Married couple or brother and sister?

By Geeta Pandey BBC correspondent in Delhi

Sonia stood by me through everything, says Rampal

They were living happily as husband and wife only to be told by a council they had to give that all up and become brother and sister.

The Asanda village council in the northern Indian state of Haryana said Sonia and Rampal belonged to two closely related clans that had "brotherly relations".

Although a court order has forced the council to retract, the couple, who are expecting their first child, are traumatised.

"The panchayat (council) decision was unfair and illegal," says Rampal.

"They told Sonia to take me on as her brother. But she refused point-black. She said, 'he's my husband. How can he be my brother?'

"'Even if you kill me,' she said, 'I will not change my mind.' They slapped her; I was too scared to even protest. My sister and brother-in-law came to her rescue, otherwise they could have hurt Sonia seriously."

Ancestors

Despite the council retraction, there are still concerns about the safety of the couple.

It's unconstitutional, utterly illegal and the [council] should face criminal prosecution Brinda Karat, All India Democratic Women's Association

Four months' pregnant, Sonia lies in her hospital bed, staring vacantly at the ceiling. She says the memories are too painful.

"I don't know what's wrong. I just keep remembering what happened and I feel very ill. My blood pressure goes up and down. I lose control of myself," she says.

Twenty-year-old Sonia married Rampal, a resident of Asanda, 20 months ago.

But the panchayat said they belonged to closely related clans, a claim both Sonia and Rampal deny.

The practice of not marrying within clans dates back to thousands of years ago, when all those who studied under one sage or guru were regarded as brothers.

Today, many still believe in the practice and alliances are formed only after a careful consideration of several generations of ancestors.

Rampal and Sonia's is a classic case of traditional beliefs coming into conflict with individual rights.

Everyone I spoke to in the village said it was wrong to marry within the clan.

"We've got to live in society. We've got to follow social norms," said one resident, Rajesh Devi.

Unhappy blur

But Brinda Karat, general secretary of the All India Democratic Women's Association, which is working with Sonia, says the council was wrong.

The village remains staunchly behind clan traditions

"It's unconstitutional, utterly illegal and they should face criminal prosecution.

"They have absolutely no right. We have a constitution in India, we have laws regarding marriage and the couple have been married according to law. And nobody, least of all a self-proclaimed caste-based group, can decide what's good or bad."

After Rampal and Sonia's story became headlines, the Punjab and Haryana High Court intervened.

The court told Asanda village elders not to interfere in the couple's life and ordered police to protect them.

The council gave an assurance it would not interfere, but Rampal says he still fears for their lives.

"I'm lucky to have Sonia as my wife," he says. "She's stood by me through everything. I love her very much. I hope she gets better soon so I can bring her home."

Back in hospital, Sonia lies frail in bed. The past few weeks have been traumatic and the future is an unhappy blur she's unwilling to think about.