I'm 22 and i meet a guy online. He's 28 we've been talking for 6 days now and he said he wanted to marry me. We had so many differences (culture, religion,place,food ,etc) but he said he's okay and he won't force me to change. As long as we love each other he won't mind our differences and even his parents too. What should I do? I've never been in distance relationship and we are still getting to know each other.

Ans:

I don’t think anybody wants to marry a total stranger!

First off, you need to tell your parents that. They cannot be forcing you to get hitched to a boy of their choice; this isn’t the Middle Ages.

And second, aren’t you jumping the gun a little about marriage to your colleague?

You’re not even in a relationship yet, even if there’s a mutual attraction. You need to see where that goes before deciding that you want to marry him.

So go ahead and dip your toes in the dating pool.

But before you do, I’d suggest you sit your parents down to have ‘the talk’. And leave the colleague out of it for now, or they will inadvertently draw the conclusion that it’s this boy who’s turned your head against an arranged match and will be prejudiced against him because of it.

Ans: Dear Anonymous,

I am sorry for the challenges you are facing. I understand how difficult it must be to leave a person you love. Having said that, I would also like to point out that living a decent life is not cheap. You are currently unemployed and your partner has a low salary; it will not be sustainable in the long run. I am not asking you to leave him and marry someone else; all I am suggesting is don't rush. Take the time to find a decent job and ask your partner to do the same. Once you think you both are earning a good amount of money, put forth the idea of your marriage again to your parents.

Now the most important thing, you have met him online and never met him in real life. Is it worth taking this kind of risk before verifying everything in person? I am sure he is genuine but there is no harm in cross-checking. And I can't really blame your parents for having their doubts. Please don't rush. One wrong decision can ruin the rest of your life. Take your time, think this through, and meet him in person, most likely in your city and in a public space. Do a thorough background check. It is easy to get fooled when you are in love.

Again, please don't rush. You have your whole life ahead of you.

Best Wishes

Ans: Dear Anonymous,
A lot of successful love stories start online but they do not go anywhere if it stays online. Before making any kind of commitment you must meet the person IRL. And before meeting him IRL, you must take safety precautions in case things don't go as expected. If you plan to meet, you must inform the time, place, and location to your parents and close friends, always pick a public space that is bustling with people, and if you feel even remotely uncomfortable or your instinct says the date's not going well, feel free to get out without any guilt. Safety comes first.

Best Wishes.