In a departure from custom, a woman in Baramulla, north Kashmir, took the wheel and drove her groom home on their wedding day, winning the couple accolades.
Sana Shabnum, who tied the knot with Sheikh Aamir of Delina in Baramulla district on August 22, has taken the Internet by storm since a video showing her driving the groom in a Mahindra Thar to her in-laws home on wedding day went viral.
The wedding day has been traditionally synonymous with sadness of bidding farewell to family for a bride. However, for Sana, the occasion was apt to break the stereotype!
“It's like dulhan ne dulhe ko laaya (It's like the bride brought the groom home),” a netizen reacted to the viral video showing Sana in red lehanga (wedding gown) driving the groom into her in-laws' compound as women chanted the wedding songs in Kashmiri.
Another netizen, who claimed to know the couple personally, suggested reacting normally to the ‘new precedent'. “So what if the bridegroom tried to give her happiness on the very first day of their marriage making her feel equal and happy,” he wrote.
Speaking to Greater Kashmir, Aamir, the groom, who is an advocate by profession and an Indian National Congress leader from Baramulla, said, “I wanted to do something different to make her feel special on the special day of our life. I wanted to break the age-old stereotype of Kashmiri marriages where it is always someone from the groom's side who drives the car. Everyone was obviously taken aback. People were surprised and a little confused, but overall, quite supportive,” Aamir said.
“We have received huge appreciation and love from the people. My parents felt very proud and happy when they came to know about it. Very few have criticized us, but that does not matter. I did this to make my wife feel special”, he emphasized.
The bride Sana when asked if the idea to drive the car was a spontaneous one or a planned one, she revealed that she was completely unaware about it.
“Aamir surprisingly said that you are going to drive and we exchanged seats. I was stunned when I got behind the wheel, but at that same time, I was excited as well. My husband motivated me to take the charge”, said Sana.
Sana said that her in-laws were more than happy when they saw her driving the car and leading the Barat from the front while leaving the stereotype behind them.
