"You Like Arraigned Marriage or Love Marriage?"

This innocent question was asked to me by the bearded guy on the left of this picture.

The two girls on my right were his daughters, both single. I rode with the family to the Pakistani border.


The girl on the far right seemed especially curious about me. But she couldn't speak English very well, so she would ask her father questions in Hindi, who would then ask me in English.

How old are you? What do you do? Married or unmarried?

When I said I was unmarried, the two girls giggled and conversed excitedly in Hindu. I turned and watched the scenery for a few minutes. Then they spoke to their father.

And then he in turn asked that question.

"Ummm...I guess I'm gonna have to say that I prefer love marriage," I said.

Pause. The father frowned. "Oh."

Nothing more for the rest of the trip.