Are you getting married because you think it's the right age? I guess, yeah. Maybe I've just grown up a bit. The quest for love isn't always easy. Finding a grown 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, when you are alone, the girl should with the boy. I had no idea who she was. I was ready to say no. But when I saw him, I said yes. (CHEERING) 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. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2018. Bachelor Ankit moved from India to study in New Zealand two years ago. Now 31, Ankit is ready to find his soulmate. In India, it would have been easier for me to find a wife. There, my parents would have supported me, and I would have had support of my friends. They would look around in their own communities. But here in New Zealand, I don't have too many friends; like, I don't have my family here. So it's difficult. My wife ` I think looks is something that everybody goes for. But, you know, marriage goes deeper than just that. But then like my mother says, you know, you need to look at the other partner's face every morning for the rest of your life, so you make sure that the person looks good, you know? (CHUCKLES) (TINKLY MUSIC) An aspiring writer, Ankit has dedicated the last five years to completing his first novel, a science fiction romance. Excuse me. If you don't mind, can I have a quick`? OK. Sorry. Basically, I'm a writer. I give my book to 10 random people every day. And I just wanted to ask you if you would wanna read, like, a good book. I'm not going for fame ` I'm not going to become, like, a star or something. But I just want people to read it, you know? I am kind of different, and I have rich imagination. So I do sometimes just find myself just too engrossed in my creativity. It does become lonely. Ankit, like, most Indian bachelors, is looking for more than just a wife for himself. The most important thing for my future wife or my life partner or my better half would be that she actually understands my family as much as she is dedicated towards me. Uh, that would be probably my, uh, first concern. With his parents in India, Ankit has turned to friend Karpal, who has first-hand experience with arranged marriage. I think it's about time for me. Like, I've reached that age in my life where I would wanna settle down. Fair enough. Do you feel you are ready? I feel that I'm ready, yes. Yeah, that's fine. Yeah, that's what matters. Yeah, and that's why I wanted to, you know, know more about arranged marriages from you. For me, it was more through the family. I agreed to meet with a girl. We had a catch-up for half an hour, I think. Half an hour? Yeah, before my gut feeling stepped in, just saying, 'Yeah, let's do this.' And that's it ` done. Is it a bit awkward at first? Or is it, like...? I think it's anything in life. I mean, it's similar to going for an interview when you sit down there. It's pretty much you feeling awkward. What exactly are the steps I should be taking to find, like, a lady? I guess have a chat with your parents as well. Just find out. I guess, once you're talking, you'll pick up some clues in terms of what they're looking for as well. Yeah. So, have you registered any online matrimonial sites? I wanted to take your opinion before I did that. Do you think that's probably a good way to`? No, I think it's fine. Obviously probably get a haircut to start with. Yeah. Take some nice photos to put on the website. I think the first thing ` yeah, that's probably the first logical step. I'm not really afraid to get into the arranged marriage, but then what if that person is, like, I get the gut feeling like you, but then after a few months down the line or after one year, I feel that would not have been the case and really leery? Yeah. I think, look, anything in life is not certain. Just throw everything out there what you want, aim for the Moon, and then you'll reach stars. Over the course of this season, many different journeys to arranged marriage have been explored, some more traditional than others. Tonight our married couples are coming together to share their experiences and discuss what married life is really like. (WHOOSH!) Finding a groom is worse than looking for a job. You can't get to see the person more than twice or three times ` it's kind of the maximum, and then you to give answer 'yes' or 'no'. Under pressure from her family to marry, Jenica agreed to travel to India to meet a selection of eligible bachelors picked by her parents. Got a surprise for you. OK. What is it? Uh, I got married. What?! Yes, I did. Congratulations! Thank you. You got, like, married? Yes, I got married. Like, married married? Married