Srinagar, May 30 -- ByMehvish Nazir

I still remember the smell of kahwa and the sound of laughter spilling out from a modest courtyard wedding in my grandmother's village. Neighbours cooked together. The bride wore her mother's jewelry. The prayers were soft, and the joy was real.

That world feels far away now.

In Srinagar today, weddings don't begin with blessings, they begin with budgets. A typical celebration runs upwards of Rs.20 to Rs.40 lakhs. That's not for a house. That's just for one wedding.

Designer dresses. Drone photography. Velvet sofas at the mehndi. Tramis stacked with forty dishes, some barely touched. A celebration that once echoed community has become a contest, and it's taking a toll few are talking about.

As a st...