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After five weeks of fun, games, rituals and putting 16 young men to test, actor Rakhi Sawant chose NRI businessman Elesh Parujanwala as her groom before a large gathering of celebrities and a larger television audience that has been hooked to the NDTV Imagine show Rakhi ka Swayamvar.
Thirty-year-old Elesh, who hails from Canada, was also an audience favourite, with 78 per cent respondents rooting for him on a poll that asked which of three finalists was best suited to be Rakhi's groom. The other two finalists were Manas Katyal, a 22-year-old event manager from Delhi and Chittiz Jain, a businessman also from Delhi.
There was much suspense as the three suitors, decked in traditional Indian wedding wear, waited for Rakhi to walk up to them, garland in hand, to make her choice known to the world. The now ebullient, now coy Rakhi would not make it so easy and playfully walked across them all with small, mincing steps, before turning back to garland Elesh.
The crowd gathered broke into spontaneous cheer and blessed the couple with a shower of flower petals.
Before Rakhi made her choice she prayed to God that she be led to make the right decision. Bedecked in bridal wear and exquisite jewellery, Rakhi made a pretty picture as the quintessential Indian bride.
Rakhi and Elesh exchanged vows of commitment and rings, but explained that they would like to get to know each other better away from the spotlight and attention that has been part of their lives through the show. Romance was in the air as the two said "I Love You" to each other. Elesh's family welcomed Rakhi, with his father saying that she would be a daughter in the household taking the place of Elesh's sister who gets married two weeks later.
The unique show has held millions in thrall through entertaining, poignant and emotional moments as Rakhi tested and eliminated 13 of 16 suitors, who competed with each other in writing poetry, love letters, dancing, singing, walking the ramp, even walking on burning coal in order to win the bride.
Finally, there were only three left who then got to be part of traditional haldi and mehandi celebrations before the Swayamvar on Sunday night, which was beamed live by NDTV Imagine.
