'I would still marry him': Local gran reflects on 'very good life' thanks to arranged marriage at 16

At 16, she told her parents she felt she was too young for what they envisioned for her - marriage. This is the story of a grandmother who got married as a teenager and was happy with the decision her parents had made for her. Bashiera Parker relays the story of her grandmother, Dadi/Dadima.

It's a Saturday morning. Dadima is sitting in her chair in the far corner of the dining room, once occupied by Papa, as she tells her story.

She was one of five brides who travelled to India for her wedding. The government had just decided we could no longer bring people over from India, which was the norm, and so too, was this process of choosing a spouse. Instead, the Indian community in Cape Town would partner up in a process facilitated by their parents, travel to India and marry.