One day, I will(under Editing)

chapter 20

"Ready..."kasthuri peeked inside my room.I smiled at her nervously.

"Come...everyone is waiting for you.."she held my hand and dragged me down.

Once I entered the front porch the smell of turmeric paste , kumkum and jasmine flower hit my nostrils.I raised my gaze to see all my family members including my aunties and uncles gathered in the porch.They all are laughing on some silly gossip.There was an aarti plate where one cup is filled with pure turmeric paste and the other cup is filled with kumkum.In the flat surface of the plate there was jasmine flower.To the right of the aarti were three vessel of rice...one mixed with turmeric,the other with kumkum and the last one with ash.To the left of the plate there was a cup of oil and a basin of water.

Once I reached the area where all the ladies are gathered,they made me to sit on the small stool which has three legs.Yes,today is my nalangu function(ritual of cleansing and purification....)

First...my selvi aunty(amma's anni) poured a mug of water on my head and applied the turmeric paste on my cheek,then my hand and finally my leg...and then she put the kumkum on my forehead.Then she took a hand full of turmeric mixed rice from the vessel and rotated around my head thrice and put that on my right side...then again she took another hand full of rice from the kumkum mixed vessel and rotated around my head thrice and put that on my left.She repeated the same with the ash mixed rice and put that behind me.

She then poured water on my head after keeping three drops of oil in my head and made me stand....They asked me to bring my hands together near my chest and poured water in my hand.I prayed with that water in my hand and splashed that to my right,then to my left and finally behind me.She then placed a small length of jasmine flower on my hand.

All the other aunties repeated the same process and finally my selvi aunty and uncle blessed me and gave me a saree.I took that from them and went inside my room to change into that saree.

I took a quick shower and changed into that saree.I glanced at the mirror and the girl
Standing in front of the mirror is glowing.Her face is mirroring the sun ray... the effect of turmeric and kumkum can be seen clearly.I loved this new version of me.

All girly...

I adjusted the saree and turned on my heels to see my mom standing at my doorstep with a plate of food in her hands.I smiled on seeing the plate in her hand.I am really hungry.

"Come in..Amma"I gestured her to sit on the bed.

"Have this dear..."she took some morsel of rice and stopped near my mouth.I opened and took that food immediately.

"Kayal...don't interrupt me,ok??"she said while feeding me.I just nodded my head.

She took a deep breathe and looked at me.
"Kayal....everyone would have said that marriage life is very complicated,it contains  so many hurdles,it is full of adjustment and so on...I am not going to object any of these. Marriage is indeed a complicated one...you are going to enter into another family...but remember that will also be your family...here, you was only our daughter and a sister...but there you will be a daughter in law,sister in law,and many other relationship that you have to adjust...and more than that you will be a wife.Husband and wife is not some ordinary relationship..it is a sacred bond which can't be broken for seven janmas....marriage is like a promise that both of you take in front of the sacred fire to be with each other in all phase of your life..."

I listened to her very sincerely..."He may be rude on you sometime but get this in your mind....men always have angry issues and they vent it out only on their closed ones...so don't take anything to your heart....in case of any misunderstanding don't hesitate to talk with him...it will solve half of the problem..." she smiled at me.