Not-So-Funny Viral Video: Groom Slaps Bride During Wedding Ceremony

In a recent viral video, a groom is seen slapping his bride during their wedding ceremony. The wedding party surrounding the two is visibly stunned by the groom's act. What happened to the couple after this incident? Did the bride proceed with the rituals or chose to call off the wedding? Did her family intervene on her behalf, sadly, there is no clarity about the aftermath of the incident.

The now-viral video was shared by a person named Ramsubhag Yadav on Facebook. The groom's reaction towards his to-be wife shocked the guests as well as the viewers who watched it on social media. The video has amassed more than 2.3 million views so far. While some viewers found the video to be hilarious, others expressed concern for the safety of the bride. If he shows no inhibition in slapping her in front of their wedding party, what would stop him from doing so again in the near and distant future?

The viral video hinted that the groom and bride were visibly miffed with each other during the ceremony. While the groom is seen feeding sweets to the bride, she turns her head away after which he throws it at her. In retaliation, the bride too throws back a piece of sweets at him following which he proceeds to slap her.

While the wedding guests seem shocked at the groom's unexpected reaction, viewers speculated that the couple must have been forced into marriage owing to the fact that they seemed to be upset about the wedding.

An Instagram user suggested that the bride should have walked out of the wedding considering the inappropriate reaction of the groom. Another wrote that the groom "definitely needs to be taught some lessons!"

"And here begins her domestic violence," wrote another Instagram user. A user who goes by the name Vasavi expressed her displeasure over people who were making fun of the incident saying, "Why are people even joking about this? Fix your sense of humor if y'all find this funny. Smh"

Groom slaps bride during wedding: domestic violence isn't funny

A lot of viewers wrote that the video was "funny", sharing laughing emojis in their comments, but is it, really? Seems like the video has become popular for all wrong reasons. Domestic violence is not something to laugh off or to be passed off as a petty spat between husband-wife. Domestic violence is an issue that often goes unnoticed as it gets buried under the soil of familial duties and social shaming which discourages survivors from speaking up.

Making fun of such issues only shows how inconsiderate and ignorant we are as a society as we, too, refuse to acknowledge the harassment and disrespect faced by survivors of abuse on a daily basis. Even so, they have to wake up every day in the hope of a better tomorrow only for their hopes to be shattered again and again.

It's easier to talk and preach about such issues behind a laptop and in the safe environments of our homes but much more challenging when it comes to calling out the perpetrators who abuse and harass their wives and women. The only way to encourage survivors to speak up is to show some empathy. Aside from discouraging women from speaking up against domestic violence, or telling them to "endure" for the sake of their family, stop treating domestic abuse as a joke. It is never funny and no one should have to endure it.

Views expressed by the author are their own.