A bizarre wedding

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, MAY 12. It has been billed as the most bizarre of weddings - a young Bangladeshi classical dancer marrying one of Britain's most hardened jail birds who is not expected to come out of his prison cell for at least another 10 years.

But Ms Saira Rehman says that it's ``quite normal from where I come from for a wife to wait for years for her husband'', and declares there is no stopping her from marrying Charles Bronson, described as Britain's ``most dangerous prisoner'' who has spent the past 26 years of his life in jail on a host of charges including that of hostage-taking. The wedding is to take place next month in a high-security prison - barely two months after they first set eyes on each other and fell madly in love.

``It is the best thing that has ever happened to me in my entire life'', the diminutive Ms Rehman told The Independent shrugging off the problems that the relationship has caused her. This has included losing her job and alienating friends and relations. The reaction of her 10-year-old daughter from a previous marriage is not known. ``People have said I have lost my mind marrying Charlie, but I'm stronger than people think I am'', said the 30- year-old bride-to-be.

The contrast between the two couldn't have been more stark. She is diminutive and mild-mannered, while Bronson (48), has the reputation of being a bully.

His shaven head and long moustaches give him what a newspaper called a ``bizarre circus strongman appearance''. His original sentence for armed robbery was extended because of his ``unruly'' behaviour, and yet it is his appearance and conduct that have made him a cult figure. He even has a website which is said to be quite popular with women prisoners. And, for all his anti-social behaviour, he boasts of rather liberal views which is what may have appealed to Ms Rehman after her bitter experience of cultural orthodoxy.

On the wedding day, while Bronson would most likely be in his prison uniform, she plans to turn up in a traditional lehnga- chholi wedding dress, making it quite a multicultural event.

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Section  : International
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