Have you gone on a date yet? Uh, well, to be honest, nah. The quest for love isn't always easy. Finding a groom is worse than looking for a job. But what happens when love comes after marriage... In our tradition, girls never have romance before the marriage. ...and your family has the final say over who you marry? So, before the marriage, will you allow the girl to talk with the boy? I had no idea who she was. I was ready to say no. But when I saw him, I said yes. (PEOPLE CHEER) Meet the Kiwis who are putting their tradition first and their parents in charge of choosing Mr or Mrs Right. Seriously, I'm so nervous. Copyright Able 2018 25-year-old Shaneil is from a traditional Hindu family, and he's about to embark on an arranged marriage to a girl chosen by his family. I really trust them and I believe in them, so I told my grandfather, 'You guys look for a girl. 'If I like her, then, yes, I'll get married. 'But you guys will have to do all that work.' So they are my wingman. (CHUCKLES) Once a bride was found, a meeting between the two extended families was set to discuss the match. I had no idea who she was. I did ask for a photo. I asked if she's got Facebook as well. And they said no. 'Oh, OK.' When I first saw her, she was very shy and she looked very traditional. And then I was just like, 'Oh yeah, she's the one.' (TWINKLING MUSIC) After a year-long engagement consisting of chaperoned meetings and occasional phone calls, Shaneil is three weeks away from being married. At the moment I feel very nervous. Cos, like, I don't really know much about her. And, um, we never went out on a date. First time we only chat is just after our engagement, actually. So, she does come from a very strict family and a very traditional family, so I didn't really get to know her. Shaneil's grandfather is a Hindu priest and took the leading role in choosing his grandson's wife. My grandfather means a lot to me. When I was a little boy, I never saw my father. So he looked after me like a father. And his grandfather would not have selected Sanjana if the stars did not predict a good match. Says on here is like, uh, her skin is fair, and she'll be a good wife to anyone, and she's going to fit well within the family. Also her personality is a good one. She has got a very strong character. Yeah, it looks all good. It's the matching. It's matching and it's compatible as well. It's really important in our culture to get the horoscopes done, cos we do need to see if it matches. And also the horoscopes do give assurance that it will work. Growing up in Auckland, Shaneil is experienced at balancing cultural expectations with his Kiwi life. Oh, here he is. Hey! Hey! My mates were quite surprised when they found out I was getting arranged. They were actually shocked. They always saw the Kiwi bloke; they never saw my traditional bits and pieces. Does your culture have stag dos? Oh yeah, they do. Yeah? Have you had one? But I haven't had one. I was... Don't have time. Aww! Well, welcome to your stag do! (LAUGHTER) Have you gone on a date yet? Uh, well, to be honest, nah. You haven't gone on a date? It's just been a date with the family. That is an interesting concept. That's... That's... So the relationship comes after the marriage. Pretty much. That's how it goes. Wow. Interesting. The thing is everything just going from scratch. Yeah. Say, for instance, one week into your marriage,... Yes. ...and things don't actually pan out to where you plan to be? Do we wanna go there? Do we wanna go there? That's gonna be a tough question, mate. (CHUCKLES) Um, I don't know, eh. Um, like, seriously, I don't know. It's gonna be a learning curve. It's gonna be, um, going through a journey of how to maintain a relationship and how to grow with that relationship. Just, um, going with the flow at the moment. Soon Shaneil will have to juggle the happiness of both his family and his bride-to-be. It's a lot of responsibility there. But, hey, ready for the challenge. We wish you all the best, man. Hear, hear. Cheers for that. Cheers! (GLASSES CLINK) And I take it that's your last beer for the rest of your life? (LAUGHS) I guess so. (LAUGHTER) For most Indians, 25 is the ideal age to have an arranged marriage. So for 40-year-old car salesman Wasim, the clock is ticking. My parents and most of my friends have got arranged marriage. And marriages has worked out really well for them. So I think this is the right time for me. Because I'm pretty much nearly 40. What kind of car do you want your wife to be? I think Mini Cooper. (CHUCKLES) Pretty, economical, affordable. (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) Easy to handle. (TINKLING MUSIC) With time running out, this 40-year-old Muslim bachelor is leaving no stone unturned. My parents are looking in India; my friends are