Her feet dance to the rhythm of the beat, her body sways gracefully with it, a facade of celebration imbibing her to convince the world of a zeal she does not feel. She dances, a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. She dances in his baraat, spending some of her grief in it. She dances in his baraat, for the last time as his wife!
After everybody has danced enough, they walk into the venue again, the bride's family now standing to welcome them. Anu does the aarti, a small smile on her face and does the tilak. He is then led to the mandap, for him to wait while his bride comes in.
_
Dressed in the traditional red bridal attire, she looks resplendent. Her eyes lined with kohl downcast, the brightest smile on her face, she walks towards him, the chunri on her head flying due to the breeze. Her mother is beside her, holding her hand and it almost feels like a bride being walked in the aisle, something he has seen in Christian weddings. Yet it does not make his heart flutter. Instead it brings a smile to his face. The smile falters though when she comes closer and he sees the chunri on her head. It is a different red than the rest of her attire and has light gold patterns. It is also a different material than the traditional chunri and he has seen it only once.
Imlie!
It is the same chunri her mother had wrapped around her shoulders just before the pheras. It is the same chunri that had been tied to his angvastram (man's stole/dupatta) for the pheras, as opposed to the pallu of her saree. His eyes immediately look around to find Imlie, shock still lingering in him. Why is that particular chunri on Malini's head?? Why?
She meets his gaze from where she stands, little away from the mandap. It is almost like she can read his question in his eyes because she looks at Malini Didi and nods her head with a smile.
He does not understand her answer yet it helps him focus on the ceremony as opposed to anything else.
_
It had been right when they had been leaving the room to make their way towards the mandap. Malini's chunri had gotten stuck on a sharpened edge by the door and she had realized a moment too late, her forward movement causing a tug that tore her fragile chunri.
They had unpinned the chunri to inspect the damage which had been too much, rendering the chunri unusable.
Upset at the happening and at how as a bride she can go without her chunri, tears had escaped her eyes. Anu had begun getting tensed, wondering where to arrange for a designer chunri at literally the last moment while trying to console her upset daughter. Unable to see her Didi in such a state, Imlie had rushed up to her room and brought back a chunri in hand, her marital one that she had subconsciously carried to the venue without needing to.
There had been questions but she had given them the only truth that could be given - of this chunni belonging to her Dadi, one that had been passed on for her mother to wear but which she couldn't. Her mother had kept it for her and even given in to her, for her to keep it as remembrance and more because it brought about an ache within her that wouldn't subside.
Wiping Malini's tears, she had draped the chunri over her head, making the needed sacrifice as what use is it to her anyway!
The happiness on her Didi's face and the hug she bestowed her with felt far more precious!
_
The ceremony begins with exchanging garlands. Dev and Shashank lift Malini on their shoulders to make it difficult for Aditya to garland her while everybody laughs. Not willing to give up, Pankaj and Dhruv also step in, carrying Adi high enough so he can garland her. Aditya manages to put the garland around Malini's neck and Malini does the same.
After the fun jaimala, they settle down in front of the holy fire for the mangalsutra and sindoor daan ceremony. He ties the mangalsutra around Malini's neck as the priest chants the mantras and fills her parting with the sindoor from Pagdandiya.
Imlie looks on, forcing herself to watch the ceremony to indent within herself, the fact that she has given him away. That the flashes of the marriage that haunt her now no longer associate with him anyway. That all of it, from this point, is her duty and bearing alone!
"Ab aap pheron ke liye khade ho jaiye"
("Please stand for the pheras")
They take the saath pheras which are meant to symbolise seven sacred vows even as everybody around shower flower petals on them. She throws her share at them, wishing them all happiness and good luck!
"Congratulations, you're husband and wife now" the priest says and everybody applaud in happiness. The now married couple seek the blessings of both sets of parents after which they seek his Tauji and her Dadi's blessings.
Note:
A shorter update than usual but I had to end here. Writing their marriage has been more difficult than I expected it to be!Phew!
Love,
Pratyusha
YOU ARE READING
Lakeerein - Ties That Bind Us
Fanfiction------ Can Be Read As General Fiction ------ One night. One event. Lives of two people altered completely. When Aditya Kumar Tripathi, Chief Executive Reporter at Bhaskar times stepped into Pagdandiya and met Imlie, he did not know how his life woul...
