New Delhi, Oct. 21 -- A video of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath that she watched during childhood became a reference point in how Arundhati, a woman from Kerala, understood emotional strength. Years later, as she prepares to marry in December, she has written to the chief minister inviting him to her wedding and asking for his blessings.

In a handwritten, two-page letter, Arundhati described how she once regarded her tendency to cry easily as a weakness. Advice from friends that she needed to control her emotions to appear strong had led her to question whether sensitivity was incompatible with resilience.

According to the account of the letter, a cousin showed her a video of Adityanath in which he appeared emotional. Her ...