Kanoon Ka Haath & Being Saath Saath

Typical bolly/kolly/tolly/sandal wood movie:

A couple is dressed like ‘bride’ and ‘groom’, few friends hold two garlands, a registrar enters, asks them to exchange garlands, requests them to sign on the register, friends follow the same.

And then lots of laughter, congratulations and couple leave for their honeymoon. They are now ‘happily married’.

Damn it; this only happens in ‘reel’ life mind you. In real, I’ll tell you what happened on Saturday.

A couple is asked to submit the following credentials.

• ID proof for both bride and groom.

• Age proof (SSLC marks card) for bride and groom.

• Form 1A and 2B.

• Six 2B size photos.

• Receipt of the wedding hall that the marriage happened on such date.

• Copy of the Marriage Invite.

• 3 witnesses.

• Nominal fee of 205 (white is the color)

So the couple went to the studio and got the pic clicked, filled all the forms, signed, Xeroxed all the related proofs, got the letter from the wedding hall authority and went to the ‘Sub-Registrar’ office at 9:30am.

Now it’s a Saturday and the day before that was a government holiday due to this. The next day is Sunday which is also an off day. So the registrar seems to have escaped. Later it is known that the guy visits the office only by 10:30am.

The witnesses are from the police department so they somehow process the papers soon. But the registrar was in no mood they said. The couple is asked to come by 2:30pm.

At 1:30pm the couple gets a call asking for 2 more photographs. The couple had to rush to the photo studio, search for the pic taken the day before, and had to request them to reprint 6 more within short duration; that takes almost close to 2:30pm.

The witnesses start calling the couple one after the other stating that the registrar is in full mood & if delayed the couple may have to postpone the appointment to the next week. This is thoroughly not possible as the couple work (read as slog) in the weekdays and are free only on Saturdays and Sundays.

The couple reaches the location by 3pm; huffing and puffing they climb the second floor. The sticking of the photos to the documents is done, all the information is fed to the system, verified thrice, names are checked, and initials verified, the witnesses and their addresses are checked, DOB is confirmed and the print button is clicked.

The groom signs on 8 papers 17 times and so does the bride. The Registrar in a ‘ok-mood’ signs on the papers, the government seal is hit on the sheets.

& the already happily married couple is tired at 4pm but finally registered under the ‘Hindu Marriage Act 1955'.

Now go on and congratulate them by sending gifts!