It was just the other day that we had come across a piece of bizarre news in a National Daily from Guwahati, Assam. It was about a resident of Goalpara district, who dialled a wrong number and fell in love with the female voice at the other end. The first call that led to a wrong number thereafter led to a series of calls, sometimes more than once a day.
So what was bizarre about it? The ‘man’ was just a 15-year-old high school dropout! And having found the “love of his life”, this youngster decided to visit her at the address at Sukywajhar across Brahmaputra, to get married. But when he reached the spot, his dream shattered, as he found that the sweet little voice he had fallen in love with was that of a 60 years old widow! Soon they decided to end the love affair.
But right then the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights stepped in, who stated that if the boy is found to be a minor as reported, SCPRC would be forced to charge a case against the widow for violation of the Protection of Child Marriage Act.
Here is yet another case…
“Married on Friday, murdered on Sunday” was the shouting heading of a National Daily on May 29, 2018. This was the story of 23-year-old Kevin Joseph, a victim of the ‘Honour killing’. An armed gang abducted him in protest against a Registered marriage and done away with his life.
It says marriage is one united by God. And since it is so, Man and Woman are not supposed to cut it themselves. But it was the renowned Madame Tussauds Museum of London that was put in a dilemma of a divorce.
When the Hollywood celebrities Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt tied knots, the Museum authorities happily launched a wax figure of the couple in 2013. But when their divorce was reported years later, the museum authorities had only one option, to separate the wax figures and keep them away from each other with a considerable distance between them!.
They say marriages are held in heaven. But many a time, we come across stories about husbands and wives crossing swords even for petty things. And the man and woman who had the nuptial knots well before a good audience, attribute the life, saying “what a hell is this married life!”.
In all marriage functions, the girl sits on the left side and the boy sits on the right side. Of course, the left side is not the wrong side, but in a ledger book, all income is recorded on the right side and the expenses are recorded on the other side!
While living with the husband is part of living, staying with the same husband for years is considered an art of living. To this phenomenon, a Sardarji had this to say, “I will never marry in my life . And I will advise the same to my children too”.
There is a popular joke about marriage that has been running rounds on WhatsApp. When somebody gets married, the best advice to give is that it cannot be everlasting. Even if it is a love marriage, in the first year, she is bound to listen to what he says. In the second year, he listens to what she says. And from the third year onwards, it is the neighbours who get to hear everything!
Herre’s another joke: There was a happily married couple who were doing chores together. In between the wife asks, “You are such a loving guy. But if I die, what will you do?” The husband replies: “Honey, literally I will be mad”. Lovingly, she asks “Dear, will you go for a second marriage?” His reply was crisp: “How can I say, what one will do, if one is mad”
Marriages they say are held in the heavens. We have come across a lot of made-for-each-other couples worldwide. And they get married with all pomp and luxury too. But there are many cases of costly divorces also. Take the case of Media baron Rupert Murdoch. He had a happy wedding with Estonian-born journalist Anna Tory. But after 32 years and three kids, they found life together to be miserable. Soon they decided to part away. But it cost Murdoch 1.7 million dollars for the settlement.
It was a different case with film celebrity Madonna, Her wedding with Guy Ritchie got strained within years. She was not at all happy with her hubby and called him an emotional retard. The strained relations ended in divorce, but it was the wife who was told to pay compensation. Madonna has to pay 80 million dollars to Ritchie.
Press Trust of India had a Washington despatch on a fight over, divorce donations in the last week of August 2016. Amber Heard got married to Johnny Depp and had happy matrimonial relations in the beginning. But as months passed by, it got strained and ended up in divorce. But the settlement money of 14 million dollars didn’t come to Amber in full. Half of it was donated in charity, to two foundations. On enquiry, it was found that it was an effort to jump taxes.
In Rosario, Argentina on July first 2017, it was the wedding of the century, as far as in sports circles. World’s best footballer award winner Lionel Messi 30 walked on the red carpet along with his childhood sweetheart Antonello Riccuzzo 29, as man and wife. The venue was the city centre casino. It included Messi’s strike partners in Barcelona – Neymar and Luis Suarez; and hundreds of journalists too. Surprisingly, among the other guests were his own children also.
