The journey of over 3,000 kilometers had exhausted everyone. We, the bride’s family, had traveled from Punjab to Tamil Nadu for our daughter’s wedding. Everyone assumed they would be well received, as the groom’s family was wealthy and had already promised a “lavish” wedding.

But when we arrived, the feast for the guests consisted of nothing but…boiled pig ears (sur ka kan). No meat, no vegetables, no curry. The entire group looked at each other in confusion, unable to muster the courage to speak. Relatives whispered:
“Is the groom’s family really that poor? I hear they own dozens of acres of sugarcane land?”

Sitting at the table, everyone tried to swallow a few bites to show humility. But the pig ears were tough, the chutney was salty, and the entire meal was strangely tasteless.

Then the bride’s father, Mr. Prakash, shrewdly asked:
“Why did the groom’s family serve only pig ears? Is it because the journey is long and they haven’t made adequate preparations?”

The entire table fell silent. Then the in-laws, Mr. Subramaniam, smiled slightly, put down their toddy cups, and said something that left everyone speechless:

“Serve pig ears so that both families… can listen to each other. From now on, your daughter will come to my house; she will have to be obedient, not argue, not fight. After eating the pig ears, remember to be good.”

The entire table was stunned. The bride’s mother, Mrs. Meera, turned pale, her hands shaking as she held her daughter’s hand. The wedding party, which had come from over 3,000 kilometers away, understood that this wasn’t just food, but a warning.

Just then, the bride, Priya, stood before both families and burst into tears:

“I won’t marry now! I don’t want to be the daughter-in-law of a family that treats me like a pig’s ear on the dining table!”

The entire wedding was in an uproar, whispers spread throughout the courtyard. The groom’s family was furious, the bride’s family was confused, and the marriage, which seemed preordained, was shattered right there on the table… with the boiled pig’s ear.

Priya’s words crushed the atmosphere of the feast, as if crushed by a stone, and the groom’s entire family stood up. The groom’s face turned red, and he growled:
“What are you saying, in front of both families, you’re canceling the wedding?!”

Priya wiped her tears, her eyes turning red:
“I don’t want to be the daughter-in-law who is forced to ‘obey’ a pig’s ear!”

Mr. Subramaniam slammed his wine glass, spilling alcohol everywhere, his voice trailing off in a whisper:
“You’ve come all this way and yet you want to cancel the wedding? This family married off their daughter to teach her, not to listen to her!”
The bride’s mother, Mrs. Lakshmi, pointed directly at the wedding procession and shouted:
“You brought your daughter here, took the dowry, and now you want to mock the world?”

These words were like the spark that ignited a fire in a barrel of oil. The bride’s father, Mr. Prakash, seethed with anger and slammed his fist on the table:

“I brought my daughter all the way from 3,000 kilometers away, not to be insulted! I’ll return the dowry, this wedding is over!”

Immediately, some young men from the groom’s family closed and locked the door. One of them said coldly:

“No one leaves here without informing us. If you want to get married, do it; if you don’t, leave something behind.”

The bride’s entire family was stunned. No one had imagined the wedding would turn into an open imprisonment. Priya hugged her mother tightly and whispered:

“Mom, I’m scared…”

Outside, Bollywood music was still blaring from the wedding loudspeakers, but inside the courtyard, the atmosphere was as tense as a wire. Anand stepped forward, grabbed Priya’s hand, and pulled her:

“Go inside and put on your wedding clothes! Do you think you can escape? This wedding is a wedding, after all!”

Priya screamed with red eyes, struggling:

“Let me go! I’d rather run away than stay here!”

The bride’s father immediately stood in front of his daughter. He gripped the bamboo chair, his eyes fierce like a cornered tiger:

“My daughter, if anyone even touches her, I’ll fight you!”

Screams and chairs crashed. Plates of boiled pork ears were scattered on the floor. In the chaos, a secret was suddenly revealed—a relative of the groom’s family blurted out:

“I told you, marrying this girl is only to ward off bad luck. Why are you so angry…”

The entire courtyard fell silent.

Priya was stunned. The bride’s family was also stunned.

Part 2: Escape on the Wedding Day

The atmosphere in the groom’s house was as tense as a wire. The words “to ward off evil spirits” had just been uttered, causing the bride’s entire family to fall silent. Priya was trembling, but her eyes held an unprecedented determination.

Her father – Mr. Prakash – gripped the bamboo chair tightly and said through gritted teeth:
“You married my daughter just to ward off evil spirits? How insulting! This marriage is over, we must get her back at all costs!”

Mr. Subramaniam – the groom’s father – roared:
“This isn’t easy! Since we’re here, if we don’t get married, we have to save this family’s honor.”

A few young men from the groom’s family closed the door. Bollywood music was still blaring outside, but inside, it felt like a fight was brewing.

Priya grabbed her mother’s hand, tears streaming down her face:

“Mom, I’m not here. I’d rather die than cast a spell to ward off their misfortune.”

The bride’s family looked at each other. The exit was blocked, and there were few people. But just then, a relative from Priya’s mother’s side – Uncle Arun – whispered:

“Don’t worry, I’ve called the nearby villagers. Just a little while…”

The truth came out in the village.

And within minutes, dozens of villagers heard the news and arrived. They began banging on the door and shouting:

“Open the door! Why is the bride’s family locked in the courtyard? Is this a wedding or a kidnapping?”

Under pressure, the groom’s companions were forced to open the door. The bride’s family immediately helped Priya out. But Priya didn’t leave. She stopped in the middle of the courtyard, her voice echoing through the crowd:
“I, Priya, will not marry Anand. I am not a talisman. I am not a daughter-in-law to be taught with a plate of boiled pig ears. I choose my freedom.”

The entire village was stunned. Whispers echoed everywhere. Old people shook their heads, children widened their eyes. Everyone looked at the groom’s family with disdain.

The bride’s mother, Mrs. Lakshmi, shouted:
“How shameless is this daughter! She’s come from so far away and yet she dares to refuse the marriage in front of the whole village?!”

But this time, the villagers weren’t on their side. A village headman stepped forward, his voice stern:
“We heard it clearly. Are you marrying the bride to ‘remove a curse’? This is a shameful superstition! This marriage is now canceled. The Subramaniam family must immediately bow their heads and apologize, or the entire village will boycott them!”

The groom’s family bowed their heads in humiliation.

Overwhelmed, Mr. Subramaniam’s face turned red. Finally, he had to stand up and, with folded hands, mumble an apology. The entire family bowed their heads, avoiding the villagers’ contemptuous gaze.

The groom, Anand, bit his lip, his eyes turning red. He wanted to run after Priya, but the villagers stopped him. The wedding was called off as the music played.

Priya’s Decision

Priya, holding her parents’ hands, walked out of the gate and said loudly:

“Your daughter traveled 3,000 kilometers just to be humiliated. But from now on, I won’t cry. I want to return to my hometown and start my life anew.”

The bride’s entire family boarded the car, but everyone felt relieved. They knew Priya had just escaped a quagmire of mud.

In the background, the villagers whispered:

“The Subramaniam family is truly shameful. They served pig’s ears to warn their daughter-in-law, but ultimately had to bow down before the entire village.”

The forced marriage was broken, and Priya was free. The groom’s family, once proud, now had to endure humiliation in front of the community. And this story became a warning to many other families: marriages are not binding, but should be voluntary.