Sami Ahmed / Ranchi

Sadiq Ansari and his wife Aamna Biwi are busy hosting their son-in-law Upendra Korwa who recently married their adopted daughter of eight months Sunita Kumari.

The couple’s three children – two sons and one daughter – were already married rendering Amna Biwi and Sadiq Ansari empty nested. They live in Bagahi Tola, Makri Panchayat, Bhavnathpur block of Garhwa district of Jharkhand.

The family lives in a mud house and earns livlelihood by selling bags from recycled cement bags.

It was sheer providence that Sunita Kumari, a resident of Dhurkhi block, 40 km from Sadiq's village, and from a tribal community landed in their lives as their second daughter. Sunita had lost her parents and barring her old grandfather, she had nobody in her family.

Sunita managed to take care of herself by doing chores for others and also by working in the brick kiln.

Sunita and Upendra's wedding being solemnised

One day, she reached Sadiq's house in search of work least knowing that this visit will change her life.

Sadiq was shocked to see an emaciated girl who was visibly malnourished asking for work. He took an instant liking for her and offered her to stay with them.

Sunita found a father in Sadiq and a mother in Aamna and both of them a daughter.

Sunita was 18 when she entered the life of this couple. Eight months ago, Sadiq found a match for Sunita from Birsanagar Tola area. He found Upendra Korwa, son of Shivshankar Korwa, a hard-working man fit to marry his daughter.

During the fixing of the marriga, Sadiq announced the wedding would be solemnized as per the traditional customs of Sunita’s tribe.

As Sadiq got ready to hold the wedding everyone chipped in. Ramsevak Ram and his wife offered to do the Kanyadan; Purohit Abhimanyu Mishra chanted the mantras that go with wedding rituals. Sunita was sent off with her husband to settle down in her matrimonial home.

Upendra Korwa sitting with relative on his wedding day

All the villagers were invited to the wedding.

Lalu Ram, a social worker involved in making arrangements for the wedding said he was overawed by Sadiq Ansari’s gesture. Not only he gave shelter to Sunita but also gave her a home and loving parents. The villagers extended financial and other help in Sunita's wedding.

The groom's family said it was difficult for them to speak with Sadiq Ansari as he didn't have a mobile phone. "Lalan Ram, the social worker of the village helped us in this work. He got us talking to Sadiq and the whole family," the groom's father said.

Aamna Biwi says that ever since Sunita came into her life, both of them did household chores together. "Today Sunita and her husband are at home, so we are very happy," she told told this reporter.

Sunita Kumari said she feels blessed to have not only parents but also a husband who they found for her.

Sunita's husband Upendra said that he has got a lot of respect in his wife's house.