Rahul C/O Aswathy Chechi; Wedding called off after viral Facebook post

Rahul penned a heartening note on Facebook on how he was about to marry Ashwathy, who lost her legs while trying to save his life. Ashwathy is older than Rahul, and proved not to be an obstacle for the two. The Facebook post of the youngster went viral in no time, inviting a flurry of warm messages and support. However, the dream fell short of turning into a reality as the wedding was called off. The climax was too much to bear for netizens who were left puzzled.

Aswathy’s tragic lorry accident that led to her losing two legs and Rahul’s unrequited love that soon reached up to marriage were all found to be a sham. Stories created using AI tools, accompanied by fake images.

AI story that deceived lakhs of Malayalee netizens:

She is 5 years older than me, an amputee, daughter of a domestic maid and from a lower caste. Aswathy Chechi lost her legs when I was five years old. Aswathy Chechi is the daughter of Ramani Amma, who used to work at our house.

I was very fond of Aswathy chechi, and we used to play together during our childhood days. One day, I was sitting in the yard waiting for Aswathy chechi to come home from school. Seeing her coming from afar, I went straight to the road through the open gate. A screeching lorry was moments away from running over me when I felt Chechi's hands pushing me aside. She did this at a huge cost as the giant wheels of the vehicle ran over her legs. After the incident, Aswathy Chechi never came to play with me.

I never saw her again, and she gradually faded out of my memory. Years later, I saw her again when my father gifted her an electric wheelchair. Chechi was preparing to enter college during this time. It was when my mother emotionally told me the story of how Aswathy saved me from death. I had forgotten all about it long ago. I later got work in Bengaluru and started contacting her. We soon ended up talking daily.

Although we rambled over many things, she didn't mention the fact that her wedding was cancelled at the last moment. I asked her directly about the incident, and she was taken aback. I don’t know why, as I broke the silence in our conversation by asking her, “Shall I marry you?”.

She laughed it off as a joke, and we never talked about it for days. Soon, I expressed my feelings for her, and this time, it was genuine from my side. Chechi tried to dissuade me, but to no avail. It was harder to convince my relatives than to convince my father and mother. It was even more difficult to convince Rani Amma.

After many hurdles, we married. I still don’t know whether my decision was right or wrong. However, what I know is that till my last breath, I will hold Aswathy chechi close to me.