Syrian boy, 5, engaged to 3-year-old girl

WASHINGTON - You listen to the word ‘couple’ and generally visualize an adult pair or at most, a teenage duo. However, this story would change your perception-Meet 5-year-old Khalid and 3-year-old Hala, both from Syria, who recently got engaged.

Khalid’s father told Gulf News that his son asked for his fellow kindergartner’s hand in marriage ‘of his own free will’ after a brief holiday romance, reports AOL News.

The other side agreed and both families are now reportedly preparing for the ceremony, which will take place in a decade, when Khalid is 15 and Hala 13.

Though, such a ceremony would still be against Syrian law, which states the minimum age for marriage is 17 for women and 18 for men.

The young couple apparently first met while their families were vacationing in the port city of Latakia.

“He was so love-sick after parting from his young girlfriend that he refused to go back to his nursery unless little Hala came too, said Juma.

When his wife contacted Hala’s family, she was surprised to discover that their little girl was ‘developing similar symptoms of loneliness, and the family would be happy to see them engaged’.

“I vowed to have my child engaged at the age of 5 if he was a boy and to marry him to a women of his choice at the age of 15,”he added.

However, Juma has pledged that if the youngsters decide not to marry in a decade’s time, he’ll honour their request. (ANI)