Days after a video showing a bride booking a cab during her vidaai ceremony - departure from her parents' home - went viral, the couple has responded to the outrage the clip caused on the Internet.
The wedding video, originally shared on Instagram by the couple, had the bride waiting for a cab while the groom stood beside her, smiling. The clip was then reposted to X with the claim that she was compelled to arrange the ride "because no one in the groom's family cared about her," adding it "ruined a special and emotional moment of her bidaai."
"This is so embarrassing to watch," the X user added.
The post sparked a social media backlash. While some felt for the bride, others alleged that the groom's family overlooked a very important part of a customary wedding ritual.
The pair, who reportedly dated for 13 years before getting married, responded to the criticism with another video. The groom clarified that on the way to the location, his family's prepared car broke down.
In his Instagram post, the groom explained that the misinterpretation of Mithilanchal wedding customs was at the root of the issue. He explained, "In our culture, vidaaii does not mean the bride immediately leaves for the groom's home after the ceremony."
Traditionally, the bride spends four days at her parents' home, instead. The groom's vehicle broke down on the day, while the ceremonies were still in progress. His wife called a cab herself because he did not know the precise address, which was later misrepresented online.
According to the groom, Matakti Aankhe, who was not related to the family or invited to the wedding, fabricated the story to suggest that the in-laws disapproved of the love marriage and purposefully chose not to send a fancy car.
He also uploaded screenshots of a local news programme replaying the viral video with the same interpretation while blurring the words.
"She misinterpreted our video. She wrote a lot of useless things in it and uploaded it on her Twitter," the groom said in the video, referring to the user, Matakti Aankhe.
"She was not even invited. She doesn't even know the background. What happened? How did it happen? And she is telling useless stories to herself," he continued.
He added that the video demeaned their family as well. The original poster apparently replied to comments defending the marriage, and he expressed disappointment that his wife was singled out in the replies.
The groom was frustrated and accused news channels and social media users of glorifying personal moments while neglecting more important issues. He also addressed the criticism's gendered aspect, claiming that those who are quick to pass judgment online without knowing local customs tend to be the source of such narratives.
The bride also expressed her disapproval towards the end of their message, slamming those who misinterpreted the footage and transformed a happy occasion into a point of criticism.
