In a striking departure from conventional social attitudes, a family in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut marked a divorce not with silence but celebration.

Retired judge Gyanendra Kumar Sharma welcomed home his only daughter Pranita Vashistha with drums, garlands and sweets, sending out a strong message against stigma, after a family court granted her divorce on Saturday.

According to her counsels Rajeev Giri and Naseeb Saifi, Pranita had married an Army Major from Shahjahanpur on December 19, 2018.

However, the marriage soon ran into trouble, with allegations of continued mental, physical and emotional distress at her matrimonial home.

Despite the birth of a son, the situation did not improve, prompting Pranita to file for divorce in the Meerut family court. Principal Judge Shaktiputra Tomar granted the divorce on Saturday.

Soon after the court's decision, the family turned the moment into a celebration of a "new beginning".

As Pranita stepped out of the court premises, relatives danced to the beat of drums and escorted her home in a festive procession.

At home, Dr Sharma welcomed his daughter with garlands and distributed sweets. Family members wore black T-shirts emblazoned with the message "I Love My Daughter".

"If my daughter is not happy in marriage, it is my duty to bring her out of that environment. We did not seek alimony or anything else. I just brought my daughter back," Dr Sharma told PTI.

He stressed that daughters are not possessions and their happiness and dignity must take precedence over societal expectations.

Pranita, a postgraduate in Psychology, is the finance director at Pranav Vashistha Judicial Academy in Tejgarhi. She is the lone child of her parents, after her brother Pranav Vashistha died in an accident at Chandigarh in 2022.

Recalling her ordeal, Pranita said she had become mentally fragile during the marriage but credited her family's unwavering support for helping her rebuild her life.

She urged women facing abuse not to remain silent. "Stand up for yourself. Become strong, educate yourself and be independent before thinking about marriage," she said.

Locals believe the family's gesture could help challenge entrenched social taboos around divorce and encourage a more supportive approach towards women seeking dignity and freedom.