The truth is, I'm having a hard time right now. I'm 25 years old, and I'm currently in college. I've told my parents for a long time that I'd like to get married when I'm 30 because I want to achieve my dreams before getting into a serious relationship. But recently, my parents suddenly asked me out on a date with a girl.
The situation, both our family and the girl's family are conservative. Because of this, we are not allowed to talk privately, even if it's just a simple chat or call. They want us to always have our parents with us when we talk. So they thought of a way to do it a video call with the girl's family.
The problem was, I overslept that day and couldn't attend the call. Because of that, my father got really angry. He said that we were embarrassed by the girl's family and that I didn't seem to be taking everything seriously. That's when I felt a pang of of conscience. I thought, maybe I did something wrong and maybe I hurt the girl and her family's feelings even if I didn't mean to.
But as time goes on, the situation becomes more difficult. My family wants me to enter into an arranged marriage. They force me to choose the woman they have chosen because they say it is for my good. What hurts is, they don't like the women I like because they don't share the same religion and culture. Whenever I mention someone else I like, they always say it's not allowed.
Now, I feel like I'm stuck between two choices. If I follow my family's wishes, I might lose the chance to be with the person I truly love. But if I fight for my own feelings, I might hurt my family and make them think I don't value them. It's hard because both are important to me — my family and the woman I love.
The question that keeps coming to mind: Who should I choose? The woman my family has rejected for whom I have no feelings yet, or the woman I really like, even though she doesn't meet my parents' standards? I know many can relate to this, especially those from families with strict beliefs. Honestly, I'm afraid of making the wrong decision because a big part of my future depends on it.
