We were raised on the story that love is pure, and that the noblest marriages are those untouched by calculation. Films, songs and books tell us to seek companionship for the heart, not for the wallet. Most Pakistani elders tell us to be more practical — meaning marry for social and financial stability. Fairy tales assure us that love alone can weather every storm. Yet reality has shown again and again that old blasé saying is true: when poverty knocks on the door, love flies out the window. This proverb has origins not in one corner of the world; it is traced back to African, Serbian and German cultures. It goes to show that money is not an afterthought; it shapes whether a marriage becomes liberation or confinement be it in any part of the world. A sense of security in a marriage is depe

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