The Story of an Indian Wife

4

Meera was all ready in her bridal lehenga. The red color of her lehenga complimenting her fair skin. She was  decked up with the jewelleries,her inlaws gave her on Tilak.

A big nosering hiding her lips underneath. Her hands were full with red chuda, a kamarband adoring her delicate waist. The neckpiece in her neck looked royal!

For once she couldn't recognize herself in the mirror. She felt so beautiful.

She was hell nervous.  She knew nothing about her husband whom she was going to marry in sometime. Well except for the fact that he is mukhiya of his village.

That is what she is hearing from her relatives. They said she is so lucky to get him as her husband. She wanted to see her husband once before marriage. But that couldn't happen.

Soon, she heard the sound of dhol indicating that Barrat was at her doorstep.She could feel her heartbeat rising up.

Sudden thought hit her that she has left a very few moments in the house, where is grew up. She has spend eighteen years of her life here. She started remencing the memories,when tears threatened to escape her eyes. Games she played with get siblings, the festival she celebrated with her family.

She  will miss her Maa Baba. Her sister and her two brothers.

"Laddo" her mother came. Meera turned towards her. " You are looking beautiful. Nazar na lage kisi ki" .Her mother put a black dot behind her ear.

"Maa" Meera hugged her, with her eyes turning teary.

" Na laddo, Don't cry. This is the happy moment " her mother said but her eyes speaking something else. She herself was in pain that her daughter will be leaving them.

Meera's mother pulled the veil over Meera till her nose was covered. She held her hand and took her out in the Mandap where Meera's groom was sitting and priest was chanting some mantras. All the guest were present.

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She immediately looked down when everyone turned towards her as she entered the Mandap. 

She was made to sit on a small tool beside Abhiraj. She could feel a stare on her face from outside the red veil which was covering her face.

There was dhol sound in the background. People gossiping and children running here and there. But she focused on the rituals happening.

Then her mother and father came, the kanyadan ritual started. Her father holded her hand.

Her father placed her hand into a  broad manly hand which hold her hand firmly. Only the touch of his hand made a shiver ran her down spine. She could feel goosebumps erupting in her body.

After Jay Mala & Phere. Abhiraj tied mangalsutra around her neck. His second touch on her neck on enough to take her breathe away.

Her veil was lifted, the sudden air hit her. She clutched her lehenga tightly in her fist. She closed her eyes.

In the next moment, her identity will be changed.

Abhiraj took a pinch of sindoor in the and filled her hairline. A tear of drop rolled down her eyes.

She slowly opened her eyes and turned to her side to take a glance at her husband.

Their eyes meet for a second. She could only see his dark orbs. Till then her sight was again covered with the veil..

Those pair of eyes were intimidating her to the core.

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Meera threw the rice behind her and her mother catching it her pallu. Both of them crying silently.

They come near the doli in which she will be send off to her sasural.

Meere and Abhiraj took blessing from her parents. Atlast she couldn't resist and hugged her Maa-baba and cried her heart out.

Her baba blessed her, keeping his hand on her head and wiped her tears. But those tears weren't stopped.

He shaked his head and gestured her not to cry. He himself wiped his tears with the gamcha hanging on his shoulder.  A daughter whom he cherished, loved and cared for eighteen years, letting her go wasn't easy. It was like a part of his heart is going away.

She hugged her siblings for one last time.

Her brother made her sit in the doli.
She looked at her family and her house on last time.

The doli started to move. She kept looking back at them till they vanished from her vision.

Thus started her new phase of life. In new a house, with her husband and a new family.