married. Whoo! Whoa! That's him. Oh, you guys look so nice together. (TINKLY MUSIC) I met 12 guys. And out of them, he had, like, a nice loud confident voice that kind of appealed to me. It's, like, OK, this guy's got something, so let's get to know him more. My family really liked her, her upfront nature ` that's, like, most of the Indian girls don't have the courage to say what they feel. I don't think so that it was really crazy after five dates, because I got to know him, what I needed to know ` that he's responsible, good family, good study. That's it. Like, I can deal with the rest. And the rest is just trying to know each other for the rest of the life. Jenica and her husband, Deval, have now been married for 14 months. Wow. We are the first one here. Are we in the right place? I think so. Well, let's see. Hello? (BOTH LAUGH) Next to arrive is Raneet and Nirmansha, whose love story took a different path, starting with a six-year Facebook friendship. Nirmansha and I started poking each other on Facebook. I don't know who started it, but it became a poke war. I'd poke her, she'd poke me ` we'd poke each other. And then it's gone up to, like, 4000 pokes. We really got to know each other over that period. We went to dinner, and I had a few drinks. One thing lead to another, and I proposed to her. You proposed on the first date? Yes. I proposed on the first date. Family approval was important to both of us. I told my parents because we're getting another member of the family, another member of the team, so to speak, and the other team members need to have their say. There you go ` someone's coming. Oh, hello. Hello. Hello. How are you? Hello. How are you? Deval. Jenny. Nice to meet you. Hi. Deval. Mansha. How long have you guys been married now? We're almost married a year now. Wow. Well, we've known each other for six years, but it took us six years to actually get a date. Our marriage ` done in, like, you know` 20 days. 15, yeah` 20. ...20 days. Yeah. Yeah. Oh wow. I think it's pretty bold that some of the people we're meeting tonight, they got married before actually getting the time to know each other. I think it's a bold step. For me, knowing a person in and out is a major factor. Because you have to spend the rest of your life with the guy, so get to know him before you get married. (TINKLY MUSIC) Arriving at the event is another couple ready to share their arranged marriage experience. Are you excited? Yeah, I'm excited to meet the new couple, looking at what their experience was. Raised in a traditional Sikh home, Gurvinder accepted that his family would choose his wife. I always expected arranged marriage, like, I wouldn't get a chance to spend time with her, get to know here. And then I saw this girl. (CHUCKLES) Hello. Hi. I met Gurvinder at work, and things were in a friend zone at that time. It was while in India meeting potential wives that Gurvinder decided it was workmate Radhika who he wanted to marry. I think the distance was the thing. Like, we started thinking that, yeah, we're missing each other. The couple then dated for two years before getting their family's approval to tie the knot. So, it was love first, and then the family jumped in, so made it arranged marriage. Here they are. There you go. There's two more coming. Hello. Hi. Hi. Do you just wanna take a seat? BOTH: Yeah. (SIGHS) How did you guys marry each other? It was at work. Oh wow. Yeah. So, how long you are dating each other? About two years, yeah. Whoa. That's a long time. Two years, yeah. And what about you guys? Oh, like, I met him in India, and within 15, 20 days, we got married. So our dating time is only 15 days? BOTH: Yeah. In the first meeting, we never got to talk ` her brother just interviewed me, yeah. Did it feel like a work interview? Yeah. (LAUGHTER) It's the biggest job interview of your life, yeah. Yes, yes. Uh, I can't believe, like... I... Like, I wouldn't see myself doing, uh,... what you guys have done. How did you put that decision on you, like, OK, that's it ` like, we're getting married now? According to me, it's the best way to finding your partner is, like, it's not like you have to know them for a long time. For you guys, it's six years, so it's a long time you are knowing each other. We were friends. We were just friends. We were just friends. But you are knowing each other. Many of the cases where the relationship is a longer period, and after getting married, they are thinking, like, 'You are not the same person that I am expecting. 