Kolkata: Boy meets girl, they fall in love, they decide to tie the knot. Of course, like a typical love story, there’s tremendous resistance to their getting married. But there ends the ‘typical’ part of the story: the opposition to the young lovebirds came not from their families, but the novel coronavirus.
In the end, however, Cupid’s arrows managed to breach even a containment zone in the heart of Kolkata.
Rahul Singh, 23, and Anjali Singh, 21, who were forced to postpone their wedding twice due to lockdown extensions, ran out of patience when the lockdown was extended for the fourth time, and decided to tie the knot. So, before Covid-19 could blunt Cupid’s arrows, family and friends found an auspicious hour on Sunday evening for them to tie the knot at a temple in Posta in central Kolkata.
Anjali, dressed in full bridal finery, reached the venue in an auto-rickshaw from her Jorabagan residence, while Rahul, dressed in a sherwani, walked to the temple in his neighbourhood on Shiv Thakur Lane.
There were only a few people — mostly close friends and family, all wearing masks — in attendance. Even the two priests who solemnised the marriage wore masks and chanted mantras from a safe distance.
“What a way to start one’s married life,” said Rahul after they were declared man and wife. “But what is important is that we wanted to be married. And we did it, somehow,” he smiled.
Rahul, who works at an apparel shop in Burrabazar, and Anjali have known each other for the past few months. When the families found out about their romance and their decision to get married, they were quite supportive. But it was the novel coronavirus — and the resultant lockdown — that became the villain of the piece.
“Their wedding was fixed for the last week of March, but it had to be postponed due to the lockdown,” said Sanjiv, the groom’s uncle. “And every time we revised the date, the lockdown was extended. It became very frustrating.”
When the lockdown got extended yet again last week, the families decided to forego all pomp and solemnise the marriage in a simple ceremony at a Posta temple. The dawat — the all-important wedding feast — has to wait for the lockdown to be lifted, however. For now, the guests happily munched on singaras, jalebis and rasagollas sourced from a popular outlet on Kalakar Street while blessing the newlyweds.
Posta is a containment zone with severe lockdown restrictions, because multiple Covid-19 cases — and at least four deaths — have been reported from the area over the past few weeks. Two weeks ago, cops even sealed several pockets after a sudden rise in positive cases. Shops selling non-essential items, places of worship and public transport are not allowed in the zone.
In the end, however, Cupid’s arrows managed to breach even a containment zone in the heart of Kolkata.
Rahul Singh, 23, and Anjali Singh, 21, who were forced to postpone their wedding twice due to lockdown extensions, ran out of patience when the lockdown was extended for the fourth time, and decided to tie the knot. So, before Covid-19 could blunt Cupid’s arrows, family and friends found an auspicious hour on Sunday evening for them to tie the knot at a temple in Posta in central Kolkata.
Anjali, dressed in full bridal finery, reached the venue in an auto-rickshaw from her Jorabagan residence, while Rahul, dressed in a sherwani, walked to the temple in his neighbourhood on Shiv Thakur Lane.
There were only a few people — mostly close friends and family, all wearing masks — in attendance. Even the two priests who solemnised the marriage wore masks and chanted mantras from a safe distance.
“What a way to start one’s married life,” said Rahul after they were declared man and wife. “But what is important is that we wanted to be married. And we did it, somehow,” he smiled.
Rahul, who works at an apparel shop in Burrabazar, and Anjali have known each other for the past few months. When the families found out about their romance and their decision to get married, they were quite supportive. But it was the novel coronavirus — and the resultant lockdown — that became the villain of the piece.
“Their wedding was fixed for the last week of March, but it had to be postponed due to the lockdown,” said Sanjiv, the groom’s uncle. “And every time we revised the date, the lockdown was extended. It became very frustrating.”
When the lockdown got extended yet again last week, the families decided to forego all pomp and solemnise the marriage in a simple ceremony at a Posta temple. The dawat — the all-important wedding feast — has to wait for the lockdown to be lifted, however. For now, the guests happily munched on singaras, jalebis and rasagollas sourced from a popular outlet on Kalakar Street while blessing the newlyweds.
Posta is a containment zone with severe lockdown restrictions, because multiple Covid-19 cases — and at least four deaths — have been reported from the area over the past few weeks. Two weeks ago, cops even sealed several pockets after a sudden rise in positive cases. Shops selling non-essential items, places of worship and public transport are not allowed in the zone.
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