My arranged love...

Chapter 4...

It was time for the Bidaii. My mother pulled me into a fierce hug as a waterfall of tears erupted.

She pulled away and smiled at me, whispering words of strength, whilst I kept on crying. Next came Kara who smiled and pulled me in to a crushing hug. Aunt Riya then showered me with blessings and then my husband and I enter the decorated car which takes me to my in-laws.

The driver started to pull out of the driveway and I opened the window and waved back at everyone. The feeling of despair hidden deep in the pit of my body started niggling it's way through my insides. My mind screaming in protest but my heart was racing for the finishing line.

The drive to my in-laws house was quiet but as i stared out of the window looking at the Mumbai night life on this hot wednesday evening, he held my hand all the way through.He was probably just as scared as me. 

We were welcomed with open arms. My mother-in-law was one of those mother-in-laws' from heaven! Which made my life less of a stress. My father-in-law was like my second dad and my brother-in-law was teasing me before I even spoke but I saw my sister-in-law sulk. Maybe at my arrival? I couldn't bear to look.
There was a group of people I didn't recognise and just assumed they were friends of Rohans' but my stomach erupted with butterflies reminding me of the first of school.They were scrutinising me and I gulped feeling anxious and sick before I had even stepped in.

My mother-in-law spoke before we entered the house.

"Sonya darling, we want our dowry now."

I looked up in disbelief, what dowry?

She smiled and cupped my cheek.

"All we want from you as dowry is... To keep our son very happy!"

My tense body relaxed and I gave her a small smile as I blushed. I felt a nudge and looked up to see my husband smiling at me with a twinkle in his eye which made me frown a little but didn't stop my cheek from colouring with red.

We were both blessed with prayers and offerings of good hope from the in-laws and then symbolically, with my right foot, I tipped the gold pot of rice over and stepped into the house. It was a sign of good luck and prosperity which was hopefully in my favour. Then I put my hands in some liquified vermillion and then pressed my hands into the wall by the door showing, that I was now officially the eldest daughter-in -law of the house.

My sister-in-law, Priya walked me in and sat me down on the sofa next to my husband. With the family circling around us. My mother-in-law spoke.

"Right everyone, as per ritual, it's now time to see that out of these two..."

She said in a dramatic voice, indicating at me and my husband.

"Who is going to be boss!.....It's time for the games!"

There was a roar of cheering, whooping and clapping.

My mother-in-law, brought a gold bowl of milk with rosé petals that floated contently on top. She held up my husband's wedding ring and gently dropped it into the bowl of milk.

"Right, so the rules are that you have to find the ring with your right hand before the other and whoever finds it first...Well lets just say, whatever they say goes!"

The sea of relatives 'ooh' and giggle at the same time. I tried not to let my eyes roll. Instead I looked around and smiled at everyone slightly.

'Great! I'm going to lose!'

"3...2...1!" Mummy ji's voice boomed in my ears.

Rohan and my hand dived simultaneously into the pool of milk and my hand contracted slightly, not realising how cold the milk actually was.