'Yeah, you changed.' You changed after the marriage. You grow as a couple. Yes. You find new hobbies. You do stuff. Yeah, I mean, we had our first date, it was magic. If it's right, you'll know. If it's not, it's not, and you just move on. It's a spark. It's a spark, yeah. It's just a spark. (TINKLY MUSIC) Realising that igniting a spark on a first meeting takes more than just luck, bachelor Ankit is giving his appearance an overhaul. My priority is to get married now. This is your asset. This is what you sell ` we give you confidence. But the first thing is do some waxing. OK. I trust you. You trust me? OK, good. Yeah. Never done this before, Ankit? Never. OK. It's hot wax. We pull it out right from the root. Ow. I mean, why now? Why at 31? Ow. Are you getting married because you think it's the right age? I guess, yeah. Maybe I've just grown up a bit. Are you looking for a bride over all of New Zealand or back home? I mean, I would love to find a bride here in New Zealand. Why is that? I'm more comfortable with have, like, a, you know, Indian Kiwi girl or maybe someone who would be more understanding towards the cultural and the traditional values. Ouch. Ow. OK. Ankit. Yeah. Let me take that man cave out, bro. Ow. Ow. Oh, yeah. Thank God. This feels so good. It is good. Oh! Looking for love the arranged way is a new experience for Ankit. (SIGHS) OK, what are girls looking for in a guy? Overall, in general, someone who's loyal. What do you think girls are looking for in a guy nowadays? I guess girls are just looking for a nice guy, you know? I mean, someone who can really be stable with them, make them laugh and help them grow as individuals, I guess. (LAUGHS) That's so cute. I see that you have a little bit of grey hair. I like that salt and pepper look. (CHUCKLES) It does look good. Damn. Wow. I feel a lot more confident and, I guess, handsome. Yeah. (CHUCKLES) I can't really, you know, recognise myself. It's, like, so good. If this doesn't work, I don't know what will. The next step probably will be to give a call to my parents, and that will be getting a few pictures of myself, uploading them and getting on the websites and seeing where it goes, like, getting arranged. Before proceeding any further, Ankit must gain his parents' support for the marriage quest. So, yeah, I'm gonna Skype my parents and get them on the case. Hi. Ankit! Good morning. (LAUGHS) Mm. (LAUGHS) (LAUGHS) OK, so, like, I've gone through all this, you know, makeover and everything. Basically, I am looking to get arranged marriage. (LAUGHS) OK. Cool. Is it OK if I look for someone here in New Zealand at the same time you look there in India? Sure. Sure. Yes. Like, what girl will you prefer? Religious values and tradition. Mm. Mm. Mm. Mm. OK. OK. Yeah, OK. (LAUGHS) OK. (LAUGHS) OK. Cool. All right. Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad. Take care. Bye. I feel my journey has been exciting, you know, getting myself out there, getting a new makeover today, you know, speaking to my family. It just gives me a positive vibration about this whole idea of arranged marriage. There's a change in confidence, and there's a change in perspective as well. I'm more than happy to put myself out there. Who knows what's gonna happen? 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. Another two couples are arriving to join the event, both with very different arranged-marriage experiences. I'm feeling pretty nervous about this situation, you know? I don't know how much should I reveal to them or how much are they going to reveal, you know, to us. Bhumika and Pratik met online, talking for three months before meeting once, and then getting engaged, while Sanjina and Shaneil didn't really talk at all. Cheers, guys. Cheers to Arranged. (LAUGHS) So, tell me, Shaneil, how did you guys meet? It was arranged the traditional way. And I never got to take her out on a date or anything like that. The first time you guys met, was there pressure on you to make a good first impression in front of him, in front of his family who had come to visit you? I was supposed to be quiet. My dad told me not to talk, not to talk that much, just sit there quietly, looking down. Yeah, I wasn't even looking at him. The first meeting with her, well, it wasn't alone ` it was with everyone there, my uncles, my aunties, my grandparents, and then her family there. The first point of conversation was pretty intense. It wasn't something like, 'Hi. Hello. How are you? Yeah, I'll marry you.' (LAUGHS) I don't really know much about her. And, you know, we never went out on a date. The first time we only chatting was just after our engagement, actually. Dad told me I can say no if I don't like him. But I kind of said yes. Kind of? (LAUGHS) Oh really? Kind of? Well, I was gonna say no. But I said yes. The spark came after the wedding. Yeah, then that's when we got to know each other. We waited and made things special. Pratik and I, we got a chance to talk to each other for at least three months before we met each other. Then our families met, and then a decision was made that yeah, we would go ahead with it. I asked my mum, like, 'I do need to know about the girl. 