looking in New Zealand. I'm registered to a few dating sites, and one of my priests is looking for a Muslim bride in our community over here. I don't want to end up living alone for the rest of my life, so. And my parents, everyone` Like, I'm the only one left unmarried in my family, so this is the time. (MUSIC PLAYS, PEOPLE CHEER) It's Auckland city's Diwali festival. With thousands of Indian women here to celebrate, maybe Wasim can find the one. There's so many beautiful girls around. Do you like any girls here? So far I haven't seen anything. You gotta approach someone. Yeah, I'm trying, I'm trying. I'm just trying to build my confidence. You gotta be brave. Come on! You'll find one. Oh, it's very hard, it's very hard, trust me. When you come in my shoes, then you'll understand. It's really hard. How you gonna sell yourself, then? I think I should just go and say like, 'I'm very simple and nice guy. 'And let's start with friendship and let's see how it goes.' I'm trying to be brave, but I am not that brave, though. I just don't want to take any slap on my face. He'll be a very good husband because he's a very honest person. He's sort of a person, even at 2 o'clock at night, you ask him anything, he'll stand by you. But he is a little bit shy. On your left, on your left. Those ones, those ones. I think I can't make it. You can just say hi. Go, go, go! Go for it. Hi, girls. ALL: Hi! How are you? My name is Wasim. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. How was the bands? BOTH: Very good. What do you guys do? We do bhangra. Bhangra? ALL: Yes. The Punjabi one? ALL: Yes. So, I'm looking for a bride. OK. And if you do know someone interested... Yeah. No! LAUGHS: No! No worries. OK, then. Thank you. (ALL SAY GOODBYE) My parents are working really hard on me. And their main goal is, like, you know, in this deadline they want me to get married, so hopefully, like, somebody's coming. Who knows? And I have to lose weight too. Parents say I have to lose 10kg before I get married, so that's a target. (LAUGHS) Having no success finding a match in New Zealand, Wasim has decided to try his luck back in India. In one month I have seen nearly 100 girls. I didn't like any of them. But just before I was coming back to Auckland, I thought like, 'OK, last one I'll give a try and see.' I went to see her. As soon as I entered inside the room, I saw her sitting on the chair, I knew like, 'OK, she's the one.' I spent less than five minutes with her. I asked only three questions ` 'How old are you? What do you do? What's your major?' That's it. I didn't even ask her name. Confident he has found his wife-to-be, Wasim is now back in New Zealand eager to share his good news. I think she's the one. She's the one? Whoa. Fingers crossed. So she said yes to you? Yes, she did, yep. So... I'm feeling lucky. Oh, that's good. So when is the engagement happening? I'm just waiting for her father to get approve. Her mum said yes. You have to send gifts for the father so he agrees, yeah? (LAUGHS) Bribe him? Bribe him, yes. We have 12 years age gap between us, so it took a while for her father to be convinced. But, end of the day, it's all happening. Wasim has the all-important approval from his future bride's parents and is wasting no time planning for married life. Oh, so you are going to get married? Yep. Oh, no more single life, man. (LAUGHS) So you want to buy a house before you get married? Yes. That's my plan. You can go, have a look around. Have a look in the hallway. I want to have children as soon as possible. I may have, like, maybe 10, 15 years to have kids, so I want to have as many as possible in that time period. I do need a big family. I want to make a cricket team in my home. So 11 players and one additional. (CHUCKLES) Children are like gift from God, so you have to have as many as you can. Do you know if she wants kids? Uh, every Indian woman like kids. I'm pretty sure about that. Having only ever spoken to his future wife for five minutes, Wasim can only hope they will be able to find some common ground. She has to be very much satisfied and 100% happy. So I have to do whatever I have to do to make her happy. If she don't like to cook, we can go and eat takeaway. If she doesn't like one place, we can move to another place. But if she don't like me, I don't have any other option. I don't know what to do then. (UPBEAT INDIAN MUSIC) It's two weeks until Shaneil's arranged marriage, and he's taking the two women currently in his life ` Mum Shalini and Grandma Padma ` along to the final suit fitting. OK, so, the wedding suit is ready. Let's go up and try it on. Yep, all right. OK, here we go. So, this is the whole cut-work design, which I have designed it myself. Do you like it? The pressure is on Shaneil to prove to bride-to-be Sanjana and her