Too Young to Marry

Watch the episode in English: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiHsfbvoNak

This episode is about child marriage in rural areas.

Story
Meena and Mithu goes to Rita, her cousin's house to give them some mangoes. On the way she hears the shopkeeper talking to himself. He was talking about his son's marriage. He had wicked plans of making a young girl the bride and keep her busy in all household chores.

Beside the pond, Rita was sitting, she was in a very bad mood. When Meena asked her what the matter is, she got to know that Rita is getting married to the shopkeeper's son. Meena understood that the "young bride" was no one else but Rita. The shopkeeper told Rita's father that she should discontinue going to school. She wanted to complete her studies first. She was also afraid to marry because a girl, same age as hers, died while having a baby. Simply because she was too young to have children.

When Meena returns to her house, she saw her uncle talking to her grandmother about the wedding. He expected that everyone will be happy, but grandmother asked to withdraw the proposal and let Rita go to school. She started to tell her own story of marriage. She said that she was not even 15 when she was having her first baby, the child died but fortunately, nothing happened to her. She doesn't want Rita to suffer like her. Meena's mother ad grandmother showed a girl who was married at 15. She was not able to handle her kids. But Rita's father said that the bridegroom will soon be a doctor and he doesn't want to lose the opportunity of getting such a boy for her daughter. Everyone asked him to wait for Rita to be 18.

Meena, Raju and Mithu were going to the store. On the way, Meena saw Rita beside the pond. She sent Raju with Mithu and she went to see Rita. Rita said that she doesn't care the groom is a doctor or not, she will not marry.

And there, Raju and Mithu pondered over the decorations in front of the shopkeeper's house and the shopkeeper beat Mithu hardly with his stick. Mithu got injured. Meena, Rita and Raju took him beside the pond and tried to wake him up, Meena became very tensed. Suddenly, a young man appeared in front of them. He said that Mithu is alive and he will wake up soon. Rita started to like that man. The man healed the wounds in Mithu's body and asked how this happened. Raju said that it was the shopkeeper. The man thought something and left. Raju followed him to know who he was.

He was actually the shopkeeper's son. When he went to his father, he introduced him to everyone and said with pride that he will be a doctor. After that, he talked about his son's marriage. When the shopkeeper's son heard the word "young" from his father, he wanted to know the bride's age. When he heard that she is 15, he refused to marry her because it s illegal to marry a girl who is under 18. He said that as he will be a doctor soon, he learned that it is too early to have children before 18. He also said that he can marry the girl, but 3 years later, he also needs to be old enough for taking her responsibilities. Raju went back to Meena and Rita. He said that the boy was Babu, the shopkeeper's son. Rita confessed that she wants to marry him, but not now, after she grows up. Raju said that Babu also doesn't want to marry a girl who is 15.

Till that time, the shopkeeper fixed the wedding to be next week. But Rita refused to her parents. And there, Mithu was imitating to be injured again because he again wanted Babu to come to him!

The shopkeeper noticed that everyone except him wanted the wedding to take place later, even his son. He told his son that he wanted some help for the household work as he is too old. Babu replied that they can hire a maid. Meena's grandmother said that a widow is searching for work. Everyone said that they will help him with his work too. Later everyone together decided the wedding to take place later. Only the engagement will be held next week.