You couldn't make it up dept. no.61: When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade

[fpb]

Anyone who ever attended an Indian or Pakistani wedding knows that they are monumental events, with guests in the thousands and bride and groom dressed (and behaving) like a king and queen. Except that in a wedding that took place in a village in Bihar state recently, the prospective "king" fell rather short of expectations. He turned up at his own wedding ceremony drunk to the eyeballs and quite incapable. Both families were about to suffer a fearful public humiliation - until, somehow, the bride decided or was convinced to accept the groom's younger brother, who was stone cold sober and very willing to take over his brother's burden.

The culprit later apologized to all the assembled guests for bringing shame on them, and swore he would never marry.

Comments

I say

[thepreciouss.livejournal.com]

That was a very good ending. And as a bride, I would have been very happy that the defaults of the groom were presented before we were joined until death. Obviously, if this had been a Muslim wedding, the groom's drunkenness would have been especially scandalous.

Re: I say

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Hindus are actually nearly as strong. There is no absolute bar on drink, as there is among Muslims, but they pretty much regard it as forbidden. And when they drink, it is to get drunk. Of course, in a country as vast as India, this is not an absolute rule, but you can take it as a regularity.

[elise-the-great.livejournal.com]

Wow. That sort of reminds me of weddings back home in the East Texas swamp country. Except nobody would have noticed if the groom showed up pickled. =S

And thank you for your comment, belated as the thanks are... you're sweet. My internet access has been limited at best, but I hope to catch up this week before I lose it entirely for the summer.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Do keep in touch. I need all the intelligent, nice Texans I can get, and I cannot expect ani_bester to stand up for your great state alone, right?

[elise-the-great.livejournal.com]

I'll do my best! Although now I'll have to go drop a line to your other Texan friend-- there are surprisingly few of us in the circles I frequent.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

The bride seems like she got the better man, and the former bridegroom was perhap relieved not to have to go through with the wedding? ... if in preparation for it he got so drunk...

[bufo-viridis.livejournal.com]

Drat, I was going to post about it today... :)

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I guess we'll have to compete for crazy news bits in future. And speaking about crazy.... (see next post).