Kochi: When Scottish politician Martyn Day proposed to Kerala native Nidhin Chand 10 years ago, she had only one condition—their wedding must take place before Lord Guruvayurappan in Guruvayur. After a decade of waiting, Nidhin's dream finally materialised at 11 am on Tuesday at Pushpanjali Auditorium in Guruvayur, where the former UK Member of Parliament tied the traditional wedding knot.

Martyn Day, 55, is a former UK Member of Parliament representing the Scottish National Party (SNP), while Nidhin Chand, 49, hails from Pampakuda near Piravom. Witnessing the beautiful union was Nidhin's 22-year-old son, Vedik Shankar, along with close family members and friends.

Nidhin's journey to the UK began in 2008 on a student visa. Armed with a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, she moved to Britain to pursue a Master's degree in IT Management. She is the daughter of KN Chandran, a retired veterinary field officer, and Rajamma, a former Pampakuda grama panchayat member.

During her PhD studies, the UK government introduced major changes to its immigration policies, cancelling visas for thousands of international students, including Nidhin. Rather than pack her bags, Nidhin took up the fight. She began actively lobbying the UK Parliament and representing the concerns of Indian students before parliamentary committees. It was during this intense campaign that she met Martyn Day, who was then the MP for Linlithgow and East Falkirk. Initially, their interactions were professional and limited to phone calls. When they met in person for the first time in February 2016, Martyn was impressed by her dedication. By May 2016, he confessed his love and proposed. Nidhin was honest about her past, explaining that she was a divorcée with a 12-year-old son. Martyn warmly responded that he loved children and welcomed both of them into his life. He introduced Nidhin, who then had neither a job nor a stable visa, to his parents, Margaret and Ron Day, who embraced her warmly.

Later, her son Vedik moved to the UK, where Martyn's parents played a major role in raising him. Today, Vedik has completed his education and works as a Senior Database Administrator at a computershare company in Edinburgh. Nidhin now works as a management consultant in Linlithgow while remaining actively involved in SNP political campaigns alongside Martyn.

Although they settled down years ago, completing the legal procedures for Nidhin's permanent residency and family visa took time, which delayed their wedding plans. Although Martyn had visited Kerala with Nidhin in 2018, 2019, and 2023, visiting Guruvayur remained elusive due to a sequence of events including the Kerala floods, the COVID pandemic, and family health crises. The dream finally came true during Martyn's fourth trip to Kerala.

Martyn Day has been an active public representative since 1999. Before serving three terms as a Westminster MP for nine years, he worked as a retail banker and a local councillor. He currently chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for India in the Scottish Parliament.