ARANYAM

Chapter 33: The First Time

Valli's PoV

My excitement had no bounds, while Ajji was tying 1st mangal sutra around my neck. Only a few more hours, and Mama would be tying another mangal sutra, thus claiming a life-long commitment and bond with me.

I won't be showered with cheezy sympathy being an orphan anymore right?

I would have him, by my side throughout my life, unlike my parents who left me in childhood flooded with their own emotions, without caring about me and my love for them.

Psch...!

Why am I even recalling those selfish people, in this moment after which I would be bound in a sacred relationship and prioritized heartfully

I was lost in my thoughts, seeing him, on the other side of the window, in the backyard through the reflection of the mirror.

My adoring, calm face frowned seeing him lit a cigarette.

But, I had to console myself giving the chilling anxiety and chilling temperature of Bengaluru as reasons, and continue my staring business and exhausting rituals of wholesome Madwa Bramhin wedding on instructions of Ajji.

"Inda, melu hodige seere" Ajji forwarded another customary silk saree, on behalf of Mama, brother of my mother, which I would be wearing as shawl around torso above actual wedding saree.

"MAAA!"

While Ajji was pinning the saree cum shawl, there blasted the roar scaring me to the core FOR THE FIRST TIME, by the lion, who was holding a dusty brown old book and a few letters in one hand, in contrast to his white wedding clothes.

The red eyes and shrieking lips and the Adam's apple were doing the best job to afraid me a lot more.

Listening to the bangles, rubbed in anxiety, he turned his cold gaze from Ajji's face to mine for a few seconds, thumping the nodal musculature harder, and shifted them back to Ajji's face, with an even harder expression, confusing and scaring me.

"MA-"

"COME, LET'S TALK THERE" Ajji dragged him away when he let her do it after seeing my horrified expressions.

What's wrong with them?

For 2 hours, I kept on staring at the shut door of the room, which had Mama, Ajji, and Tata in it.

After 2 hours, the room doors opened revealing the poker faces of all three, much to my bewilderment.

"Ajji" I called her to enquire, but she came with milk and filled my mouth, stopping my investigation.

Even I didn't mind asking, as soon I was called to mandap to tie the knot with him and to take the wedding oaths.

dharme cha 

arthe cha 

kame cha 

mokshe cha 

bharatarshabha 

yadihaasti tadanyatra 

yannehasti na tatkvachit

I don't know why, but every word he spoke, touched my soul... It was as if he was not chanting the rant, but promising me his life and words to me in the words.

NAATI CHARAMI!

And hence, he successfully bound and tied our fates together to accompany each other in our rest of life journies, with the blessings of all the gods who arrived in the form of our guests.

While a version of Kanyadaan was performed by a distant stranger, my tears and lumps in my throat couldn't stop asking him in my meek voice

"Nannan bittu ogalvalla neenu?"
(You won't walk away leaving me behind right ?)

He pauses for a second, for my question and nods no, he slightly presses his palms holding the coconut, those are collectively in his palms.

"Na-ati-charami"

He speaks in a low voice, assuring me looking into my pooled orbs. My tears flowed out along with the milk poured by Ajji and Tata on our coconut-holding palms.

The clenched jaw, tightened veins and my bruised palms for his fisting didn't fail to give me a glimpse of the anger of my mama, whom till now I saw and heard only as a calm person.

I thought it would be the only first thing, I don't know...

Not until, the same night I spent with him, along with unflown tears, unspoken pain, and uncompassion for my whole day fasting exhaustion.

The husky warning to shut my mouth, which was romantic to him was haunting, to me.

I couldn't stop questioning, what sort of relation was this in the name of SACRED MARRIAGE, where the woman was given only pain?

With new realizations about the well-known persons and unrealized facts, I called it a day off, closing my tired eyes with lightheadedness until the next day, I was wakened up by screeching noises at the doorstep.

Apparently, I didn't have the patience to get up and he didn't have the interest to get up and talk to his mom.

"Idiot, you continue your sleep, like a sloth...

I didn't even ask you to get up.

But wake her up, let her break her fast before Varjyam" Ajji asked Mama

"Ah !?

Fast ?" I sensed shock, in his voice, but before it was too late, I somehow managed to open my eyes and compose myself from knocking.

While helping me to walk to Ajji, he asked

"Were you on Fast ?"

To which, holding back my tears, I just nodded yes and opened the door, without noticing his expressions, I faded along with granny to perform the pacifying pooja of STREE DOSHA, which if wasn't neutralized, could incur a huge sin to him and his child in future.

Cursing those pervert smugglers and their rivalries, for attacking us, which obligated Ajji to order me to perform this Stree dosha nivarana pooja, she bathed me and aided me till I broke coconut, thus ending the ritual.

Breathing cool, I joined hands for giving me the strength to complete this strenuous ritual, unknown that much strenuous ritual of life arrived at my doorstep in the form of a joining letter, sent by NIT TRICHY, to write whose entrance I have been to Kodaikanal and struck with the mess prevailing.

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A/N: Madhwa bramhin wedding has many rituals... Like any other Indian one, I used only the ones, I needed in the story.

The attached video and the described rituals are the ones, I remember to witness in a wedding of the community.

It's Indigenous India, and many differences and names for the same ritual are part of it... So, it shouldn't be hurting the emotions of people.