Two years ago, Queen Elizabeth of Britain had a different type of man and woman as royal guests. In a country where almost all happy married life ends up in separation and divorce often, the case of a Punjabi couple settled in Yorkshire makes an interesting story. Karam Chand and Karthari Chand entered into wedlock way back in 1925 and moved to England. And on Dec 11 of 2015, they completed a happy married life of 90 years. With eight siblings and as many as 27 grandchildren around them, the 110-year-old husband and 103-year-old wife stay with the youngest son Paul Chand in Bradford. Needless to mention the monarch of the British empire invited them to Buckingham Palace and honoured the celebrated pair.
Two years ago a Washington despatch in the US media reported a 24 years old Florida girl married a 68-year-old guy. Of course, the American daily didn’t reveal the names of the man and his wife. But after three months of happy married life, the bride scanning thru the old family album of her husband, was surprised to see, that her father was also in the group pic. On enquiry, it was revealed that it was the son of her husband in his first marriage. The alert press shouted; the woman married her grandfather!
Marriages can wait, But if you are really busy, you can go ahead producing children. This was the case with the Argentine Football sticker Carlos Tevez. This former Manchester United forward had his wedding on 22nd Dec 2016, just three days before Christmas. The formal wedding took place at the banks of the Rio de la Plaza, with more than 200 guests attending. And the bride Vanesa Mansilla was there along with her three children too, all fathered by the celebrated footballer.
On 14th January last year BBC reported a rare wedding, held after 65 years of courtship, between Davi Mox (86) wed Helen Andre (82)! Though they were in love since 1952, the marriage was postponed due to opposition from the bride’s camp. The reason was simple; she was from an elite family and Davi was just a painter. But they both lived together for over 6 decades, unmarried. It was in late 2016 that their daughter Debi Willims thought that it was not proper to keep them living as strangers. So she herself arranged the wedding of her parents, in grandeur.
Here is a different story of a Pakistani father of 35 now searching for a fourth wife. The reason is simple. He romps towards his goal of 100 children, reports news agency AFP. Sardar Jan Mohd Khilji 46, who is already a father of 35 children, says he has to have as many kids as possible. He said that his three existing wives have no objection too.
Though retired from active football, Ronaldinho is still a legend in Brazil. But the latest news on him is not from the soccer circle, but from the matrimonial field. Come next year he will be marrying two women at the same time. The Barcelona star said that both his fiancees Priscilla Coelho and Beatriz Souza are already living harmoniously, at his five million dollar Rio de Janeiro mansion. But for the moment, the sharpshooter is facing the music from his own sister Deisi, who said that she cannot accept the polygamy of her brother.
When Florez Estrada 28, who specializes in making pastries exchanged rings and entered wedlock in Costa Rica, with Jazmin Elizondo 24, studying performing arts. The lawyer who performed the ceremony in 1991 had no doubt that it was wedlock between a man and a woman. But later in July 2015, they were seen joining that gay parade in San Jose. It was then reported by the Associate Press, as the first gay marriage in the country. On enquiry, it was revealed that Jazmin born in 1991, was mistakenly recorded in the birth certificate as male.
A transgender married man can also be a mother in due course. This was the story carried by the Times of India on 15th November 2015 from the United States. Kayden Coleman 29, who lives in Florida, felt that his body is turning out of shape. He started taking medicine but had no effect. A trip to the doctors found that Coleman is 21 weeks pregnant. And happily, he gave birth to a baby girl, informed his husband Elijah.
And sweetest last, if you want to add on wives to share the matrimonial pleasure, here is a website that can help you, says Azad Chaiwala, a 33-year-old entrepreneur of Pakistani origin. He claims that it is the world`s first matchmaking site for aspiring polygamists. For the last two years, the site www.secondwife.com has been open to all, and he claims that the site has thousands of members. With that, he adds that he receives more than hundreds of letters thanking him. His argument is simple. Polygamy helps one out from prostitution, and divorce.
So many stories about love, relationships and marriages. Which one caught your attention?
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