Wedding brings hope to flood-hit tent settlement

LAHORE:

In the heart of Chuhang's tent settlement, where grief and hardship have long prevailed, a wedding brought rare joy and hope to flood survivors.

The air, usually heavy with despair, was filled with the sound of bangles and Punjabi wedding songs as two families celebrated the marriage of their children.

Tayyaba, 21, once a factory worker and now a teacher at a temporary Alkhidmat-run school in the camp, became a bride in her red dress, her simple smile lighting up the gathering.

For her students, who joined the celebration, the occasion was as meaningful as it was for her family.

Her father, Muhammad Riaz, who had tried to keep his children's spirits alive during the floods, watched with pride.

"The waters swept everything away from us," he said, "but today proves that life still goes on. I am overjoyed to see my daughter start anew."

The groom, Ali Raza, 26, who previously worked in medical billing, recalled first seeing Tayyaba teaching children in the camp.

"Her simplicity and kindness won my heart," he said. His mother, Kosar Bibi, added: "We lost everything here, but love survived. Today we lit a lamp of happiness in the midst of grief."