Although unheard of, 24-year-old Rachana Alluri’s family did it for her. They postponed her wedding by a few hours so that it wouldn't stand in the way of her dreams of becoming a teacher.

 

Rachana, who hails from Telangana’s Adilabad district, is pursuing her Diploma in Education (DEd) so she can be a teacher one day. She already holds a Bachelor in Science (BSc) degree.

 

When her parents fixed her wedding six months ago, she realised that her final exams might be at the end of October, just before her wedding. 

 

But when the exam dates were finally announced, her predicament couldn’t have been worse. 

 

"I was shocked. My exam dates were clashing with the wedding date and muhurtam. My exam timings are 9 am to 12 pm and my muhurtum was at 11:02 am on November 25," Rachana told The News Minute.

 

 

 

She realised that she had three options: she would have to get married during the week-long exams in the end of November, skip them altogether, or postpone her wedding. 

 

“Initially, our families decided to change the wedding date even though they believed that it's inauspicious to change it once fixed. But 11.02am was the best muhurtam for us. Later, my (then) fiancé encouraged me to write the exam on the same day,” Rachana said. 

 

"We informed all the guests that the wedding will be delayed and everyone cooperated," she added.

 

But that wasn’t the only hurdle. People believe that for the duration of the wedding-related rituals, the bride-to-be should not go out of the house.

 

However, her family was supportive and did not prevent her from writing any of the exams even after the day of the mehendi. 

 

And so, a couple of days later, Rachana turned up for her exam on November 25, decked in her wedding finery.

 

“Everyone was shocked when I entered the exam hall. But my classmates understood my situation. My friends and classmates were proud, and congratulated me for appearing for the exam even on my wedding day. Some even said that if they were in my place, they would not have been able to manage both and would have got married first,” Rachana said. 

 

 

After the exam, she rushed to the venue of the wedding. She also wrote the rest of the exams. “It was really difficult to manage everything, the wedding preparations, shopping, and studying. But with the support of my family, in-laws and my husband, I was able to manage everything well,” she says. 

 

With just one exam left, Rachana feels lucky to have a husband and in-laws who gave priority to her exams and by extension, her dream of becoming a teacher.

 

Her happiness is enhanced by the fact that her course does not have supplementary exams unlike degree courses. “I didn’t want to waste one year, because next year I want to appear for the teachers’ entrance exams. I'm sure with such a supporting family and husband, I will surely reach my goal. I strongly feel every girl needs a supporting husband and family to reach her goals.” 

 

She adds that she has an inkling of what life would be like as a married woman with a husband who is supportive. And she smiles.