'I need to find out who she is, what's her likes and dislikes.' But my father said no. That is so intense. Wow. How did you know that this is it? I was just going with the flow. (LAUGHS) Oh, OK. I trusted my family. And I trusted my family as well. It is very important to know somebody before you get hitched, because if you are planning on spending the rest of your life with somebody. Pratik and I met by a matrimonial website. He had sent me a request. I saw this profile that got my attention. I saw this boy was, you know, all shaved and nice and muscular-looking guy, and he's sitting on this horse. And, you know, just that profile picture just appealed to me a lot. Oh my God. Look at him. (CHUCKLES) It was just one day when I saw a gorgeous girl on the matrimonial site, her name was Bhumika, who is fortunately sitting beside me now, and I sent her a request. So, I was talking to him for three months before we physically met each other. So, for me, I think I knew before I met him ` I knew he could be the one. Yeah, so, this is the picture of the day that we met for the first time. And yeah, I think I fell in love with him instantly the day I met him. Yeah, I think we got the time that we wanted before getting married. Us physically meeting each other face to face was just a formality ` to just, yeah, let's tick off all the boxes, and let's get married now. The matrimonial site, I would say that it was the best way for me, because one ` with the matrimonial site, you get a lot of options. You wanna try this, this, this, this, this. OK. The other one, matrimonial site ` you're not committed. You know, you are not bound to say yes or you're not bound to say no or anything. You can first try and get to know that person, and then decide what do you want to do ` do you want to go ahead or no. I think you should be 80% honest on your profile which is online, yeah. The rest 20% you can discuss with the person that you wanna meet in person. I would say, yeah, 80% is good enough. I think it is a positive place to find a life partner, because at the end of the day, it is the platform that you can actually meet some genuine people who are interested in getting married. (TINKLY MUSIC) Now ready to find a wife, bachelor Ankit is taking his search online. So, after speaking to my parents, this is the right time for me to go ahead and click some nice pictures and put myself out there on the matrimonial website. Whoa! How are you? Good, good, mate. BOTH: Hi. You look so different. Wanting to make the best possible impression, Ankit has enrolled the help of his friends Karpal and Jess. I think you should sit, like, up on there. And we'll take some cool pictures. Oh, I love it. OK. Just relax, yeah. More casual. Whatever way you feel. Mm. That's better, yeah. Great. Oh, I like that. That's nice. (TINKLY MUSIC) I am very creative as an individual, and this really represents what kind of person that I am. Gel is in. Like that? Crikey. Um, hands through your, uh, hair, yeah. Keep doing it. Nice. Nice. Getting there. Yeah, on the sides as well a little bit. Is that OK? Maybe rub it in a bit more. OK. Is it still quite...? Yeah. Great. Oh, let's take some photos now. OK. That's great. Smile a bit. That's nice. Pretend the camera's your future wife. Whoa. Yeah. Love eyes. (CHUCKLES) So that's nice. Oh, that's nice, yeah. It'll be really nice if I find a girl who looks like Catherine Zeta-Jones, but is, like, traditional Indian. Like, you know, with Indian looks and stuff. Catherine Zeta-Jones born in India, kind of thing. Is it? (LAUGHTER) You know she's got Indian heritage? Does she? I'm just kidding. Oh, I love it. Yeah. That's good. Look up at me. Whoa. That charm. Let's take a last photo and probably call it a day. Give me all the stuff, and maybe sit on the corner. Don't you think it's kind of false advertising? She might think it's your car. Yeah. I mean, if she does, then I would probably tell her honestly that it's not mine. OK. Are you gonna tell them about your job, that you don't have a job? What are you gonna tell them about that? Yeah, of course I'm gonna tell her, like, I'm a writer, I share my book with people and, you know, I own creatively. He's a nice guy. He's humble. He's quite down to earth. I think being away from his parents, that part is missing at the moment for him. And this is not easy, I guess, but I think he has got