So much happens on a traditional wedding day that the groom and bride are not expected to remember details, and forgetting is not looked at negatively. However, a recent wedding at Aavdipurhal village in Laskar, Haridwar, had so much of what never happens that the day will be etched in the memory of the protagonists forever. The couple was about to exchange garlands when a woman, accompanied by a friend, burst into the ceremony and began slapping the groom in front of the entire wedding party. The woman, who claimed to be the groom's girlfriend, said she had been in a relationship with the man for many years, and that they had got married in court. The spurned woman threatened to get the man arrested if he attempted to marry someone else. A few people from the groom's side tried to pacify the incensed woman, after which she left. The groom's misery, however, did not end with her departure. His bride refused to marry him, saying she didn't want a husband with such scant regard for women. Her family understood her stance, and asked the groom and his family to return. A guest said the two families decided against approaching the police, and the matter was instead taken to the panchayat. When the groom's family pleaded with the panchayat for a solution that would preserve their dignity, they suggested that the bride consider marrying the man's younger brother instead. The girl's family accepted the solution, and the marriage was solemnized late on Sunday.
