Distraught with their alcoholic and abusive spouses, two women in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur left their homes and married each other.

Kavita and Gunja, alias Bablu, tied the knot at the Shiva Temple, famously known as Choti Kashi, in Deoria on Thursday evening. They first connected with each other on Instagram and quickly became friends. They stayed in touch for six years before deciding to get married. Both women said they suffered domestic violence at the hands of their husbands.

At the temple, Gunja took on the role of the groom, placing vermillion (sindoor) on Kavita’s forehead. The women also exchanged garlands and performed the seven vows (pheras).

One woman said her husband, an alcoholic, assaulted her daily. She has four children and decided to return to her parents' home after enduring repeated violence. The other woman claimed her husband also drank excessively and falsely accused her of infidelity, leading her to leave him.

"We were tormented by our husbands’ drinking and abusive behaviour. This pushed us to choose a life of peace and love. We have decided to live in Gorakhpur as a couple and work to sustain ourselves," Gunja was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

The women said they were determined to stay together and would not let anyone separate them. Although they currently do not have a permanent home, they plan to rent a place to live.

Uma Shankar Pandey, the temple priest, said the women bought garlands and vermillion, completed the rituals, and departed quietly.

Source: India Today