LUCKNOW: The COVID-19 lockdown will leave behind memories galore to be told to posterity. Destiny has handed out one such experience to Mohammad Imtiyaz, a band master who, along with 10 of his baratis (members of the marriage party), has been stuck at his bride’s house in Begusarai for the last 45 days. The ‘vidai’ of the bride and groom has not been possible due to the lockdown.
Mehboob Khan of Kareemnagar village of Chuabepur area in Kanpur district had settled the marriage of his son Mohammad Imtiyaz with Mohammad Hamid’s niece Khushbu Khatoon of Fatehpur village in Begusarai district of Bihar. Imtiyaz left for Begusarai along with his parents and 10 baratis on March 20 and the marriage was solemnised with all the rituals the following day.
As Imtiyaz and his barat were readying to leave Begusarai for Kanpur taking the bride along, they got stuck in the Janata curfew on March 22 followed by a nationwide lockdown.
Consequently, left with no choice, the baratis decided to stay put at the bride’s place till the lockdown was lifted. Now the entire barat along with the bride and the groom is stuck at Begusarai under three consecutive spells of lockdown.
Initially, the family of Khushbu hosted the guests for a few days but when their ration went out of stock, the groom’s father managed food and other essentials from his pocket. With his money getting exhausted too, villagers came to their rescue. Now the baratis are surviving on two meals provided by the local representatives of Begusarai as they had come forward to help both the families in distress.
Meanwhile back in Kanpur, Imtiyaz's cousin Saghir claims that they had no idea about the lockdown and the doom it was going to spell for them. "Imtiyaz’s father had taken Rs 20,000 along but it is finished now. We talk to the groom and other members of family on a daily basis over the phone. We have come to know that all the money from the bride and groom's sides has been exhausted and they are waiting for the lockdown to end and get permission to move out,” says Saghir claiming that the wait seems unending.
“The situation here at Imtiyaz's home is not good either. Money and resources have dried up. There is no one in the family to bring even the ration,” he says. “Relatives of neighbours who were part of the barat come daily to inquire about he return of the barat,” adds Saghir, who is the first cousin of Imtiyaz.
He says that he has informed the Lekhpal who had visited the village recently and urged him to ensure the return of Imtiyaz and others soon.