An Open Minded Woman Rooted in Indian Tradition :: Interview Essays

An Open Minded Woman Rooted in Indian Tradition "I don't mind if my parents try to find a boy for me. Arranged marriages are still a common thing in my family. I don't know what my parents will say if I have a boyfriend here and he is from another country. I am sure that they will not adamantly reject it, but they maybe disappointed." What a surprise for me that in the year 2000, there are some people who still undergo arranged marriages. I am thinking that it must be awkward for me to do it, but it is not for Preeti. Preeti Kela, a freshman student at State College, was born and raised in the crowded city of Calcutta. Her long, black, and wavy hair, her caramel skin color, her black eyes, and her facial features make it obvious to others that she is Indian. Her family came from Rajashtan, one of the states in India. It is true that for her family, arranged marriages are not something new. Her older sister went through one last summer. Moreover, Preeti does not mind this tradition as long as her parents give her enough time to get to know the man and feel comfortable with him, and she can decide on her own whether or not to marry him. Although she seems quiet and shy, Preeti is not a close-minded woman and she always expresses her opinion. She is open to new ideas and different cultures. She went to a British Catholic school from the very beginning of her education. She had to learn everything using English. It shows that Preeti opens to new things since her childhood. If she agrees with the tradition of arranged marriage, it does not necessarily mean she just does whatever it says. She told me that once she argued with her mom about the way they pray. Her mom, who is a conservative Hindu, required her to pray in front the idols, read the mantra, and does meditation in the big temple or her family shrine. Preeti likes to pray in her room by herself. For her, it is not necessary to pray in a specific place and read the mantra every time she prays, and it does not need to be in front of the idols.