Online wedding: Groom in Jodhpur, bride in Karachi

Jodhpur: Pakistan’s Seema Haider sneaked into India without a visa to marry Noida’s Sachin Meena. Karachi’s Ameena was facing delays in her Indian visa but that couldn’t stop her from tying the knot with Jodhpur’s Mohammad Arbaz -- virtually.
Last week’s wedding of Jodhpur advocate Arbaz with Ameena, though different from the traditional nuptials, had it all -- qazis on both sides to solemnise the union and cheering families, all beamed on larger-than-life LED screens in the Rajasthan town and the Pakistani port city.
The Arbaz-Ameena wedding on August 2 was free from controversies. “We had the ‘roka (engagement)’ ceremony earlier through our relatives in Pakistan and had been waiting for a visa (for Ameena). Since the visa process was delayed, we decided to solemnise the wedding online, fulfilling the wish of both sides,” said the groom’s father, Mohammad Afzal, a civil contractor who lives at Kharadiyon ka Mohalla in Jodhpur’s walled city.
According to Afzal, the strained relations with Pakistan have not greatly affected cross-border marital bonds as people have relatives on both sides.
Son Arbaz chimed in, mentioning that there were similar such weddings earlier, some performed online. “Now we will wait for Ameena to get the visa,” said Arbaz.