family that they're the right fit. Suit picking was quite a big thing for us, because it was really important I'm wearing the right clothes. I wanted to impress Sanjana's family so that they know that, 'Yep, he's the one,' and there's no doubts. Everything needs to be perfect. Very nice, yeah. I like that. But, Shaneil, you? It's pretty good, yeah. Custom-made. I like the velvet. Yes, this is what we wanted. We wanted something very different and something unique, and we wanted to put our own effort and design into it, to make it more personalised, I suppose. Let's try it on. Yeah. Yes, this is what I was after. Feels really good. I feel like a king. Do you feel comfy in this suit? Yes. It looks really good. I just look at the design at the back. Do I look fat or do I look slim? (CHUCKLES) I'll give you trousers. OK. You'll have nice topi hat. He's going to walk on a very major path in his life, and it is a major journey that he's taking and a bit of responsibility. I think huge responsibilities with it. Wow. Here comes the maharaja. (CHUCKLES) Looks pretty good. Looks really good, yeah. Walk. Walk and see how you feel. Looks really nice, hey. I like the stonework. I think she'll go, 'Wow!' I think she will. After all, I'm her hubby. Come on! (CHUCKLES) This is for protection. Thank you. Oh gosh, just put it away. (CHUCKLES) Oh! It's blunt. (LAUGHS) Sanjana hasn't seen me dressed like this. But I believe that when she sees me, she will be quite stunned. Choosing a wife for your son is a big responsibility, and Shalini wants to make sure 25-year-old Shaneil is prepared for the life change. I always kept asking him, 'Are you OK? Are you ready? Do you want to do this? Are you sure or unsure?' I think he feels that she's the one. An only child brought up solely by his mother, Shaneil and Shalini share a close bond. I just wanna measure this cloth to see if it's the right size. So what I want you to do is just hold in the corner. This is for the wedding night. The groom puts the powder on the bride's forehead and puts a dot on the forehead as well. Full stop, dot. (CHUCKLES) So it needs to be covered so no one can see it. So, yeah, it's like a very private kind of ritual. In front of everyone, though. So we want to keep it as private as possible. Once married, Sanjana will move in with Shaneil and his mother, officially leaving her family and joining Shaneil's. Sanjana, I want her to feel she is special to me. And she is part of my family now, she's my daughter. I understand how she is with her parents, and my parents were quite strict as well. And I know exactly how she's feeling and what she would be going through. Throughout the engagement, cultural restrictions have been in place, limiting contact to occasional meetings and Skype calls ` but always under the supervision of a family member. Hello, Sanjana. How are you? I'm good. What you been up to? Nothing. Just cleaning the house, helping Mum make sweets. Are you really excited for the wedding? Yes. Yes. How's your outfit? Have you got it? No, I'm going to pick it up on Saturday. Oh, yes, my mum and Sanjana talk quite a lot. A lot more than I do. Um, because they can relate to girly things. It's really important for me that my mother is looked after and someone honours her and values her and respects her. Her happiness is my happiness. If she's not happy, I'm not happy. Hello. Hello. How are you? I'm good. How are you? I'm good, I'm good. It's been quite some time I haven't seen you. (CHUCKLES) Oh, someone's blushing. OK, OK. Are you excited for the wedding? I'm scared` a little bit scared. Scared? Scared of me? Scared that you might run away from the...? No. (LAUGHS) Are you scared because you'll miss your parents? It's just a feeling. You happy? Yeah, I'm happy. Are you? Yeah. OK. When we Skyped, it was quite hard for me to get to know her. There wasn't really much that we could relate. She's really shy when she talks to me. She was very sheltered. And I am quite worried that we don't really have much in common. With only a week to go until their marriage, Shaneil must wait a little longer to really get to know his bride-to-be. Take care of yourself. See you. You too. Bye! Bye. (MEN CHAT, LAUGH) 40-year-old bachelor Wasim has agreed to marry a woman from India he has only met once and spent just five minutes with. So, Wasim, this is the end of the bachelor life. Oh my God. So, who found her for you? Uh, actually, we have got a family friend. OK, so it's through the friend? Through the family friend. So, how long did you see her? I only saw her, like, for five minutes. That's it? Yeah, that's it. It will be a very traditional Muslim wedding. It will be a big celebration, roughly I'll say about 3000 people. The wedding will be for five days, so it will be a huge one. Are you guys in