good chances. I'm excited. I just wanna see what works out. I wanna know where this'll lead to. With millions of users around the world, matrimonial websites help narrow the search by providing very detailed personal information. Who do you work with? Just private company, I guess. I mean... But at the moment, you are not working. Not working. Self-employed. What do you do as self-employed? I can't put self-employed. Not working. And your annual income? (CLEARS THROAT) Oh, not applicable. Like, better to put what is there. Well, if you want an honest wife, you have to be honest with her. I completely understand that it's gonna be making it harder for me to find someone. Might be, yeah. But I just wanna be honest. Yeah. Next question. Yeah, I don't know what my height is. Solution for everything. Stand up. Let's see. This is just getting too real right now. Don't be embarrassed. All right. Let's see. Your height does matter. Oh. So it's more important than your income, probably. (LAUGHS) I guess it's more or less important to be, you know, just compatible. What if she is taller than you? It's OK. As long as she's not too tall. You know what I mean? Do you think that I'm average? I guess I'm between athletic and average. Shall I put athletic? Cos I'm not that fat. But you're not that athletic either. I mean, I can be if I want to be. I'm gonna put athletic. Yeah. Really? OK. One last thing about myself. Whoa. So I'm just gonna make it simple, quick and simple, like, 'I am a writer with a passion to create beautiful literature.' From the girl's point of view, do you think that's the only thing she wants to know? I mean, I can say that I come from, you know, a well-educated family and stuff. Go a bit more into about you ` you're down to earth, those kind of things. I think that matters most. Yeah. Like, I mean, I'm down to earth as well. Yeah, I think do add those as well. There's a code, you know, I mean, I always have felt really close to. OK. And I thought that this is a, you know, really good opportunity for me to put it out there. The code says the worst thing about life is waiting, but the best thing about life is having someone worth waiting for. Wow. No, I think that's very nice, actually. Think it sounds good? Congrats. You're officially on the market now. (LAUGHS) Yeah. Let's see how the market is behaving, if the stocks are rising up or going down. (TINKLY MUSIC) Wanting to better understand what type of wife he should be looking for, aspiring writer Ankit has decided to consult the stars. In our family, there's been a tradition of following the horoscope and stuff, and I really wanna keep that tradition alive, not just for myself, but also for my mother. I think Scorpios are curious as well, so I'm curious. To help him cure his curiosity, Ankit has chosen well-renowned astrologer Captain Shekhar. Basically, it's a sensitive horoscope, yours ` emotional, sensitive horoscope. In the context of marriage, four components, the first is tana. Tana means body. Body. Means conjugal happiness,... physical love. Physical love. OK? And in your case, if I may be candid enough to say, libido's the highest. Yeah, you know, you will have a rather erotic imagination. And so you require to have a person who'll reciprocate for fulfilment. You're looking for a romantic partner, and that's what you need. So mind will also be very important. She will be somebody who works with the brains. She will be somebody ruled by Jupiter. Jupiter makes a person really mature and sensible. Motherhood sits very well with them. They make excellent parents ` strict to an extent, but very caring. The third is equal to money. Financial habits. So money will keep on slipping out of your hands. Will I be successful in being that writer, like, doing something like that? You will be successful. It fizzled, but you will be. And last is fertility. If we take a block of concrete and another block of concrete, the cement that holds it together ` children. Well, you should be basically looking for a girl, we're talking Indian Moon signs ` Libra, Sagittarius, and this is Aquarius. All these are the rashis which tend to suit you. Knowing everything that, you know, you've told me, is there any particular advice that you would like to give me? Now, how do you go about looking for her? In today's modern world, it's media, matrimony.com or whatever. You'll have to go looking for this one. My meeting with Mr Shekhar was actually quite fruitful. He gave me the motivation to be proactive. You know, and since I've not had much action on the matrimonial website, I guess it's time to things in my hand ` you know, start messaging people, use social network, get a bit of