Two families arrange a marriage between their children who have been friends for years. The wedding takes place quickly, and on the first night, the groom eagerly awaits his bride. As they share a moment together, the story takes an unexpected turn...
I quickly showered, clipped back my wet hair, got into a red sleeveless dress with a dupatta, put some kohl in my eyes, wore a bindi and a pair of Jhumkas and went downstairs as we had to start the Chooda rasam. It’s basically when the bride’s maternal uncle as in her Mama, makes the bride wear her wedding bangles. The bangles are soaked in milk, containing rose petals, before the bride wears it, in order to purify those. The bride is not supposed to see the chooda as it is believed to be inauspicious for her to see her chooda before the wedding and hence it is covered with a cloth. The bangles are revealed to her on the day of her wedding. After the bangles are covered with a cloth, the kalires are tied to her wrists. Kalires are umbrella shaped charms, tied to a wrist chain, which are traditionally worn by Punjabi or Sikh brides.
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I sat on the small baithak or ottoman. Mumma moved towards me with a Pooja Thali and put some vermillion on my forehead. Every lady in our family did that and fed me sweets. Then my Karan Mamu sat in front of me. My eyes were covered with a blindfold so that I don’t see my Chooda. Then I felt my Mamu putting the bangles on my wrists. After he was done, I felt someone tying a cloth on my chooda. The blindfold was removed and I looked at my wrists. It was happening, the feeling was sinking in. I was getting married.
I looked at my Mumma and her eyes were filled with tears. My sister’s came to me and tied the kalires on my wrists. I went and hugged my mumma.
“Mumma, rona nahi please. Aap mujhe bhi rula rahe ho. Door thodi ja rahi hu. Jab mann karega and jab aap yaad karogi mai aungi aapse milne.” I said to her.
“Mai islie nahi ro rahi ki tu ja rahi hai, mai islie ro rahi hu ki meri beti itne jaldi badi ho gayi. Aise lag raha hai ki kal Tera Janam hua tha, tere papa ne Khushi se pure hospital Mai mithai baati thi, kal tu mere dupatte ki sadi pehne ghar mai ghum Rahi thi, jaise kal hi tere papa tujhe kandhe pe bithake apne gaav ki sair kara rahe the. Kaise badi ho gayi itne jaldi?” Mumma said, wiping her tears, reminiscing about old memories.
“Aap bass rona band kariye, and mai kitni bhi badi ho jau, aapke liye to aapki choti si, pyaari si, bacchi hu.” I said to her, wiping her face with my dupatta.
