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Runaway bride

It is a remote village. But not without the fruits of modern day technology. The village is electrified. Most of the houses have TV sets, motor bikes and running water.  A boy lives here with his parents in his own house, cattle and almost an acre of arecanut field. The income is sufficient for the family and they are happy. Except for the fact, that they are unable to find a bride for the boy, who is already in his early thirties. Parents of educated girls will not even look at this boy. And even girls who have just studied high school, want a groom who is an Engineer, or at least who has a job in a city. The parents and relatives are really searching very hard. They have even trying to take the help of matrimonial agents. Finally one agent says there is this adopted girl of a brahmin priest and the parents of the girl have some outstanding loan. So they need Rs 60000. The boy is very happy and so are the parents. They pay the money (reverse dowry - if you want to call it so). The marriage takes place. After fifteen days, girl vanishes. The boy's dream of ever finding marital bliss is crushed for ever.

This is a true story which happened near my native Sirsi in Karnataka. And it seems this is not the only incidence. The agents and girls and parents are all part of the scheme to cheat these families of gullible grooms in the name of marriage.

I read in The Week "Bandit brides" , similar stories happening in Punjab where a girl married 5 times and another UP girl who married 7 times every time disappearing with all valuables and jewellery.

The skewed sex ratio is causing a havoc in our country. All over the country there is scarcity of girls of marriagable age. You might have seen in Amir Khan's program some men asking Amir Khan that what should they do as they are not getting married.

It is good thing that people are having less children. It is also good that girls are getting educated and getting good jobs. And they would like to have a better husband. But what should the ordinary poor/village boys should do? Who will marry them? Who will take care of them and their aging parents? The desperate grooms are ready to marry any one without the patience to find out the back grounds of girls and get duped like this.

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