"Beta, this boy is from IIT, working in the US. Family has property in South Delhi." Every week brings a new biodata, each highlighting the man's salary package and family assets more than his personality. At 27, being unmarried makes me an anomaly in my conservative Marwari family in Jaipur.

I run a successful content writing business, earning well enough to support myself. But for my parents, a "love marriage" with Aditya, a government school teacher, is unthinkable. They can't see beyond his ₹45,000 monthly salary. "Log kya kahenge?" (What will people say?) is their constant refrain.

Last month, during a cousin's wedding, relatives openly discussed how I'm "too educated" and "too independent," as if these were flaws. An aunt suggested I join matrimonial sites focusing on wealthy NRI matches. When I mentioned Aditya, she dismissed him as "not settled enough."

The irony is, Aditya and I have planned our finances carefully. We've discussed everything from EMIs to investments. He supports my business aspirations, something many "well-settled" matches might not. But try explaining this to parents who measure success by the size of one's house and the brand of one's car.

Yesterday, Papa sharted comparing Aditya's salary with that of an "interested" software engineer in the US. Sometimes I wonder if I'm wrong for choosing love over financial security. But then I look at my cousin's lavish arranged marriage, already showing cracks despite all the "perfect" credentials.