A childless Muslim couple tied the knot of their adopted Hindu daughter to a Brahmin business executive from South Delhi on Thursday night.
Shabir Khan, a childless 55-year-old furniture shop owner. One Sharma, a Hindu Brahmin, a neighbor and close friend of Shabir Khan used to live in Vinod Nagar in East Delhi, had 6 daughters. Sharma agreed that Shabbir could adopt one of his daughters.
As the couple had no child of their own, they agreed to Sharma’s advice and adopted Gudiya.
After that, some years later, Shabbir shifted to Rahul Vihar in Ghaziabad, where his shop in Pratap Vihar was doing well.
“I thought it was my daughter’s arrival that brought us luck. And, since she joined us, she has been a sort of reason for our existence. “Aaj mujhe lagta hai jaise mere dil ka ek tukra chala gaya (Today, I feel like a piece of my heart has departed from me.)
He had a separate pooja ghar (prayer room) for Gudiya, where she could pray to the Hindu deities.
Gudiya, now called Rakhi completed her 10+2 examination from a Central Board of Secondary Education affiliated school left with her husband, a multi-national corporation executive, Ranjit Sharma, leaving her ‘father’, Shabir Khan, behind.
“Who will we now celebrate Holi with? No Eid will be the same without her. She is more our child than a natural one would be,” said Sharma.
The intensity of the bond between parents and Gudiya amazed the neighbors and invitees at the wedding ceremony.