She Is Not A ‘Disgrace’, She’s My Wife

A CROSS-CULTURAL couple who tied the knot after just two months of meeting share their experiences of overcoming judgement and prejudice. Kelly Keyser, 34, and Harjot Arora, 31, were discussing the idea of getting married by their second date. Originally from a city in Northern India called Saharanpur, Harjot met Kelly while visiting the US and looking for companionship. Their love story blossomed on the dating app ‘Plenty of Fish’, when he wowed her with his best pick-up line. He told Barcroft TV: “The line was like, ‘God must have been in a good mood when he made you’. It’s kind of cheesy, but it worked.” Kelly described their meeting as ‘love at first sight’. So much so, that the pair were hitched less than two months after their first date. However the swift decision to get married sparked concern from family members on both sides. After announcing their engagement, some of their closest relatives refused to attend the wedding. “My brother didn’t support it actually,” Kelly admitted. “He thought I was crazy. Like, ‘You just met this guy, I don't even know who he is, you're marrying him within two months. You're crazy.’” Discussing his own family’s prejudices, Harjot says that differing cultures may also have played a part. “When I spoke to my dad, like, I can see his main concern was that she's not Indian. He's from a generation where stereotype is inbuilt. So he had that fear, I think he still has that fear that this woman won't be a family person. My dad is really not in a mood to accept her in the family.” Soon after the wedding, Harjot’s US visa expired, meaning the couple had to move to his hometown in India while awaiting a green card. Along with the judgement they face from their families, they also have received negativity in public spaces after moving to India.