Gujarat: Girl stuck with fiancé keeps wedding date

AHMEDABAD: Love conquers all, goes the adage. For city-based

Meet Soni

and his Jamnagar-based fiance

Chandani Acharya

, love also conquered Covid-19 pandemic and extended lockdown as the two tied the knot on Thursday.


The wedding was held at Meet’s residence in Isanpur in the presence of a few family members living in the same residential society. Fortunately, they had a priest as their neighbour who agreed to solemnize the marriage.

Chandani's parents could not be part of the ceremony as permission to travel to the city was not forthcoming from authorities. They watched the ceremony through webcast.

The couple told TOI that Chandani had come to Ahmedabad for shopping. However, lockdown was announced and she could not go back. Her parents advised her to stay with Chintan's family hoping the lockdown would be lifted soon. However, with a stricter lockdown-3 now in place, the families decided to formalize the relationship and not wait any further.

“We had our wedding fixed for May 4, hoping that the lockdown might be lifted by that time. The date was extended to May 7 but when lockdown was prolonged, the families decided not to wait any further,” said Chandani.

“Chandani was staying with us for more than a month like our family member. The marriage was solemnized in a simple ceremony by a priest who lives in our society,” Meet's father Dharmesh Soni said.

Harshad Patel, a social worker from Amraiwadi, said that they tried to get permission for the event based on a few permissions granted elsewhere in

Gujarat

where 20 persons were allowed for social events.
Social distancing maintained at wedding

We also approached the local leaders but to no avail. Thus, the decision was taken to perform a simple ceremony while maintaining social distancing. Meet’s uncle and aunt living next door performed kanyadaan whereas Chandani’s parents and relatives witnessed the ceremony over webcasting,” Harshad Patel, a social worker from Amraiwadi said. “All participants including the priest, the bride and the groom were sanitized, and all wore masks throughout.” The beaming couple was happy that they could wear the best of attire they had got especially for the big day right before the lockdown came into force. “We would celebrate our union with our friends and family once the lockdown is lifted,” said Meet.