Farmer dies suddenly while dancing at nephew’s wedding:Father says, ‘He had never even complained of headache’

A 35-year-old farmer from Piplood village in died suddenly after collapsing while dancing at his nephew’s wedding event. The incident happened on the night of 17 February during a mehendi ceremony in Ojhar village, near Khargone. The deceased, identified as, Ghanshyam Yadav, had travelled with his family to attend the wedding celebrations. According to relatives, he appeared completely healthy and had no history of illness. Doctors later confirmed that he suffered a silent heart attack. “He was completely healthy,” says father Ghanshyam’s father, Tukaram Yadav (66), struggled to speak as he described the tragedy. “My son Ghanshyam was perfectly healthy. He never even complained of a headache. He had gone to perform the traditional ‘mamera’ ritual at the wedding. We don’t know how he suddenly suffered a heart attack. The ritual could not even take place,” he said in a choked voice. The family is originally from Piplood village in Barwani district. The wedding was in Ojhar village, in the Kasrawad area of Khargone district, where Ghanshyam’s sister Lalita is married. Her children — son Ankit and daughter Rajni — were getting married this week. Rajni’s wedding was held in a simple manner on Thursday following the tragedy. Ankit’s wedding, scheduled for 21 February, will also be conducted without celebrations. Collapsed during Mehendi ceremony According to family members, Ghanshyam left for Ojhar at around 12.30pm on 17 February along with relatives. The atmosphere was joyful, and preparations for the wedding were in full swing. The family had bought new clothes for the occasion. His elder brother, Baliram Yadav, said the family performed Ganesh puja after arriving in the village. The haldi ceremony took place earlier in the day. In the evening, they had dinner — dal-baati and rice — before joining the mehendi function. “There was music and dancing. On our insistence, Ghanshyam and his wife Nisha also joined the dance. He was enjoying himself and even showered currency notes on his wife as part of the celebration. His son was recording a video on his mobile phone,” Baliram said. During the dancing, Ghanshyam suddenly staggered and fell to the ground. “At first, we thought he was doing a dance step. But when he didn’t get up for two to five minutes, we realised something was wrong. He had become unconscious. We rushed him to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead,” he added. Doctors performed an ECG and confirmed that Ghanshyam had suffered a silent heart attack. Family members said he was calm by nature and did not suffer from stress. Simple farming life Ghanshyam belonged to a farming family. The family owns eight acres of agricultural land. Four acres are planted with bananas and the rest with maize. He had planned to return soon after the wedding to begin preparations for harvesting the banana crop. His cousin, Santosh Yadav, said Ghanshyam led a disciplined and simple life. “He would wake up at 5am every day, perform his daily prayers, and leave for the fields by 8am. He returned home around noon for lunch, rested briefly, and then went back to work at 3pm. He would return home by 6pm, spend time with his family, and sometimes meet friends in the village. He usually slept by 10pm,” Santosh said. Friends in shock Ghanshyam’s friend Uttam Patel said the group of friends in the village often met in the evenings at the village square to chat and discuss farming. “He was cheerful and calm. He had told us that after returning from the wedding, we would start harvesting the banana crop. He had no health complaints. Just two days before, he called and said we would all have to manage arrangements when the wedding procession arrived on the 19th,” Uttam said. The friends had planned to attend the wedding together on Thursday morning. Instead, they received news of his death. “We are all stunned. We cannot understand what has happened,” he said. Village in mourning When this reporter visited Piplood village, around 10 kilometres from the district headquarters, relatives and villagers were gathered at the Yadav family home. Women could be heard crying inside. The family remains in deep shock, unable to accept that Ghanshyam is no longer with them. His funeral was held the day after the incident. The traditional ‘mamera’ ceremony was cancelled, and both weddings are being conducted quietly. What was meant to be a week of celebration for the family has turned into one of grief, as a joyful dance at a wedding ended in an unexpected and loss.