ISLAMABAD: As Pakistani-American physician, Dr. Kashif Chaudhry, married the love of his life, Dr. Naila Shereen, at her home in New Jersey on Sunday, his family watched online from London as the two exchanged vows and whispered “Qubool Hai” (I do) to each other.
This, however, was not how they had planned their big, fat Pakistani wedding when they decided to tie the knot a few months ago.
“We thought it was best to hold a simple home wedding now, then wait for conditions to facilitate a full-scale wedding as originally planned in London. Who knows how long it [the coronavirus crisis] could be,” Chaudhry, 37, told Arab News during a phone interview, adding that they “made the final call four days before the wedding on March 22.”
By Monday, a #CoronaWedding post shared by Chaudhry – which shows the two participating in the wedding rituals while wearing face masks – had garnered 2,000 likes.
The decision, he says, stemmed from the fact that most of Chaudhry’s family resides in London which is grappling with the global coronavirus outbreak, forcing the couple to bring their wedding date forward and get married in New Jersey at Shereen’s parents’ residence.
Even though I missed my family tremendously, nonetheless had a great home wedding & glad family could at least join in through video. I couldn’t have been happier today to have married the most amazing woman on the planet.
Proud to call you my wife @NailaS_MD. #CoronaWedding pic.twitter.com/NrXw5QOz71— Kashif N Chaudhry (@KashifMD) March 22, 2020
A Cardiac Electrophysiologist at the Mercy Medical Center in Iowa and a recipient of a Presidential Service Award from former US President Barack Obama, Chaudhry met Shereen, an Internist Chief Resident at the State University of New York (SUNY) where she resides.
A few months later, they decided to get married and soon began planning their dream wedding.
However, with increased calls to maintain social distancing as an effective measure to limit the spread of coronavirus, the couple says they received full support from their respective families who participated in the ceremonies through a video-hosting platform.
“We had our family members watch through Zoom. We sent pics to our friends, and they were quite understanding of the reasons we did not have them over,” Chaudhry said, adding that he was pleasantly surprised about how “smooth” the entire process was.
“Of course there were no glamorous cars and long processions and fancy banquet halls, but in the end, it’s all about sharing love, and it was a blast in that way, ” he said.
He added that choosing not to host a traditional wedding was not a tough call for them, especially since it helps “flatten the curve and dampen the effect of what’s to come next” in the coronavirus outbreak.
Next, the couple had hoped to spend a week together before returning to their respective states and hospitals.
However, due to the rampant outbreak in New York City, Shereen was called into work, forcing the couple to cancel their plans.
“I am very proud of her for her selfless service and dedication and putting public health before her own life,” Chaudhry said of Shereen.
He was speaking to Arab News on a plane back to work in Iowa, while Shereen was driving to Brooklyn, NY to report for duty. The doctors are hoping that their decision to get married online serves as “an inspiration to others.”
“Healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, techs, paramedics etc. will soon be overwhelmed at work. We are willing to sacrifice our lives to help the wider community. All we are asking you to do is help us by staying home.”
