where they either are too young to understand or too depressed to think of the consequences. These girls will get married to their cousin, or their uncle or maybe some strange man 90 miles away from them. Some may call it desperation, some may call it pathetic, but for the 8 out 10 girls forced into marriage, they have no words. How do you decide to marry someone you've never met, seen or had the chance to talk to? Well, you don’t. That’s not your choice. The divorce rate has increased by 15% in Southeast Asia among those who get an arranged marriage. To some it may seem incongruous, however it doesn't change the fact that 2 out of every 5 girls forced to get married commit suicide, runaway, or fall into depression. Who am I to be telling you this? I’m a girl, from one of these cultures, who will join the 90 percentile of girls getting an arranged marriage. I’ll forever be stuck with a man I've never met, seen or had the chance to ever talk to. For the girls who are forced into such a horrible bond, the only love they’ll ever experience is the ones shown in the movies. Guy meets girl. Guy falls in love with the girl, meets her secretly, brings her flowers, and dances to a couple of lovey-dovey songs; they get married and live happily ever after. But this is the reality for an arranged marriage. There is no happily ever after. The wedding day is set, whether the girl accepts it or not, she’ll get married in front of her family and her new family in-law, to a man she never desired. But that’s not the end of her story; she’ll probably be beaten like the 34% who aren't given a genuine place in the family or her new husbands’ heart. She may runaway. Or she may give up on life. But who cares? Whether the bride is here or not, whether she’s dead or alive, whether she’s bruised up, whether it’s me or you. Your freewill was taken away the moment marriage came up, you don’t have freedom. Don’t be silly, this isn't your choice. You take your life, or you let it be. You take a stand or you set yourself free. But it’s all just a tad too late. You’re married to man you've never felt attracted to, wishing you could take a step back. But you took a step, and you stepped in concrete. It’s permanent.

500 words total.  

Sources: 

• http://www.indiatribune.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3714:pros-and-cons-of-arranged-marriages&catid=99:column&Itemid=462
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA6jjumSM1s
• http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/03/04/sabatina-james-why-my-mother-wants-me-dead.html