Couple ties knot at TN-KL border

THENI: There was no nadaswaram or flower shower, just a handful of family members and officials. Stranded on either side of the interstate border at Kumily were Prasanth of Cumbum and Kayathri of Kottayam in Kerala. Their marriage was fixed a few months ago. Invites were also sent for the ceremony slated for May 24 at Valadi in Kerala.

When on March 24, Prime Minister Modi’s face flashed on television sets across the country to announce the nationwide lockdown, parents of the prospective couple thought it would not alter their plans. Then came the wave after wave of lockdown extensions. Prasanth applied for an e-Pass to enter Kerala, but it was turned down.

Left with no other option, the families of the bride and the groom on Sunday congregated at the Kumily border, where Prasanth and Kayathri tied the knot. As Prasanth did not have an e-Pass, he was set to return to his native village in K Pudupatti alone. However, the Theni collector came to know about the wedding and immediately ordered the officials to issue an e-Pass to Kayathri to allow her entry into Tamil Nadu, after COVID-19 test.