contact with each other? Like, how are you guys talking or getting in touch with each other? I'm not at all in contact with her. Really?! Yeah. Aren't you? We are not allowed to talk to each other. Oh my goodness. That's gotta be difficult, don't you think? Yeah. I just want to know her concerns regarding the wedding. I think you both need to talk about the planning of weddings, even the future plans. I mean, you must. I mean, this is your life, and you both need to know each other well before you guys get into relationship ` and specially marriage, actually. Yeah, that's true. I think it is very important because, end of the day, we'll be staying together` Exactly. ...and if she's not happy, if she is being forced to get married or forced to come over here, she won't be happy living with me. I don't know if she is the right wife because we have never met her. They didn't have any conversation, no phone calls, no talk. So he has no clue what is gonna happen. Pretty hard to say. Pretty hard. I mean, she could be fantastic, and she might not be. So... depends. I really want to know how she's feeling. Going forward from here, I'll call my parents push them, 'I just need to talk to her.' I'll say like, 'I'm not trying to break the traditions and stuff,' but end of the day, both of us have to be happy to start a happy life and a good living, otherwise... If one of us is not happy, it doesn't work. It's four days until Shaneil's arranged marriage to a girl he's spent no time alone with. So he wants to make a good impression. I have to make sure that I look my best. I got quite a bit of things done ` waxing,... Ooh! Aah! ...threading. Are you tearing already? Mm. It does hurt a little bit, eh? The whole shebang. This is gonna be bloody painful. (GROANS) Whoo! (WOMAN LAUGHS) There's too much hair on the head, hey? You know what happens to men after getting married, eh? What, all the hair falls off? That's` (WOMEN LAUGH) After the wedding Shaneil's fiancee, Sanjana, will live with him and his mother, an adjustment that might not be easy for everyone. You're gonna be waking up to this girl you promised you will love, and then you have your mum on the other end. For her to keep you happy, she needs to keep your mum happy. You do know that. That's just basically the rule. Hold it there and I'll pull. OK, this is a very awkward question, Shaneil. You love her? Sanjana? It's a hard question, you know? Thing is to love someone and to be in love is two different things. You do know that? Romance would come after marriage, especially when it's arranged. It's really important I try to do as much as I can to keep her happy. Oh, I feel like a new man. All ready to go. (TINKLING MUSIC) (TRADITIONAL INDIAN MUSIC) Three days before married life begins, the tilak ceremony is the first chance for the two families to come together and get to know each other. I am so nervous. Like, seriously, I'm so nervous at the moment. It's a real important part of the wedding ceremony. So this is the very first part, where the family agrees and invites me to come and get married. While Sanjana waits at home, the male members of her family come bearing gifts for Shaneil. Sanjana's family is very traditional, so the tilak ceremony was a good opportunity for my family to host. And it gives them an idea how we will treat them in the future. (CHANTS IN INDIAN LANGUAGE) All eyes are on Sanjana's father as he traditionally greets one of Shaneil's uncles. (BOTH CHAT, CHUCKLE) (CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS) Father-in-law is happy to come to my house with the invitation to come and marry his daughter. If he wasn't happy with me, then he wouldn't have come in the first place. (MAN CONTINUES CHANTING) The lighting of the diya signifies the purity and the goodness that is here to wave away evil tendencies or anyone that has come here with evil intentions. (MAN CHANTS IN INDIAN LANGUAGE) This is what he has to do. This is a new life for him. And the tilak on his forehead is to give him a cool mindset and to give him the strength. It is saying that, 'You are now going to take responsibility 'for our daughter Sanjana.' It feels quite good that I've got acceptance in the family. The responsibility does scare me a bit. But I have to say that everything will work out as time goes. This is all part of arranged marriage, and it is part of all these rituals, so I am quite relieved and I'm happy as well that we've managed to come this far. I'm very proud of Shaneil. I'm proud of his decision making, and I'm very proud of his maturity as well. Once the formalities are taken care of, Shaneil's family provide special entertainment for their guests. Thank you to you all who have very patiently enjoyed the ceremony. You all are most welcome to join in tonight's festivities