Minhaz’s festive turban is ready. Invitation cards have been distributed. Cars, buses, hotels, caterers – everything was booked. The judge is also ready to conduct the marriage ceremony on March 30. The house is filled with festive energy, but one absence weighs heavily on everyone: the groom himself fails to arrive.
As the appointed time approaches, the guests wait in anticipation. But at the last minute, news arrives that Minhaz will not be able to travel from Kuwait.
His father, Rafi Khan, said: “I apologized to the bride’s family and the villagers and asked them to set another date after the situation in the Gulf calms down.”
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Weddings are caught in the middle of the US-Iran war
In Khandil village in Sherghati block in Gaya district, dozens of families have set specific wedding dates, but the newlyweds are still stuck outside. The reason is the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran. The situation in the Gulf countries has deteriorated: flights have been canceled and flight prices have risen.
Remittances from the Gulf have changed the face of Khandil village. There is now a bank, an ATM, a sub-health centre, and shiny concrete houses dotting the settlement. However, these same profits are now a source of concern.
More than 400 youth from Khandel and neighboring villages – Imlethan, Jaipur, Ratanpur and Bandaul are working under the leadership of Cherki Panchayat – in the Gulf countries. Almost every other family has a member abroad. It has been a long-standing tradition for them to return home during Eid and Bakrid. But this time, the ongoing conflict led to chaos.
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Many young people’s weddings are scheduled for March, and their families now face uncertainty as to whether the celebrations will go ahead as planned or be postponed.
Jalil Shah’s family suffers from the same anxiety. His son’s wedding is scheduled to take place on March 30 in Erki village in Jehanabad. Invitation cards have already been distributed, but his son is currently stranded in Qatar. He had booked a ticket for March 26, but his flight had already been canceled twice.
“We have completed all our preparations. If my son arrives, the wedding procession will go ahead as planned. However, we remain optimistic,” Shah said.
In the midst of wedding preparations, the family is also facing a shortage of LPG cylinders. To deal with this problem, the cook was instructed to prepare food on a traditional wood stove. He added: “If necessary, we are ready to give up the hotel location.”
Mukhiya Patti (husband of village head) Javed Khan said that many families in the village are now actively working on the alternative plan. If the groom fails to arrive on time, the nikah (wedding ceremony) can be conducted online.
He said: “There is a wedding in my family. One is in Bahrain and the other is in Qatar. Neither of them have been able to arrive yet.”
Villagers admit that the government cannot do much, because the circumstances are international in nature. However, they are still hoping to get help from the Indian embassy.
Besides Saudi Arabia, the situation is said to be worse in Kuwait and Qatar. Nasir Khan, who recently returned home after vacation, said that amid the missile attacks, people are spending sleepless nights, taking shelter in bunkers or on the streets. $60,000 on flight ticket.
The US-Iran war disrupts travel
The crisis comes amid a war between the United States, Israel and Iran that began on February 28, when US-Israeli forces launched strikes on Iranian targets. Iran has since responded with missile and drone attacks across the region, including strikes targeting US bases and infrastructure in Gulf states.
The hostilities have widely disrupted air travel, with several countries in the Middle East temporarily closing their airspace and airlines canceling thousands of flights. The conflict has left many migrant workers stranded in Gulf countries and unable to return home, affecting travel plans, employment and family events such as weddings.