control and get busy, you know? Yeah. So, what do think the other couples are gonna think about us? Cos our story's quite different. The final couple arriving to share their experience is Ahsish and Ekta. We should look for some, like, bright colours. Yeah, that colour's nice. That's pretty. Ashish and Ekta both knew they would have arranged marriages, but never imagined it would be to each other. We were friends for nine years ` best friends, that is ` and then our parents decided because we get along so well with each other, it'd be a good idea that we stay together for life, I suppose, and get married. Most couples would not consider living together before an arranged marriage, but Ashish and Ekta's parents permitted the couple to buy a house together. Before the wedding, we are not supposed to be sleeping together and stuff like that, so we have different rooms. That's my room. And that's Ekta's room, which is going to be our room after we come back from the wedding. I suppose because we lived together before we got married, there's a very high chance that other couples are gonna judge us. I don't know. They might frown upon us, but we did it the right way. Like, our parents were happy, we were happy, and I think that's what matters, anyway. Well, let's go and see them. Yeah, let's find out. (LAUGHTER) Yay! Hello! (LAUGHTER) Hi. Welcome, guys! Nice to meet you. BOTH: Hi. Nice to meet you. So, how long, the relations of you guys? (BOTH LAUGH) Enlighten us. It has been different for us. Like, we know each other for nine years. And after our engagement, we were living together for almost a year. Did your parents know that? Yeah. They knew it. (LAUGHS) Before engagement? Yeah. No, no, no, after engagement. Oh. OK, OK. After engagement. That's a whole new life. We have to change with time. Like, you know, but even with traditional Indian weddings, like, I think it's changing, and it's changing for good, and it's a good thing. Yeah, absolutely. That's really cool that you guys stayed together after you guys got engaged. We are very happy that we knew each other. We don't have ugly surprises coming along. There's always surprises. There's always good and bad things that you'll face in the marriage, of course. But we got to see them before the marriage, and we had time to deal with them. We had time to actually work on them. What if you guys got engaged, stayed together and thought, 'This is not happening. 'I'm not getting married to this guy'? Oh my God. It would have been really awkward. (LAUGHTER) Living in the same house before we got married made it a lot easier for us to get used to each other and come out of that friend zone. It's a blessing to know your partner before the marriage in a traditionally arranged marriage. You guys were engaged ` you didn't get to see each other. How did that work for you guys? Were you not curious? Did you break the rules, like, not tell your parents and see each other? No, I didn't break any rules ` just tradition, and it was quite important to us. And I value my family's beliefs. But was that hard for you, not to see each other before you actually get married, like, though you're engaged? We had Skype, so... (LAUGHTER) So it means you can Skype, but you can't call or text each other, is it? No. She didn't have a phone. What? Whoa! (LAUGHTER) Seriously? You didn't have a phone? Did you guys not want to know each other before you married, like, who are you marrying? Who is asking this question? (LAUGHTER) But given a chance, do you think it would have worked better for you if you had known each other for a bit before the wedding? Yes, it would have definitely helped out, but it's a journey at the moment, and we get to learn ` we learn about each other each and every day. You know, it must be so hard. It was quite challenging for us. Yeah. It must be. Of course. Yeah. But at the end of the day, the longer you wait to have it, the sweeter the fruit is. (LAUGHTER) (TINKLY MUSIC) It's been three weeks since Ankit began his search for his wife, and he's already made progress. Tonight he will have his first arranged date, organised by his friend. Yeah, I'm going on a date. Karpal's suggested someone and, yeah, I'm curious, you know. Butterflies in the stomach. I have no idea what she's like. Yeah, I'm just completely in the dark. I've been on dates before a couple of times, but never like this. The worst that can happen is probably I might not like the person. The best thing ` you never know; I might just end up meeting my future wife. Mr Captain said that, 'You would definitely enjoy partnership with a person who is practical,' but I don't want the person to be too practical. Like, I would rather