A bride collapsed and died at her own wedding in India, so the groom married her younger sister instead, as the families decided to carry on with the festivities. The bride, named Surbhi, suffered a heart attack at her marriage in Etawah city, Uttar Pradesh, after exchanging garlands with husband-to-be Manjesh Kumar as part of Hindu wedding tradition.
However, she soon collapsed after that but the families didn't want the proceedings to stop so they got the younger sister to marry the groom. While the marriage was on with the younger sister, the body of the elder sister was moved to another room, according to reports.
A Wedding and a Funeral
According to local media reports, a doctor from the local village was called to the scene after Surbhi suddenly collapsed but the doctor was unable to save her. It was later revealed that Surbhi died of a 'massive cardiac arrest' that happened right in the middle of the wedding ceremony.
However, the families took an instant decision to get the dead bride's sister to marry her brother in law. "We did not know what to do in the situation. Both the families sat together and someone suggested that my younger sister Nisha should be married to the groom," the women's brother, Saurabh, told IANS.
"The families discussed the matter and both agreed," he said. One of Surbhi's uncles, Ajab Singh, told MailOnline that it was a "tough call" for the family to carry on with the wedding but they decided not to halt the proceedings.
Surbhi's body was kept in a separate room while the festivities took place and she was later cremated.
Tough Decision
Although the families decision was to go ahead with the rituals and complete the marriage, it was a tough decision. Surbhi's brother Saurabh said: "It's hard to believe a dead body was in the other room and a bride was being prepared in next one."
"We did not know what to do in the situation," he added. "Both the families sat together and someone suggested that my younger sister Nisha should be married to the groom. The families discussed the matter and both agreed."
However, after the marriage was completed the family immediately held last rites for the dead bride-to-be. "The grief over her death and the happiness of the wedding has yet to sink in," the brother added.
That said, there could be several other factors behind the deceased's family deciding to get the younger sister married to the groom. The bride's family would likely have been expecting a dowry, while the groom's would have wanted to avoid the stigma of returning from a wedding without a bride.
The bride's mother, Guddi Devi, made an emotional appeal for the wedding to go ahead.
She is now being taken care of by her son Gaurav following the incident. "My mother is in a lot of pain. She calls for her day in and day out as she was the eldest daughter. She had dreamed of doing wonders in her life. May she rest in peace," Gaurav said.
