Brave woman or brave women?

Here is something that happened to me a while back:

I was sitting in a 3rd class train compartment, accompanied by a retired university lecturer who spoke English and and elderly lady who did not speak English. Both were Indian and she was typical for her generation: sari, glass bracelets, gold jewellery.

The man chatted to me about where he was going and what I was doing. The old lady, via the man, asked if I was travelling alone. Yes.

She told the man that I was very brave. It is a common view here.

I gave my head a brief shake. "No," I said, "the Indian woman who marries a man she doesn't know is brave".

He knew I was referring to arranged marriages which are still common today. He didn't translate it back to her. He replied "it's not so like that these days, now they do get to spend some time with the man before the wedding. But," he said considering the old lady for a moment , "in her generation she would very possibly never have met her husband prior to her wedding day."

I think that is a much scarier prospect than travelling alone.

Adding to this I have a an Australian-Indian friend who is visiting India to meet the ladies (I was told of 4) that his parents have arranged for him to meet. If one is chosen (and i am told that it isn't all up to him, she can refuse) how well can they really know each other in the short time they'll have with him here? (He is booked for a 3 week stay.) Adding to this she'll be moving away from her family and friends to another country.

Brave Indian women, that's what I see.