want it to be, like, a good balance. I'm really nervous. I've never done this before. I'm ready, you know? I hope she's kind of as into this as I am. I'm just hoping for the best. Ankit's date is 29-year-old Hashmin, a sales manager from Hamilton. Hi. Hi. (BOTH CHUCKLE) Hi. How are you? Good. How are you? Nice to see you. This is for you. Thank you. (BOTH CHUCKLE) These are the first time I got a flower. Yeah. Thank you. So, how was... how was your day? Oh, good. I've been busy. There you go. Thank you. You're welcome. You know why we're here, right? Yeah, yeah, I know. I know why we are here. What do you think about it? It's good to meet people, right? And you never know when you have a spark. (LAUGHS) So I was, like, why not? I mean, what is your take on marriage? What is your perspective on marriage as such? Yeah, I really want to settle down and have kids and settle down, and my family's very much involved. And I did take my dad's permission if I can see you, and he said yes. Especially in arranged marriages, it's not about two people; it's about two families that come together. So, like, where do you work? I work in a cleaning company as sales and marketing specialist, so I'm a sales manager. Oh wow. Yeah, I'm very career-oriented. That's why it takes me time to find a man. (LAUGHS) I'm a creative person. I'm a writer, and I've written a book. Oh, that's nice. What book have you written, what it is all about? It's a romantic book. (CHUCKLES) Oh, OK. Mm. (CHUCKLES) But it's also like a science fiction. OK. So, yeah, I've got about 3000 or 4000 fans on Facebook. Oh nice. But I'll be honest ` I don't have a stable job. Mm-hm. So I should be, like, a technical writer. I left all of that to follow my dream. Just wanted to let you know that I have big aspirations around career, and my focus is a lot on career. What star sign are you? Which star sign are you? Virgo. And you? I'm a Scorpio. Ooh. That's a scary one. (BOTH LAUGH) They are very extreme. Scorpios? Yeah. If they like you, they will love you. If they don't like you, they will hate you like anything. So they go all the time extreme. How many children do you feel like you wanna have? Two. Yeah, not more than that. I'll be honest ` I went to an astrologer, you know, a person who see the horoscope, to know the kind of wife that my future wife ` what my future wife might be like. He told me that someone who's career-orientated, someone, a person like you is probably the right person for me. I thought about coming here just because it doesn't matter if, you know, nothing happens. But at the end of the day, we will know each other, and maybe it's the start of a new friendship ` not even a relationship, but a friendship is more important than anything else. And life always gives you an opportunity like that, meeting new people. So it's always good to know each other. Yeah, he's a nice person and practical and no ego problem. That's a good thing. And family oriented ` that's what you want, at the end of the day. She's definitely is really good-looking and she's beautiful, yeah. I like the way she's very... She's got nice eyes. And I would definitely wanna see her again, because I would wanna know her more. Maybe I'll see him again, yeah, and see how things go then, see how... if he is my kind of person or not. It was really nice catching up with you and meeting you for the first time. Yeah. Nice to have this beautiful lovely evening. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for your time. Thank you. And let's see if we meet again. Thank you. See ya. (TINKLY MUSIC) Hi. Hey, Mama. Hi. So, I went on a date yesterday. I don't have a photograph. No. Like, actually, I don't think that she's the right person right now. The reason I didn't like her is because, like, you know, I think she's too driven. (LAUGHS) So, what is your advice gonna be? Where to from here? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I understand. (LAUGHS) Let's see where it goes. (BOTH LAUGH) Thank you so much. OK. Take care. Bye. Take care. Bye. (DYNAMIC MUSIC) Arranged marriages can happen very quickly, but finding the perfect bride takes time. So, the biggest thing that I've learned about myself is that I should be proactive and put some effort to put myself out there. Like, I've been really thinking about that and getting myself in a gym and started working out and trying to make myself look good. Down but not out, Ankit's online profile has been getting some hits. On the matrimonial site, I got, like, two good responses, and I'm hoping to connect with that and see how it goes. One of the person's name is Veronica, and she's, like, an interior designer, So Veronica kind of messaged