Balasore, May 4: In the bustling town of Jaleswar, Balasore, love found a way where few would have expected. At 65, Champa Soren took an extraordinary step-she chose to marry Chaitanya Soren, a 70-year-old man living with leprosy, after vowing to stand by him while they struggled together to make ends meet at a railway station.

Their wedding, simple yet deeply joyous, took place at the Siddheshwar Mahadev temple. As the ceremony began, locals gathered, their curiosity giving way to admiration and celebration. The air buzzed with music, laughter, and the spontaneous cheers of well-wishers, all witnessing a love story that defied convention.

Chaitanya’s journey had been a difficult one. Fleeing his home in the Hatigada area of Jaleswar block due to his illness, he had turned to the railway station for survival, relying on the kindness of strangers and his own resilience. It was there that he met Champa, a woman who had faced her own hardships. Through shared struggles, conversations, and quiet moments of understanding, a bond blossomed between them-one that grew into enduring love.

With the support of the local voluntary organization, Bholabandari Swachha Seva, the couple’s marriage was solemnized in the temple, surrounded by neighbors, well-wishers, and the warmth of a community touched by their story. In that moment, age, illness, and circumstance fell away, leaving only a shared joy that radiated from Champa and Chaitanya.