It was love across the borders that culminated on a wedding on the borders.
Arvind Kumar, 28, wanted to marry Chhaya Rani, 25, but the problem was that he lives in a corona red zone in Uttar Pradesh while his bride to-be was a resident of a green zone in Uttarakhand.
The families came up with a solution and decided to solemnise the wedding, but due to complications, the wedding ended up being solemnised - not at the bride's home - but on the borders of two districts.
According to reports, the groom Arvind, a resident of Rehar area in Bijnor, on Saturday, obtained a travel pass from the district administration and set off to his bride's home in Jaspur in Uddham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand - a distance of about 150 kilometers.
However, he was stopped at the Bijnor border and was informed by the police that he cannot proceed further as the borders were sealed. Besides, people living in red zone are not allowed to travel into the green zone.
Arvind immediately called up the bride's family and discussed the situation.
A fresh plan was chalked out and the bride with her parents and a priest arrived at the Dharampura police picket on the Uttarakhand border. Arvind also reached there with a priest and the wedding was solemnised.
Arvind said, "We had lost all the hope when policemen did not allow us to enter Uttarakhand. But, after much persuasion, they allowed to get the marriage solemnised somewhere in the bordering area. They even helped us in getting married at the Dharampura check-post."
The Dharampura check-post in-charge G. D. Bhatt said, "We could not let them through. Arvind lives close to Maniyawala village, where two persons tested Covid-19 positive last month. Later, both the families were granted permission to reach the bordering area.
They came at our post and we helped them. They tied the knot here."
The police personnel also took part in their wedding and gave blessings to the couple.
All of them maintained social distancing during the wedding rituals.
Bijnor district comes in the red zone as 31 people have tested positive for coronavirus here. There are at least 185 villages located on the border of the two states, and inter-state weddings are common though not at police check posts.
( With inputs from IANS )