I’m Gujarati, married to a Bangladeshi, we run a business with Pakistani friends, my children are British born, so I always say I’m an all-in-one! My parents were Hindu and they were religious, always. My dad used to read the Gita in the morning and he wouldn't have his cup of tea without doing his prayers. I was nearly 18 and I had just completed my teacher training and I had a job interview. My dad's older brother called on my dad and told him about a proposal that he had in mind for me, and they fixed everything up between them. My father loved me a lot, just like a son, and he wanted me to stay in India but my uncle convinced him I would have a better life in England. So my father came home and showed me a picture of my fiancé. I cried and cried because I wanted to stay in India. I loved my father a lot you see. But my dad said, “My older brother is like my father. He has arranged this marriage and I respect his decision. You have to go!” We had a little engagement ceremony in India while the boy was still in England, and then my family put me, all by myself, on a plane to England.

In those days, I’m talking about the 1960s and 1970s, divorce was taboo. It still is and divorcees can suffer a lot of discrimination, people are quick to blame the woman. My marriage was fraught with many challenges. I don't want to go into everything but in my heart I knew that I had tried my best with my marriage, that my uncle had arranged – and now it was time for me to let go. I don't believe that God ever wants to see his creation suffering. I didn't take the decision lightly. My divorce would have made it difficult for my siblings to marry. It would have been deeply disrespectful – unthinkable – for me to broach this topic with my oldest uncle because he was the one who arranged this match.