Love will Follow

chapter 1

"Bhaiya (Big Brother), this game will decide who will be dominating the other partner," I heard someone shouting, making people around us laugh. It was the morning just after our wedding. I was dead tired because of staying wide awake the whole night. I was wearing a pink heavy lehenga with heavy jewelry, which is not helping at all. I wanted to hit the bed, but here I was sitting with more than 10 people standing over me, laughing and smiling. I entered my new house a couple of hours ago. My mother-in-law asked me to take a nap so that I could stay awake for all the rituals that happen after marriage. "Bhabhi, if you won, then you will have the upper hand, and if bhaiya won the game, then he will have the upper hand in the marriage," my sister-in-law told me as she hid the ring in the bowl. Fishing the ring is a fun-filled ritual performed by the bride and bridegroom. In this ritual, a ring will be hidden deep inside a thaal or bowl filled with milk, water, Kangnas, flowers, vermillion, and other objects placed in front of the bride and groom. This is placed by the sister-in-law of the bride, and the couple is asked to find the ring from the bowl. Both the bride and groom are meant to put their hands into the bowl or thaal together and search for the rings by using one hand only. It is the best of seven series, and the one, whosoever finds the ring four times, is announced as the winner of the game. At times the audience also starts prompting cheer whosoever they wish to favor.

When I dipped my fingers in the bowl to find the ring, I felt his fingers touch mine. It was just a mere accidental brush, but it was enough for my cheeks to grow hot. I wandered my hand inside the bowl for the ring some more then I felt a round metallic thing; I knew what it was. I picked up the ring and showed it to everyone. Everyone started laughing and teasing us. It was time for another turn; my sister-in-law Anita di again hid the ring. This time when we both dipped our hands, I could not find the ring. I ran my hands through the curves and center of the bowl but did not find it. But then I felt someone pushing the ring into my hand without anyone noticing. I did not look towards him because I was too shy for that. His gesture made my heart flutter. When I brought my hand up to show the ring, the boys groaned, and the girls laughed.

Around noon, after doing some more rituals, my mother-in-law asked me to cook some sweet dishes as it was the last ritual of the marriage. I headed towards the kitchen and decided to make sooji ka halwa for everyone. While roasting the semolina in the pan, I looked around the kitchen. It was a small kitchen, and everything was placed in its place very properly. Seems like my mother-in-law is a clean freak, I thought. When I was living at my parents'home, I was in charge of the kitchen. My mother had a heart problem, and the doctor advised her not to do much work. Just thinking about my paternal house was enough to bring tears to my eyes. Leaving the home that you have called your home ever since you opened your eyes is not an easy task. Living with those people, you have only known for a month is hard, and sharing a room and bed with a completely unknown man is even harder. But that's life, you have to adjust according to your environment. "Nandini! Are you done? Hmm, it smells so nice," my mother-in-law said with a smile. She looked at the pan and stirred the halwa with the spatula. "It's done. Go to your room. Gautam's bua has arrived for the muh dikhayi rasam. You must be tired. You can wear a normal saree now."

I changed into a semi-silk red and yellow saree and sat on the bed when Bua Ji came into the room with two more women, but they looked younger than her. Must be her daughters or daughters-in-law, I thought. I got up from the bed and touched their feet and asked them to sit. They sat on the bed, and I sat on the chair. They asked me a few questions about my studies and my family. I told them everything without any hesitation. In the meantime, maa arrived with a tray filled with snacks and put a table on the bed and sat beside me on one of the chairs. "Seema, Is this the mangalsutra(nuptial chain) you bought for her?" Buaji asked, and my maa nodded yes. "Hmm, it's nice. I was asking only because it seems like a light one." She then got up from the bed and came towards me and weighed the nuptial chain in her hand. I felt very awkward when she was touching my mangalsutra. Maa was embarrassed too. Buaji then went back to the bed and sat on it after examining my mangalsutra. "I told you it's a light one. I bought my daughter-in-law one tola mangalsutra. See.... It also has diamonds in it," she told me very proudly while motioning for her daughter-in-law to show her the mangalsutra that she showed merrily. Maa gave them a tight-lipped smile and then glanced towards me hesitantly.