*Ramban flash flood fails to dampen spirit as brides walk on foot to wedding venue*

Ramban , Apr 22: Newlywed Nazir Ahmad and Zaheera Bano were expecting a smooth ride into their marital life.

But as they trudged through sludge and debris-filled roads of Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district brought in by cloudburst-triggered flash floods and landslides, the resolute couple in wedding attire was on cloud nine, insisting the experience solidified their bond.

“It was tiring but, in a way, it made the day even more special,” said Ahmad.

Like Ahmad and Zaheera, many newlywed couples had to face a similar ordeal a day after calamity hit the district, blocking the arterial Jammu-Srinagar national highway and rendering many other roads impassable.

Sunil Kumar led his wedding processing, complete with ‘band-baaja’, on foot through muck to the bride’s residence.

To the surprise of many who assembled near Usman Hotel in the Ramban old highway market to have a look at the devastation caused by the flash floods,