Dubai Stories -1

From past couple of months my office location is changed because of the project requirements. In my new office I got opportunity to work with some local girls. No matter what country you come from or what language you speak, girls mostly get connected to each other easily. No wonder in past one month I have become their good friend. All of them are unmarried and are of the same age as me (hhmmm...This does not mean I will let you know my age). We bond over many things like Indian food (particularly Chicken Biryani, Pani puri, Chhole bhature, etc.), shopping, make up etc. They watch Indian movies and ask me so many questions about India. They all love India.  After some days the bond grew stronger and we started to share so many thoughts with each other. They appreciate my cloths and fashion as they have to wear Abaya all the time. Also I could realize they feel bad that they are not married yet. they keep me asking about How do I feel being married. How marriage has changed my life and me.
One of my local friend told me her mother got married at the age of 11 and her father was then 38 years old. I thought she must be kidding but no she was serious and I was shocked to hear the life of her mother. She had six children by the time she was 25. At 25 her husband died and she got married to other man. From the second marriage she got three kids. All her 9 children are living with second husband.  My jaws dropped after listening her story as this was very new to me. I have read such story in one of my favorite book "Thousand splendid Suns" by Khalid Hussaini. I thought such things happen in books and novels only. At least this cannot happen in a place like Dubai. I am glad the things are changing slowly and girls are trying to be independent and trying to live there life.