It was a promise kept, a die-hard fan of Tollywood actress Satabdi Roy got married without dowry as a part of bet to celebrate the first time MP's victory from Birbhum constituency here.

"I will shave my head if she loses and will get married the very next day of her win," Seikh Kamrul, a rickshaw puller of Dakhalbati had challenged his friends in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls.

While he was enamoured by the Trinamool Congress' star candidate his friends had doubted if Roy could manage to win in her first brush with politics.

As soon as the result were out in Roy's favour, Kamrul's friends Lalan, Makim, Kaji and other villagers reminded him of the "bet". Kamrul agreed to marry.

His family immediately sent a word to the guardians of Sahina from neighbouring Dadpur village, whom Kamrul had seen three years ago.

The alliance had not materialised as the bride's father, Jakir Ali, could not arrange the dowry demanded by Kamrul's family, one of his friends said.

On Sunday evening, Kamrul's friends went to Ali's house and asked him if he had been able to marry off Sahina. Jakir said his fourth daughter, Sahina, was still unmarried for want of money.

"I asked Sahina's hand", Kamrul said.

When Jakir told them that he had no money, the groom's friends and relatives assured him that the wedding would go off without "dowry".

Villagers came forward with gifts in cash and kind as the news of the alliance spread like wildfire, Lalan said.

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