7 Signs Your "Perfect Match" May Not Be So Perfect After All

7 Signs Your "Perfect Match" May Not Be So Perfect

Mumbai, Nov 12

The photos look great. Everyone is saying "perfect match". So why does a small voice inside you keep saying, "Wait"? In the novel Ten Out of Ten, Priya hears that voice too. She is twenty-four, smart, funny, and tired of job rejections. When the horoscopes call Rahul a once-in-a-lifetime match, she wants to believe it. Almost everyone would. But on their honeymoon in monsoon Munnar, she learns what happens when we ignore the small signs.

Most matches are genuine, and most quiet men are simply quiet. But if you are in the middle of marriage talks right now, these seven signs are worth a second look.

1. It looks perfect on paper, but you have not really talked

Same caste, matching stars, good job, good family. A biodata can tell you a lot, but it cannot tell you how someone treats you when things go wrong. If all your conversations are about dates, venues and gold, you still do not know the person. Ask real questions. How does he handle anger? What does he expect from a wife? What does he do when he is stressed?

2. The small things that do not add up

Priya notices that Rahul does not smile in a single photo. It is a small thing, so she lets it go. Small things are not always warning signs, but they are always worth a gentle question. "You never smile in photos. Why?" A relaxed answer tells you something. So does an uncomfortable silence.

3. The phone that lights up at night

In the book, one letter, "A", keeps lighting up Rahul's phone late at night. Everyone has a past, and everyone deserves privacy. But if someone becomes nervous, secretive or angry whenever their phone comes up, trust that feeling. Honest people can explain without drama.

4. Short answers to important questions

You ask about his last relationship, his job plans, or why he wants to marry now, and you get one word. Then a change of topic. Some people are shy. But marriage is the biggest decision of your life, and you deserve full answers before you say yes, not after.

5. Everyone is in a hurry

"Why wait? The stars are perfect. The muhurtham is next month." When families rush, it is usually out of love and excitement. Sometimes, though, a rush leaves no time to see the full picture. A good match will still be a good match after a few more months of knowing each other.

6. Your best friend is worried

Priya has Jincy, her best friend since fifth standard, who roasts her life on video calls but always tells her the truth. If a friend who knows you well says, "Something feels off," do not argue. Listen. Friends often see what we are too excited to see.

7. You keep explaining away the red flags

This is the one Priya herself admits: "That's the thing nobody tells you about red flags. When you're wearing rose-tinted glasses, they just look like flags." If you catch yourself saying "it's nothing" again and again, stop and ask yourself honestly. Is it nothing, or am I just hoping it is?

A horoscope can match stars. Only you can read a heart.

None of this means arranged marriages do not work. Many are full of love and respect. It simply means your instincts deserve as much attention as your porutham. The perfect match is not the one with ten out of ten on paper. It is the one where you feel safe, heard and free to be yourself.

If you ever feel unsafe in a relationship, please talk to someone you trust, or call the Women Helpline on 181.

Read what happened to Priya, free

Priya ignored the small signs. Then, on a misty hilltop in Munnar, with a red alert over the hills, everything changed. The first line of the book tells you how serious it got: "The day my husband tried to kill me, it had been raining for three days straight."

You can read the first two chapters of Ten Out of Ten free on Amazon. No sign-up, no payment. Just open the book page and tap "Read sample". If Priya's story pulls you in, the rest of the book is one tap away.

Read the first two chapters free on Amazon

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Know someone who is in the middle of marriage talks? Share this with her.

— TINN