There are many families in this modern 21st century who still reject the idea of newer generations going for love marriages. With typical strict orders and reservations, some of our Pakistanis aren’t any less. While this may not happen in your family, you might have a friend or a co-worker who went through all the trouble in the world to get her rishta approved only because the family members couldn’t take it.

Women, however, are burdened with the concept of marriage. As soon as she reaches the perfect age (which is also set by the society), parents start worrying about getting the perfect dulha. 

Something Like this Happened with 24-Year-Old Pakistani Nashra Balagamwala, Who Got so Tired of Rishta Talks, She Left the Country!

Having her visa to New York City, Balagamwala flew away from her family for a while and took a break. However, her time away from the family made her come up with something extremely interesting.

Arranged! – a Board Game by Balagamwala Based on Arranged Marriages

When she came back to Pakistan due to her Visa’s expiry date, Balagamwala started working on the board game Arranged! which highlights issues women face when it comes to avoiding arranged marriages.

“I took examples from the numerous things I’ve done to get out of an arranged marriage myself, such as talking about pursuing a career, wearing fake engagement rings, having male friends, or getting a tan—darker skin is considered to be less appealing in Pakistani culture—and turned it into a lighthearted game that is both fun to play as well as eye opening.”

The game revolves around players doing anything within their capacity to avoid the matchmakers – our local rishte wali aunties which would be handled by another player. If the players manage to land on the same area as the matchmaker, they will then face the threat of getting married to one of the suitors present in the board game. Interestingly, the player will have the option of marrying a man of her own choice, but the chances of that would be very slim – same as something which still happens in Pakistan when you put forward the name of someone you love.

People are Showing their Love for the Game!

“People from all over the world have reached out to help with my visa and living situation, as well as to provide moral support. I’ve had many Pakistani girls reach out to thank me for finally speaking up about something so important. I’ve also dealt with a lot of criticism. Many Pakistanis have had negative remarks and have said I’m a disgrace because I’m badmouthing the society.” said Balagamwala.

In her personal experience, the young Pakistani faced a lot of issues getting the message across the family. “If I have anything to say about it, it’s not happening! I’m going to keep fighting my way out of it till I meet someone I actually want to marry.”

Spending the entire life with someone you have hardly known for a few months is a daunting thought. Regardless of what your perception may be, this game indeed sounds super cool!