Anjali Chakra-Sufi Malik: Indian-origin woman sets record straight on wedding registry theories

Anjali Chakra, the Indian-origin woman, who was in a relationship with Pakistani-origin woman Sufi Malik, took to her Instagram on Monday, addressing a narrative on sections of the internet that they were asking their followers to fund their wedding through a wedding registry.

The same-sex couple, who shot to internet fame in 2019 through a viral photoshoot, announced over the weekend that they have ended their relationship of five years after Malik cheated on Chakra a few weeks before the wedding.

They have also taken down the registry on online wedding registry platform Zola. Chakra, who is a wedding planner, shared a screenshot of her text conversation with an unidentified person who flagged her about the narrative being built on Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) they were seeking funds for their wedding.

"The registry was for our wedding guests and our wedding guests only. Neither of us have ever posted our registry link or shared it online in any form to ask anyone to contribute," she told the well-wisher, sharing a screenshot of her reply to them.

“The only place we have ever shared the registry link is on our wedding website, which is private and unlisted and requires a password and invited email address to sign in."

Also Read: Who are Anjali and Sufi? All about same-sex couple who split before wedding

A Reddit thread titled, "If this is prank, then it’s a really bad one!", sparked discussions among users, who questioned the authenticity of the relationship's end, wondering whether it was genuine or a hoax.

"I made an unrecognisable mistake of betrayal by cheating on her a few weeks before our wedding. I've hurt her tremendously, beyond my understanding. I am owning up to my mistake and will continue to do so,” Malik said in her statement announcing the break-up.

Rise to internet fame

Chakra and Malik, both based in the United States, knew each other for a long time on microblogging platform Tumblr. It was Chakra who made the first move on Instagram and messaged Malik.

In 2019, a series of photographs from a widely appreciated photoshoot showcased the South Asian couple adorned in traditional attire, sharing laughter and kisses under a rain-speckled umbrella. The pictures swiftly captivated the internet, earning widespread praise as they symbolised breaking of both gender and religious divides.