Bride dies at her own wedding; groom marries her sister instead
A man in India married his bride's sister after his bride collapsed and died of a heart attack during the wedding.
Mangesh Kumar and bride-to-be Surbhi were scheduled to be wed last Thursday at the bride's house, but according to Times of India, Surbhi complained of uneasiness and collapsed after exchanging traditional garlands. She was rushed to a medical facility, but was declared dead on arrival. "As per the doctor, the bride died of a heart attack," said the relatives of the bride.
Following the local tradition, the family took the body back home prior for cremation. Despite that, the wedding festivities didn't stop. Kumar asked his deceased bride's parents if her younger sister could take her place, to which they agreed.
"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," Surbhi's brother Saurabh told news agency IANS. "The families discussed the matter and both agreed."
The ceremony took place while Surbhi's dead body lay in another room.
"The grief over the death of Surbhi and the happiness of Surbhi’s wedding is yet to sink in," said the bride's uncle, Ajab Singh.
In India, arranged marriages are a norm. However, India's attitude to arranged marriage is changing as some couples are getting more control of their future.