of music and dancing. (PEOPLE WHOOP, BELLS JINGLE) (DRUMS PLAY RHYTHMICALLY) The best part is Monto's dance. She went and sat down on my father-in-law's lap, so it was good to tease my in-laws. (LAUGHS) It was a special gift from me to him. Still in the delicate phase of getting to know each other, Shaneil can only hope he's made a positive impression on his father-in-law. Car salesman Wasim has agreed to wed a virtual stranger in India. But after many failed attempts to contact his bride-to-be, he's beginning to have doubts about his arranged marriage. I only talked to her once in the whole process. Problem is I really want to talk to her and want to know whether she is happy to get married with me or not. If she is getting forced and if she is not happy, what's the point of getting married? It's very hard. I tried to know her better. But when I talk to my parents, my parents said, 'It's arranged marriage. You don't need to know.' Now I have to follow their instructions and traditions, what they say. I can't bypass them. While Wasim is happy to continue with the arranged marriage, he is not so sure his potential bride feels the same. For the parents, it's the culture we don't have to talk before we get married or something like this. For me, it's necessary. Because I need to know. I talked to her parents just before Christmas. I said, 'If you don't let me talk to her, 'probably I'm not very interested to get married.' But then they called my parents and they complained about me, saying, you know, I said like that. End of the day, whatever it happens, it happens for a reason. And it will be a good reason. I have to think positive. With his wedding plans now more precarious than ever, Wasim will travel to India to confirm once and for all if the arranged marriage will go ahead. I want to talk to her once. And that's the only condition I have ` I want to talk to her once before we get married. Still there is a slight chance of hope. to choose whether you want to be on the General Roll or the Maori Roll. If you didn't get a pack in the mail, get in touch today. Now is your time to choose. Enjoy endless data on your favourite social apps with Vodafone Social Pass, and get free social data for 90 days when you switch to Vodafone. (TRADITIONAL INDIAN MUSIC) How you doing, mate? I'm good, man. OK. Now, what can I do for you today? Just need to tidy up a little bit. It's been five months since Wasim travelled to India to meet his potential bride. Now he's back in New Zealand, and it appears romance is in the air. Got somewhere special you're going today? Yep, going for a date. Going on a date? Oh, mate. But his date is not the woman he was going to marry. I went from here to get married over there. They never let me talk to her. I don't want to jump to a conclusion, but I feel like it was forced marriage. And I was not comfortable doing like that, so I called off the marriage. Returning to New Zealand a single man, Wasim received an unexpected surprise. When I was coming back from India, none of my friends came to pick me up. And then I got a call from my friend, and then she asked me, 'Where are you?' I said, 'I'm just in the airport trying to figure out how to go home.' And then she said, 'I'll come and pick you up.' And it didn't take long for this car salesman to realise his perfect match was right under his nose all along. Her name is Nga. I knew Nga from, like, last five years, and she was a very good friend of mine. So she's been married before, did you say? Yeah, she was married before. And she got, like, two kids. End of the day, like, now I am happy. She is my perfect Mini Cooper with, like, some extras. The perfect Mini Cooper. That's a good way to look at it. She looks like a Mini Cooper. She looks like a Mini Cooper? (CHUCKLES) She's not very big. Thank you very much. Cheers, man. No worries. After a short courtship, their relationship soon became romantic, and Wasim confessed his true feelings. So, tell me about Wasim. Lovely guy. Aw! Um, easy-going and very care person. How'd you meet him? We've been friends for, like, more than four years. And so how did you fall in love? We start dating, like, a couple months ago. Actually, he did say to me that he really loved me two years ago. But he can't say it to me because he worried that he's gonna lose our friendship. Then we decided to get married. Wow. Yeah. Not wasting any time. (LAUGHS) The kids like him? Yeah. Yeah, perfect. To be honest, I only loved him, like, a month ago. When I realised that I love him, I have his name, his signature, like W, on my hand. (GIGGLES) Yeah. I love it. I feel like he's always with me in my arms. (CHUCKLES) Everything happens for a reason, for a very, very good reason, very good cause. It's just, like, not my dreams now, it's her dreams and then