Love, Protest and a Mobile Tower: Basti Woman Finally Marries Her Boyfriend After Dramatic Standoff

A love story from Basti has captured widespread attention after a young woman, who climbed a mobile tower twice demanding marriage to her boyfriend, finally tied the knot with him in the presence of both families.

The incident, which unfolded in the Rudhauli area of the district, has become a major talking point locally, with many comparing it to the iconic “Veeru-Basanti” scene from the classic Bollywood film Sholay.

The young woman, Nazia, had reportedly been in a relationship with Mehtab for the past three years.

According to local sources, Nazia’s sister is married in Belhar Sengar village in Sant Kabir Nagar. During one of her visits to her sister’s in-laws’ home, Nazia met Mehtab, who belonged to the same village.

Over time, their friendship deepened into a romantic relationship. Meanwhile, Mehtab frequently travelled to Bengaluru for work.

However, when Nazia began insisting on marriage, Mehtab allegedly started avoiding the conversation for reasons that remain unclear.

Nazia, however, had already made up her mind. She reportedly told her family that she wanted to marry only Mehtab and no one else.

On May 12, in a dramatic attempt to force a resolution, Nazia climbed a mobile tower in the Walterganj area and threatened to jump unless she was promised marriage to Mehtab.

Police officials, residents, and administrative authorities spent nearly five hours persuading her to come down safely.

When matters still failed to move forward, Nazia repeated the act once again last Sunday, this time climbing another mobile tower in the Rudhauli area.

According to eyewitnesses, she firmly declared that she would not climb down until her marriage was formally agreed upon.

As news of the incident spread, police officials rushed to the spot. Rudhauli station in-charge Sanjay Dubey personally intervened in the matter.

He reportedly travelled to Mehtab’s village in Sant Kabir Nagar and facilitated a video call between Nazia, Mehta,b and his family members.

Only after receiving a clear assurance that the marriage would take place did Nazia agree to come down from the tower.

On Tuesday, Mehtab returned from Bengaluru, and the couple’s nikah was solemnised at a mosque located near the Rudhauli police station in the presence of both families.

The unusual love story has since become the subject of intense public discussion across the region.

Many people have compared Nazia’s actions to the famous scene from Sholay in which Dharmendra, playing the character Veeru, climbs a water tank and threatens to jump unless he is allowed to marry Basanti.

The resemblance has not gone unnoticed:

• In the film, Veeru climbed a water tank; Nazia climbed a mobile tower.
• Veeru demanded approval for his marriage to Basanti; Nazia demanded marriage to Mehtab.
• What appeared as comic drama in the cinema unfolded as a real-life emotional confrontation in Basti.

At the same time, many observers have pointed out that while such scenes may appear entertaining in films, similar actions in real life can be extremely dangerous and emotionally distressing for everyone involved.

For now, however, Nazia and Mehtab’s marriage has brought an end to a dramatic episode that turned a private love story into a public spectacle — one that many locals are already calling a “real-life Sholay moment.”