LANKA NI LADI, ANE GHOGHA NO VAR, From cocktail parties to cow-pat cakes: The Californian party girl, 41, who became a traditional Indian housewife after meeting farmer husband, 25, on Facebook Adriana Peral, 41, met Mukesh Kumar, 25, online in February last year She travelled to Haryana, India, in August and wed within months The Californian now lives in a remote farm house 30 minutes drive town She has no inside toilet, a bucket for a shower shared with cows Mother-of-one said leaving her daughter, 25, in the U.S. was traumatic Mr and Mrs Kumar now plan to have children of their own An American woman has ditched her comfortable, fun-loving Californian lifestyle to become a traditional housewife in rural India. Adriana Peral, 41, took a leap of faith last August when she flew to the sub continent to meet a man young enough to be her son who she had fallen in love with over Facebook. Within months she was married to Mukesh Kumar, 25, and had assumed her new role as a doting housewife - sweeping, cooking, cleaning and mucking in on the familys farm in an impoverished rural community in Haryana, India. +21 Transformation: Adriana Peral, seen at a nightclub in Merced, California, left, swapped parties for a quieter life in India after travelling to the subcontinent to marry a man she met on Facebook It is a far cry from sun-kissed, body-conscious California, where Mrs Kumar enjoyed clubbing with friends, hitting the gym and shopping with daughter Lucy. But despite the radical lifestyle change, she insists she is happier than ever. The former receptionist at an acupuncture centre said: I love my life here with Mukesh - I wouldnt exchange it for anything in the world. In love: Adriana Peral, 41, and her husband Mukesh Kumar, 25, met and fell in love online Rural: The pace of life in the remote rural village of Panipat, India, is a far cry from the modern homelife Adriana Peral, left behind in California Home comforts: Adriana Peral makes some tea for her husband and in-laws, left, and sweeps the courtyard , right, at her house in a village in Panipat, India, during a typical day as a housewife Mrs Kumar - who admits she had plenty of relationships back in the U.S., but had never found true love - began talking with Mukesh, sixteen years her junior, on the social networking site in February. Over the next few months the pair grew closer, until one evening Mukesh unexpectedly called. She explained: Mukesh declared his love to me right there and then on the phone. I didnt know how to react, and at first just laughed it off. But after we talked some more, I realised he was serious and so I said if you win my heart, I will consider marrying you. We spoke for around three more weeks and it was during that time I decided I wanted to move to India to be with him. Change of pace: Adriana Peral stands beside a cow at the front yard of her house in a village in Panipat, India, as she gets used to a rural existance Culture shock: Adriana Peral stands in front of house old Californian home, left, and outside the bed room of her house in a village in Panipat, India, right Leaving behind her 25-year-old daughter Lucy Cortez was a heart-wrenching moment, with many friends and family fearing for her safety in India. Mrs Kumar, whose parents moved to the U.S. from Mexico, said: When I walked in and told everyone I had decided to leave and move to India, they were in complete shock. My daughter was crying, she was in floods of tears. She was worried something bad would happen to me. She said India was unsafe for women. I had to turn to her and reassure her everything would be alright. Youthful: A young Adriana Peral, suns herself on a beach in Merced, California Some people thought Mukesh was a fake, an online scam and that he didnt really exist. I cant describe the moment I finally saw him at the arrivals gate at Indira Gandhi airport - it was a big relief to finally see him in person. But she admits nothing had prepared her for the culture shock she was about to experience. Her new home was a modest farm house in Popran, a large village over 30 minutes drive from the nearest town. Mrs Kumar found the family used cow pat cakes, made by drying out the excrement of the families herd, as fuel. And with no inside toilet, a bucket for a shower and cows roaming around the communal area, the lack of amenities was tough to adapt to +21 Home from home: Adriana Peral, pictured with her husband Mukesh Kumar while enjoying their lunch at their house in a village in Panipat, India, says she has no regrets about leaving California She added: When I first stepped off the plane it was a complete culture shock. It is stricter here - women have to cover up more. In Haryana many people live off the land, there are few basic amenities. We cook on a stove which is outside, and my living room doubles as the place where we store the cows at night. We sometimes use the bull and cart to ride around, and the toilet is a communal one. The shower is just a bucket in a closet sized room with a hole in the floor. If people back home could see where I am living they would think I am crazy. At first it was a real struggle, but soon you realise you dont need a fancy toilet or power shower to be happy. One of the biggest challenges, says Adriana, was being accepted among the largely impoverished locals. Home: Adriana Peral shares this home in a village in Panipat, India, with husband Mukesh Kumar Mrs Kumar, who immediately ditched her favoured high heels and adopted sandals, saree and headdress, said: Foreigners are rarely seen in the villages here, and wherever I went a crowd would develop all wanting to catch a glimpse of this outsider. Over time I began to get used to it. It was a bit like being a celebrity, but they have accepted me as one of their own now. A big part of that was dressing like they do and trying to speak some Hindi. In the U.S. I loved wearing high heels and dressing up for a night out at a club with my friends, but here things are more low key. You cant get any of the make-up Im used to using and women generally dont apply much of it anyway, it is an unnecessary cost. The locals respond when you try and fit in and live as they live. In November 2013 Mukesh and Adriana tied the knot in a traditional Hindu ceremony, which made headlines in Indias national Hindi language media. The event was a major occasion within the conservative community too - where women are still often expected to be doting housewives upon marriage and normally wed within their own religion and caste. Bedtime reading: A hindi version of The Bible is seen along with some traditional make-up items at Adriana Peral and Mukesh Kumars bedroom The couple now plan to have children together and build a family in India, but Adriana isnt ruling out returning to the US one day. She said: I am actually planning to have children with Mukesh and my mother-in-law even wants me to have two. I get on really well with all the family, Mukeshs brothers and sisters, his uncles - they have all taken me to their hearts. If I could bring the American food and luxuries here it would be perfect. But one day we would like to return to America with our family.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 13:12:39 +0000