my dreams. KIDS: Thank you. Thank you so much. Did you like it? Yeah. It's really nice. I love it. Ooh! Really nice. (SINGS) Would you like a cupcake? Thank you! Having found a relationship born out of love, Wasim is content to turn his back on arranged marriage. Yes, it's been a long journey. Glad it's going to end now. (BOTH LAUGH) So what kind of wedding do you guys want? Um, Indian wedding. (LAUGHS) Indian wedding first, and then from there, like, probably in future we'll get married in Vietnam, and then we'll get married over here as well. But let's see. I do believe in arranged marriage, but it's not for me, no. Everything happens for a reason, for a very, very good reason, very good cause. We are in love. Deeply. (CHUCKLES) Deeply, madly. He's my dream man. Still now I couldn't believe it. (CHUCKLES) Still can't believe it? Mm, no. At the moment, I feel like I'm driving towards the sunset of my life. And hopefully I'll sit with her every day and watch sunset. Wow. That's nice. (TINKLING MUSIC) (EXCITING MUSIC) Shaneil's big day has finally arrived. And it's important that everyone makes a good impression with the bride's family. Today I've noticed that he's really excited in everyone else's dressings. He's wanting everyone to look really cool and perfect. I'm anxious, nervous. Excited as well. It's been about two weeks I haven't seen her, and two weeks I haven't talked to her. Oh, in reality, I haven't seen her for quite some time. (PERCUSSIVE MUSIC PLAYS) With the pressure on, it's the entire family's duty to ensure that Shaneil transforms from bachelor to groom. My suit did give me a lot of confidence and did make feel that Sanjana's the one. Before Shaneil leaves, we do a little ritual where Shaneil will make promises to me that he will look after me. He will have someone else in his life, which we both understand, and she will be his priority. And I think he's matured enough to take on those responsibilities. Make sure you bring him back with the wife, eh? We are giving you this job so he goes there safely and returns safely. And you are the protectors. These guys are my bodyguards, and they're gonna make sure that I bring her home. Safely. (LAUGHTER) Oh, a bit nervous at the moment, so it's a big day. (LAUGHTER) One year after first meeting and becoming engaged, Shaneil heads off to finally wed his bride, Sanjana, a girl he still barely knows and has never dated. It's been a year since 21-year-old Sanjana was introduced to Shaneil, the man her parents had chosen to be her husband. I always knew I was gonna have an arranged marriage. I told Dad that if I don't like the guy I won't say yes, so I was ready to say no. But when I saw him, I don't know, I just looked at him and I said yes. (TINKLING MUSIC) Now the day has come for this Hindu bride to finally walk down the aisle. On the morning of the wedding day, while I was waiting in the room, I was really nervous. Excited at the same time to get married, cos I waited a long time. (UPBEAT ORCHESTRAL MUSIC) When I heard Shaneil arrive, my heartbeat pounds really loud. Cos... I was really scared. (PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS PLAY) As Shaneil and the wedding procession arrive, they are welcomed by Sanjana's father, who will soon hand over his daughter to a new family and a new life. (SPEAKS INDIAN LANGUAGE) (LAUGHTER) The arranged marriage is like something going from our heart. Oh, she's a bit nervous, she's frightened, you know? But overall, she's happy, yeah. (SITAR MUSIC) While I was walking down the aisle, there was lots of guests there, so that made me really nervous. I was worried that I might do something wrong. Yeah, first time I saw her after ages, she looked really pretty. I did look at her, then I winked at her. And she went all blushy. (CHUCKLES) I was shy. I was really shy. (SERENE SITAR MUSIC ECHOES) My dad gives me away to Shaneil. My mum started crying. I told her not to cry; if she cries, then I'm gonna sit there and cry the whole thing. (LAUGHS) A Hindu wedding ceremony can last hours, with each step of the ritual leading to the most important moment, where the groom places red powder on his bride's forehead ` the mark of a married woman. We have to go under the chunni because no one can see that. It was a very sacred and a very private moment for both of us. If someone sees from the outside, that means it's bad luck for marriage. My favourite part during the wedding was when he offered me this, cos then I know I'm his forever. Yeah, and then we're starting a new life together. Yes! Success! (LAUGHS) (GENTLE MUSIC) Leaving the hall, I start crying cos I know it's my time to leave my family now, and leaving them, like, all of a sudden is really heart-breaking. It was sad to see them cry, especially my father-in-law. She's really