A wedding in Hassan district of Karnataka came to an abrupt halt when the bride refused to go ahead with the ceremony moments before the tying of the mangal sutra (sacred marriage chain). The bride, Pallavi, said she was in love with another man and could not proceed with the wedding. She eventually walked away from the venue under police protection. A viral video capturing the incident shows a clip where the groom is seen saying something to Pallavi, while she silently shakes her head. The video then cuts to a shot of Pallavi, her face covered, being escorted by her boyfriend. The video was shared on X by user @gharkekalesh with the caption, "Karnataka: Bride Pallavi refused to marry at the last moment, saying she loves someone else. She walked out of the wedding venue with her lover under police protection." The post has amassed over 2 million views. Watch the video here: Karnataka: Bride Pallavi refused to marry at the last moment, saying she loves someone else.She walked out of the wedding venue with her lover under police protection pic.twitter.com/6JbaeHhd2z — Ghar Ke Kalesh (@gharkekalesh) May 24, 2025 Many netizens have expressed their support for the bride. One user commented, "Why cover her face? She's setting a great example for Indian girls everywhere. Better late than never - she did what was right." Another wrote, "People acting as if she won't have already told her parents about it. But for Indian parents kulcha & traditions are most important, not the happiness of their daughter. The groom is the victim in this case but so are the woman and her lover who're victims of society & parents." A third user remarked, "She took a great decision. I favor her because he saved the life of three persons first one is bridegroom, herself and her lover. Otherwise she cries whole life and his family I mean his husband would be tensed with her treat. It was a good step. I appreciate her but I should be earlier." Another added, "A sensible thing to do, rather than marrying the guy & signing up for a lifetime of infidelity. However, she could've totally avoided the drama; the parents on both sides would've been left mighty embarrassed. I feel for the guy, though!" According to reports from India Today, the incident occurred at Sri Adichunchanagiri Kalyana Mantapa in Hassan district, where Pallavi, a postgraduate, was set to marry Venugopal G, a government school teacher. As the rituals reached the decisive stage, Pallavi reportedly received a phone call that led her to lock herself in a room and refuse to come out. She later informed her family that she was in love with someone else and did not wish to go ahead with the wedding. Despite emotional appeals from her family and intervention by local police, Pallavi stood firm in her decision. Eventually, the groom also decided to withdraw, stating he did not want to marry someone unwilling. A relative who was present said, “Once she received a phone call, she said she didn’t want to get married and was feeling scared. She spoke to the groom, told him she was frightened and didn’t want to go through with the marriage — she just wanted to stay with her mother.” The relative added, “She informed the groom and stopped the wedding just five minutes before the auspicious time (muhurtha). Now, they are alleging that she was in love with another boy. She hadn’t informed anyone earlier because the boy belongs to a different caste.” The event, which was attended by hundreds of guests from both families, was cancelled, leaving family members visibly distressed. Police from the local station were called to manage the situation and maintain order. No formal complaint has been filed. This is not the first time a wedding in India has been abruptly cancelled. In a separate incident, a groom in Rajasthan walked out of his wedding after answering a phone call during the saat pheras (seven sacred circumambulations). The couple had completed six of the seven rounds when the groom received a call, reportedly from another woman, and refused to take the final step to complete the ritual.
