Most people would expect to get to know their partner before they marry. But what happens when the family conspires to hide their afflictions? What happens when it is too late to change your mind?

An Indian bride made headlines after she married a guest at her wedding instead of her husband-to-be after he had an epileptic fit just before the nuptials were due to take place.

Her reasoning was that his family had purposely concealed this information from her family.

The truth is, the basis of the ‘arranged marriage’ set up is meeting certain expectations and requirements. In this way, very often important details or flaws are often concealed, so as not to jeopardise the potential marriage.

We speak to three women who's in-laws hid crucial information about the grooms, resulting in grave problems after the wedding.

The women interviewed have chosen not to reveal their identity.

“My husband lied about his religion. Our families are both Muslim. But he converted and became a Shia about a year before our wedding. His family don’t know this. They are staunch Sunni’s, like my family. I found out the day after our wedding when I saw him praying. He was praying completely differently to anything I was taught or have ever seen." Said M.

“I was really upset. I started crying and asked him why he didn’t just tell me upfront. He admitted that his parents have no idea, and that they would probably disown him if they found out.

“His burden became my burden.

“There is no way I can tell my parents. They vehemently disapprove of divorce. They are extremely traditional. My older sister got a divorce, and my parents have stopped talking to her." she added.

“The problem now is that we have two kids. Issues first arose when it came to naming the kids. Each year we argue most during Muharram. He keeps trying to force me and the kids to go the mosque with him.

“Also, he is teaching the kids about Islamic history and how to pray. What he teaches the kids completely contradicts what I teach the kids.

“I honestly don’t know how this marriage is ever going to work. Religious differences are a fundamental problem.

“But I’m not sure I have a choice.”

Halima (not her real name) said she was happy to go along with her arranged marriage after the initial introductions.

“The family were lovely. He was a great guy. We got to know each other quite well over the space of our engagement.

“Our problems began straight after the wedding. My husband is a sex addict.

“His family were not to know that. And how could he be expected to tell me that before the wedding?

“I was a virgin when I got married. Over the last 5 years I feel I have been violated repeatedly by this man.

“He never hits me, but he threatens that he will get aggressive if he doesn’t get sex every day.

“I consent, just to avoid him losing his temper.

“I could never ever tell my family or my friends about this. It’s too shameful.

“When I am ill or tired, or when I have my cycle, he threatens to get a second wife who can make up for the sex he is missing out on.

“Sometimes I wish he would just do that.

“I am pregnant now. I am dreading how things will be after I give birth.”

Farzana (not her real name) reveals how her husband’s gambling addiction eventually broke her marriage down.

“My in-laws knew about my husband’s gambling addiction. They all agreed not to tell me or my family before the wedding.

“I think my in-laws were thinking that my husband would naturally grow out of it once he was married.

“It’s that typical traditional thinking that marriage will cure men of all evils.

“He would be out on average three times a week, going to casinos. He would gamble away and win big money.

“And the win or loss would drastically affect his mood.

“He would either be extremely elated, or extremely depressed. There was no balance.

“When his parents realised that he was still gambling after the wedding, they forced him to go for Umrah. They figured he would get some sort of spiritual enlightenment from the pilgrimage.

“It didn’t.

“In the evening when he wasn’t out gambling, he would be home on his laptop, gambling online.

“I know he is addicted to it, but he is denial. How can I force him to see a specialist? He just gets angry with me and shuts me out.

“This horrible pattern continued after the birth of our first child.

“He slapped me on my face the day after the baby was born because I told him to put his laptop away and spend time with me and the baby.

“His parents begged me to stay, but I left him.

“It was bad enough enduring his addiction, but my daughter should not be subjected to that.”