close to her father, so it was quite sad to see him tear up as well. But I did say, 'Don't worry. She's not going forever. We live down the road.' Officially married, Sanjana farewells her parents and departs with Shaneil and his family. Shaneil went without being married; he was single. Yeah, and he's married now, so I have to welcome them in the house as a married couple now. Although now husband and wife, cultural restrictions still apply on the wedding night. Cos it's my first time in their house, we have to sleep in separate rooms. It was OK for me, but it was hard for him. (CHUCKLES) We slept in separate rooms because she still had to go back to her house, and I had to go and pick her up for the very final time and bring her home. (QUIRKY MUSIC) The next morning, after a few hours' sleep, Sanjana returns to her parents' house one last time. I couldn't sleep cos it was new. Just that weird feeling. It was really different cos I was missing my favourite pillows. I went to bed at 5am in the morning and then woke up at 6.30. (LAUGHS) Now I'm excited. Ready to move in with him, live with him forever now. While I was packing, I kind of felt like I'm leaving my old life behind. (FAINT LAUGHTER, CHATTER) Shaneil and his family are gonna take Sanjana. This is part of our culture. She's going to a new home. She's going to start everything new. It's sad for them. We're just trying to have a good time and relax. It's a celebration, yeah, so just have a bit of fun, laugh. 'Oh, I think Shaneil's a good boy. I think my daughter will adjust to stay with them.' My daughter is my heart, you know? And it's very hard to say that she's gonna go out from me. For me it was reassuring because he trusted me quite a bit. And he knew that I am capable of taking this responsibility and creating our future together. Dad knows he is a good guy. Yeah, it was a happy moment and a sad moment as well. Cos leaving them for the last time was hard. After an emotional goodbye, the newlyweds will now head to Fiji for their honeymoon and will spend their first night alone together. See you soon! (CHATTER, LAUGHTER) (BRIGHT MUSIC) After spending their honeymoon in Fiji and their first time alone together, newlyweds Shaneil and Sanjana are settling into domestic life back in New Zealand. Married life's good. It is new. Lots of responsibilities, but it's good. Before I was really anxious and I was, like, really nervous and I didn't know what I was supposed to do. Now I got to know her, who she actually is. She's a friend, a wife, loving and caring. Someone that I can talk to and open up to. It's a good feeling, I have to say. No regrets at this stage. (BOTH CHUCKLE) At the family home, Shaneil's mother, Shalini, has happily welcomed her new daughter into their household. I feel the decision we've made is right. They have embraced their relationship, which is the first step. They do look good together. They do things together, they're now making decisions together and it is fantastic so far. And my blessings are that it will go even better, but, yeah, I feel it is a really good match. But is Shaneil able to balance being a good husband while still taking care of the other important woman in his life, his mother? He has stepped up, yes, absolutely. He's shown the grown-up phase in him. I think he's become more responsible. Sanjana coming from a very strict family, I think that she is adjusting. She's doing well. And she's always smiling. I mean, I can see happiness in her face. And she wants to be here and she wants to be part of our family. Now three weeks into their marriage, the couple can enjoy slowly getting to know each other. Cheers. Romance ` this is when it starts. We're out on our first date after our wedding. I'm very useless at this at the moment. (BOTH LAUGH) He's trying his best. (LAUGHS) Shaneil is a husband. I know he's always gonna be there for me. He's a really good guy, takes care of me. 'He's romantic. He cuddles and keeps asking me if I'm all right, if I need anything, 'if I'm happy with him. It's cute how he keeps on asking it.' But I know he's a good husband and he knows I'm a good wife, so we don't expect much from each other. Arranged marriage, every day we get to know each other. It's a challenging journey, but, however, it's quite an interesting journey. Are you happy? Yes, I'm happy. That's good. Are you not happy? I'm happy. You happy? LAUGHS: Yeah. Smiling. You're more tipsy, mate. (BOTH LAUGH) Aah! My family's made the right decision. There's a lot of compatibilities between us. We haven't argued yet. No. We will never argue. Yeah, whatever. (LAUGHS) We fell in love. Yes, perfect match. Perfect match? Yes, perfect match. OK. (CHUCKLES) (LAUGHTER) Captions by Tracey Dawson. www.able.co.nz Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2018