me. She's, like, 'You can contact me on my number.' She gave me her direct number. Then there was, like, another girl. She's from Singapore. And she is, like, an administrator in the school. READS: Hi. We've been through your profile, and we liked it. We would like to know you better. So I think it's probably going in the right direction, yeah. I'm feeling really excited about the future and having my parents supporting me and, you know, having this new look, being active, getting suggestions from the astrologer. I think it's great. I feel there is a right time, and I guess this is definitely the right time for me. But then I don't wanna hurry things. And, you know, I don't wanna be in a hurry. And, you know, I just want to put myself out there for the right person. (TINKLY MUSIC) Every arranged marriage has a different story, with couples getting to know each other in their own way. But there is one thing that unites all their experiences. You know, it's really, really important for us, being Indians, to keep our culture, our tradition, our values together. So for me, it's giving you strength to do the things by your rituals. When you see the people are happy, your family's happy, your parents are happy, then you feel that you are doing something good. I think our traditions we abide by are really special, because they're time tested. And they've been around for thousands of year. And well, they're sort of a blueprint to things ` good things that have happened in the past. And I think us going by them was a good plan. So, a simple question ` what's the definition of love for you, everyone? Ooh. We'll start with Radhika. (LAUGHTER) Put her on the spot! (LAUGHS) I think it's just that support and the compromise you need to do in order to keep that love in a marriage alive. That's what I think. Yeah, we're a very good team together. I mean, I support him when he's down; he does the same to me. Yeah. I totally agree with that. My definition of love ` just before I leave for work, she gives me a hug and a kiss on the forehead, 'Have a good day, and don't stress out too much.' (LAUGHTER) Nice. Marriage is a two-way game. You can't clap with one hand. Give and take. You know, just give and take. Go with the flow. Enjoy every moment. For us, we talk. Our main priority is we talk, and we look for situations alternative, what should be done and what should not be done. You can't always come to an agreement when you're arguing about something. You can't think clearly. When you are angry, yeah, you can't think clearly what you want to tell ` you're just arguing for no reason. The thing we tell each other is whenever we're angry and whatever we say, just it's in the heat of the moment. Communication's definitely been the key in our relationship. Because if you didn't talk to each other, I mean, we wouldn't be together. We've made a rule that we don't go to bed angry. We talk it out. Our arguments last, maximum, three minutes, and he comes looking for cookies. (BOTH LAUGH) Even after arguing with your partner, he still comes to you and cuddles you at night ` that he respects you and you're still in love with him. For me, the communication is the best thing in a relationship. Every single time whenever we have arguments, we make sure we talk through that after the arguments, and that's making our relation grow stronger day by day. I think that care, that compassion, for me, is a good definition of love. I think it's just about giving and taking ` that's all, I think. It's just not about expecting every time. It's just about giving as well. I don't think anybody is adequately prepared for a thing called marriage, be it a love marriage or an arranged marriage. Two people getting hitched, staying together 24-7 is a big thing. It takes a lot in the first couple of years to understand each other, to know each other's habits. It takes a lot of time, energy and patience. I think it's a lot of trust. It's just a learning curve, I suppose. For me, it's just little sacrifices that we make for each other that shows how much we love each other, I suppose. Love is when you can't live without each other. (LAUGHS) Nobody can beat that. (LAUGHTER) Nobody can beat that. All right, guys. I just need to raise a toast for everybody present here. We all have been married. Some have been married, like, for long, like me and my wife; you guys have been married recently. It's really nice to know your stories. It's really nice to know from different cultures you've come from, how you guys have met. So yeah, here's to married life. ALL: Cheers! (GLASSES CLINK) Captions by Faith Hamblyn. www.able.co.nz Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2018.