Bade Acche Lagte Hain | MaNan

A knot of Respect.

1st November, 1995.

Continued from the last part...

Alight with soft crystal lights, the aisle appeared divine with flowers ornated all around. The men in the families took one side of the central aisle while the ladies settled down on the other side.

Bowing down to the holy book placed before them, the couple was asked to sit in front of the aisle. Making sure that Nandini was comfortably seated, Manik sat next to her with his legs crossed in an Indian style. Their parents stood at their sides, conveying their consent and blessings for the spiritual union of their children. Renu and Anil stood as Manik's parents since a couple was supposed to stand and Prakash didn't have his better half to stand with him.

Hymns were sung by the ragis (musicians) which marked the beginning of the marriage. A Sikh offered Ardas (prayer), seeking the Almighty's blessings for a successful marital union.

Another Sikh wedding official counselled the couple regarding the spiritual harmony of the matrimony and the vows they need to exchange.

●The husband is to love and respect his wife, encourage her with kind consideration, recognize her individuality, regard her as his equal, offering guidance and support.

●The wife is to show her love and respect with loyalty, support her husband's objectives willingly, harmonize with him, and share in happiness and sorrow, prosperity or adversity.

●The couple is to ally themselves with each other in an endeavor to achieve a harmonious union, intellectually, emotionally, physically, materially and spiritually.

Affirming the vows with pure sincerity, they both bowed down again before the Guru Granth Sahib.

After the recitation of the vows the Sikh asked the groom's sister to come ahead and drape the cloth that will connect the couple for the four wedding rounds called Lavan.

Madhu draped a pink cloth around Manik's shoulder giving it's right end to him and the left end of the same cloth was held by Nandini. Following the cue, they both stood up for the wedding rounds around the holy book, accepting each other as husband and wife in all ways.

Once done, they both sat down again. Renu forwarded the copper plate that had the nuptial chain and sindoor (vermilion). He picked the nuptial chain and looked at her with a smile. Blinking her eyes with a blush, she looked down and he reverently tied the chain around her neck. It had a small gold pendant. Taking a pinch of vermilion through a coin, he filled his hairline as Sapna removed the maang tikka. Although, this isn't a custom in a Sikh wedding, it was a ritual followed in Nandini's family.

The wedding rituals were completed and all stood up bowing down in front of the book before taking a seat again to listen to the hukam (verse) read to conclude and celebrate the happiness. One of the ragi distributed the kada prashad (sacred sweet offering) during the prayer.

Manik passed his white kerchief to Nandini as she looked around for a cloth to wipe the ghee (oil) left from the sweet from her palm that might stain her dress. He gestured her with his eyes to take it and she complied with a sweet smile.

"The letter chosen for her new name is 'K'. Now the groom and his family can decide her new name." They were distracted by the declaration made by the Sikh who was reading their horoscopes.

Nandini held the kerchief tightly as she knew what was coming. A new name will be given to her by her in-laws and she will have to accept it, forgetting the name she was brought up with, just like it happened in all the marriages in her family, while Manik frowned, unaware of any such ritual as Madhu's and Renu's name wasn't changed then why was this followed in Nandini's case?!