Deciphering His Love

19 | The One With The Wedding

-S  H  R  E  E      P  R  A  S  A  D-

I conceal my twelfth yawn since this morning. Today morning has been abuzz as I was to be married to Madhav today.

I was woken up an hour before sunrise for the traditional bridal bath with the paste of tumeric and sandalwood. I was dressed in a red sari with gold jewelry, some of which were lent to me from relatives. Earrings shaped like open umbrellas dangled on my ears, almost reaching my shoulders, their weight pulled my earlobes terribly. Ahaana's mother had lent a beautiful yet simple nose ring which was clipped to my nose. Amma slipped the gold bangles over my wrists with red glass bangles interspersed. Ahaana gave me a light touchup of makeup, while Devi pinned a rope of jasmines and roses to the top of my braided hair.

We arrived in the wedding hall by eight, I was ritually welcomed by Madhav's parents who smiled and embraced me as they lead me to the majestic manavarai. The wedding stage looked regal and extraordinary with the rose and jasmine decorations and the gold effigies of celestial beauties.

I was to perform the wedding rituals before the entry of the groom. The rituals ended soon and I was ushered into my dressing room to be grandly bedecked for the mahurat. Everyone left to welcome the groom, or rather Madhav. As he walked into the wedding hall to perform his rituals, I tried to steal a glance but Amma and Ahaana's mother locked the door saying I can't see Madhav until I was escorted to the manavari for the mahurat.

Inside, I could hear the muffled sounds of the naathaswaram and the miruthangam being played. I was all alone in the room with the beautician who smiled at me as she combed and twisted my hair into an exquisite hairdo. She helped me change out of my red sari and into the beautiful cream colored sari with the red and green border. My lent and borrowed jewelry was removed and safely placed inside their respective boxes. I was wearing the ornate and stately jewelry Madhav had got for me.

A few minutes later everyone returned, and the first to enter the room would be Ahaana, Nabha and Devi.

"OMG I need air! He is so freaking hot!" Nabha exaggerates as she looks into her phone. "More like the hottest person in the room!"

"Did you even look at Ashok?" Ahaana asks and Nabha shook her head. Ahaana murmurs as. "Amateur!

Nabha says as she slides to the next image. "Okay look at this, Madhav is totes searching for Shree babes!"

I try to catch a glance.

"Shree look at him-" Ahaana says but is stopped by her mother.

"What are you doing?" she quips sternly as she confiscates her phone. "What friend are you to Shree? Don't you know it is bad luck for Shree to see groom before mahurat? Go help the flower girl get ready."

Tara and Jhanvi too walked in remarking how cute and hot Madhav's brother Shyaam was. Amma's sisters and Maya also walked in with her new parents. She was wearing a pink silken blouse and a matching skirt. Her new mother, Mrs. Ratnam had volunteered to help me dress for the mahurat. She crouched down and straightened the pleats of the cream colored sari I was wearing.

A few minutes later Amma and Yashoda walk in.

"Madhav has gone to change into his mahurat veshti." Amma says as she walks in, her loud voice dominating the bickering and the excitement going around the room. "He'll be ready within seconds and we must finish dressing up Shree by then."

"She's almost ready, Miss." The beautician says as she pins more ropes of jasmines and roses on top of my braid.

"She looks so beautiful, Lakshmi." Yashoda croons as she walks towards me and presses a quick kiss on top of my head. "Madhav has indeed selected a princess for a wife."