In a tale that left an entire village chuckling in disbelief, a bride in Khajni’s Bharohiya area in Gorakhpur took an innocent bathroom break during her wedding rituals-and never came back. The 40-year-old groom, Kamlesh Kumar, now finds himself not just heartbroken but also missing jewelry, cash, and his faith in second chances.
The drama unfolded at the Shiv Temple, where Kamlesh, a farmer from Sitapur’s Govindpur village, was tying the knot for the second time. Having lost his first wife, he had hoped to rebuild his family, even paying a mediator Rs 30,000 to help find him a bride. But it seems the mediator’s guarantee didn’t include “sticking around until the pheras.”
According to Kamlesh, the bride arrived at the temple on Friday with her mother. As the rituals began, everything seemed to be going smoothly-until the bride excused herself for a quick visit to the bathroom. Minutes turned to hours, and it became clear that the bathroom wasn’t her only destination.
Her mother, who was supposed to be supervising the ceremonies, also vanished into thin air.
“She was dressed so beautifully; I didn’t think she’d sprint off like that,” Kamlesh told reporters, trying to hide his embarrassment.
“I gave her sarees, beauty products, jewelry, and even paid for all the wedding arrangements. I didn’t think I’d be footing the bill for her great escape.”
The incident left wedding guests bewildered and Kamlesh devastated. “I just wanted to start over, but now I’m worse off than before,” he lamented.
Kamlesh revealed that a man from Sitapur demanded Rs 30,000 in exchange for arranging his marriage. After paying Rs 3,000 upfront, Kamlesh was taken to Khajni on January 1, where he was introduced to a woman and a girl at a hotel.
The woman from Khajni took Kamlesh’s phone number after the meeting. Following this, the Sitapur broker informed Kamlesh that an additional Rs 60,000 was required-Rs 30,000 for himself and Rs 30,000 for the woman in Khajni.
Subsequently, the woman from Khajni contacted Kamlesh, asking him to bring Rs 30,000 on January 3, assuring him that the marriage would be arranged immediately. Trusting her, Kamlesh arrived in Khajni with his son to finalize the wedding.
However, after taking the money, jewelry, and other items, the woman, who was supposed to be the bride, and the Sitapur broker disappeared in an auto under the pretext of preparing for the jaimala (garland exchange) ceremony.
When Kamlesh approached the police for help, he was met with disappointment.
The local police reportedly dismissed his complaint, claiming it was a matter for Sitapur authorities and sent him back without initiating any investigation.
As Kamlesh’s story spreads, the village is abuzz with jokes about bathroom breaks becoming the new runaway tactic. But for Kamlesh, the joke is anything but funny.
“I thought I was starting a new chapter in life,” he said. “Turns out, it was the start of a comedy show.”
For now, Kamlesh might think twice before funding another wedding-or trusting someone who insists on a bathroom break mid-ritual.
