Tired of alcoholic husbands, two Indian women marry each other

Two Indian women from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, have tied the knot after becoming fed up with their alcoholic and abusive husbands.

The two women named Kavita and Gunja, left their homes and married each other in a temple in Deoria, it has emerged. 

Indian media reports suggest that the two women first connected with each other on Instagram, and their friendship grew as they kept in touch for six years. Tired of the abuse they had to suffer at the hands of their husbands, who also happened to be alcoholics, Kavita and Gunja decided to elope and get married. 

While performing the Hindu marriage rituals, Gunja took on the role of the groom and put vermillion (sindoor) on Kavita’s forehead. They also performed other wedding rituals, including exchanging garlands and performing the seven vows commonly known as pheras.

While talking to the media, one woman said that her husband was an alcoholic, and she left him because he used to assault her daily. She has four children, all of them girls. She wanted to return to her parents' house after enduring repeated violence but then she decided to marry her Instagram friend. 

The other woman told the reporters that her husband was also a drunkard and used to accuse her of infidelity. 

"We were tormented by our husbands’ drinking and abusive behaviour. This pushed us to choose a life of peace and love. We have decided to live in Gorakhpur as a couple and work hard to sustain ourselves," Gunja asserted in her interaction with the media.

Kavita and Gunja also stressed that they are determined to live together and would not let anyone separate them. As for their future plans, they said that they currently do not have a permanent home. However, they will rent a place to live in Gorakhpur.