Undeterred by lockdown, Kanpur teen walks 80km to marry fiance

KANPUR: A 19-year-old woman walked 80km from Kanpur to Kannauj to wed her fiance - alone, unafraid and determined that the continuing lockdown would not interfere with her plans.
Turning tradition on its head, Goldie decided not to wait for the groom to come to her doorstep in a grand 'baraat' or to play the coy bride, and just trekked the distance from her village Laxman Tilak in Kanpur Dehat district to Basaipur village in Kannauj district, said a police official.
Asked about the unusual marriage in his jurisdiction, Kannauj Superintendent of Police Amrendra Singh said, "Yes, it's true. I know about it."
Goldie and Virendra Kumar Rathor, also known as Veeru, were supposed to get married on May 4. But couldn't with the coronavirus forced lockdown in place. With no end to the lockdown in sight, and every possibility of the wedding being pushed indefinitely, she decided to go to Veeru's house and get married, a police official in the know of things said.
And so one fine morning early this week, the young woman sneaked out of her home and set off on foot for Veeru's place, undeterred by the distance or the consternation it would cause.
She reached by evening, much to the astonishment of Veeru's family, which first informed her father, frantic with worry about his missing daughter, the official said.
Veeru's parents, it is learnt, also tried to persuade their would-be daughter-in-law to have some patience and return home till they get her married to their son, complete with 'band baaja baraat' in accordance with custom.
Her father, too, tried to make her see reason but Goldie was adamant, tired of the endless wait. Eventually, everyone bowed to her wishes.
Veeru's parents arranged for wedding finery for the couple, summoned the priest for the seven 'pheras', or rounds, around the fire and solemnised the marriage.