How is adult marriage better than child marriage?

 

I want to know why the adult one is any better than the child one,  given their 'bal vivah' theme.

 

If Jagya had the choice to uproot himself and marry whoever he chose ... then why has anandi not been given the same option?

 

It would have been one thing if they showed that bal vivah was bad, because of maternal mortality rates etc... young girls getting married and dying during pregnancy etc.

 

but the jagya-anandi track has been about free choice,  adult maturity and adults being able to assess compatibility factors with each other. 

 

and thus anandi's current engagement to shiv does not particularly fit in with any particular theme.

It is just a haphazard joining of anandi to shiv.  

In a child marriage, the innocence of a child is being taken away.  Anandi was forced to be a wife when she should have just been playing and enjoying her childhood.  I think the point isn't the forcing part but it's more about the psychology of children.  The children are forced to accept a relationship that is not understandable by children.  They do not understand what a wife and husband really are to each other.  Also, it is a bit weird to grow up with a wife/husband bcuz people normally grow up with family such as brothers and sisters.  Of course there are exceptions!  Even when these kids grow up, they still end up keeping their old perceptions of marriage.  In my opinion, Jagya never really understood that Anandi was his wife and not something to be taken for granted since he has had her since he was a kid.  I think that he may have seen her as some toy that his parents had brought home...don't get me wrong...I'm not justifying or accusing Jagya of anything!  I just think that this could be a reason as to why child marriages are bad.

On the other hand, now they are showing Anandi being forced into a marriage again...the difference is that she is now older.  The reason they may be showing this is that they want people to still believe in arranged marriages and how they still work if they are done at an age when the two people understand what a marriage is.  There are many divorcees or widows/widowers who simply do not ever want to think about a second marriage.  They may try to show that nudging them towards remarriage is a good thing for their future.

I still think that forcing someone is definitely not the best option.  The four month delay may be there for Anandi to accept that marriage isn't such a bad option for her...so maybe the CVs will redeem this track.

I'm sorry if I didn't make any sense.  I tried my best to explain my thoughts.  It somewhat makes sense in the head...even though I still thing that Anandi shouldn't have been given the ultimatum.  If they nudge her a bit, then that is fine...but it is wrong to leave no other option.