Manjha A String of Complicated Relations

The D-Day

The next Day was the D-day. It was the wedding day, and everybody was a bundle of nerves. Shambhavi was working to distract herself from the fact that her sister was getting married and Nitya was running around, helping whosoever she could find.

After lunch, the girls got ready and let's just say that the Gods had blessed the world with their beauties. Adhya's wedding lehenga was a bit contemporary but beautiful, nonetheless. She was a sight to behold in the dress, a deep maroon lehenga with a blue dupatta and orange chunri. The makeup was minimal, but the jewelry was not. It was what Adhya had always dreamed of and that was what mattered, after all she was the bride.

Shambhavi and Nitya had helped her, and the Vyas sisters had almost burst crying while helping her into the lehenga. Shambhavi had given their mother's Kanganas to her. Adhya was ready to bawl her eyes out but Anisha and Nitya had reminded her of the makeup. Shambhavi Nitya and Anisha were all getting ready as well. Shmbhavi's lehenga was a bit heavier than the rest of the girls, and the lengha's of all the girls showed their personalities perfectly.

Shambhavi's lehenga was a dull greyish green color with red choli and dupatta. She has put on some light make up with a maang tikka adoring the center of her forehead along with a pair of heavy jhumkas and bangles.
Nitya, like her Tai, also wore a dull green color long frock styled Kurti with a velvety pink lehenga along with a pair of jhumkas in her Ears. Anisha also chose to wear a floor-length lehenga styled dress in a pretty peach color.

The girls were ready and sitting together in Adhya's room when Anant peeked inside and shut his eyes, meanwhile asking whether everyone was dressed or not. The girls all replied in the affirmative and Sanyukta ma'am and Anant came in. Sanyukta ma'am reduced to tears when she saw the girls and the girls also had tears shining in their eyes.

Sanyukta ma'am did a ritual to do away with any sort of bad omen that might have followed the girls around and finally allowed the other boys to come in. Aniket and Advith were bewitched once entered and glimpsed at the girls who were all looking like Goddesses.

It was nearly sunset when it was time to go down and the boys held up the Chunari with Advith and Anant at the back end of the Chunari and Aniket and Nitya holding the front. Shambhavi and Anisha walked on either side of Adhya as all of them went towards the Mandap.

Mrityunjay had been talking to his mother when Adhya entered and he could see their love story flash in front of his eyes, from not even being able to bear her presence to falling in love with her. The last two years had been a whirlwind for Mrityunjay and Adhya and that evening they were going to get their fairytale ending, or rather a fairytale beginning.

The wedding began with the Jaimala exchange and then they proceeded to the Mandap. The priest began with the Ganpati pooja. Next, the priest tied Adhya's chunari with Mrityunjay's shawl as he had no sister to do the ritual. It signified their union. It was followed by the Kanyadan, which was to be performed by the bride's father. Shambhavi was going to ask their Nana to do it when Adhya called out, "Tai."

Shambhavi looked back at Adhya who said to Pandit ji, "Tai, will do the Kanyadan."

Shambhavi was trying her hardest to not cry but after listening to what Adhya said, she had silent tears running down her face. She came forward and did the Kanyadaan. It was such a beautiful moment that almost all of the Vyas, Bajaj, and Rathore families were smiling with tears in their eyes. Aniket looked on proudly towards the sisters.

Next came the Panigrahan in which the groom took the bride's hand in his own, signifying that he was accepting her and that they would be spending the rest of their lives together with each other. This was to be followed by the pheras. Usually, in a  Rajasthani wedding the bride and groom take two pheras in the mandap itself while the rest three are conducted at the entrance of the bride's new home, but because this was a destination wedding and the groom's house was in another city, they decided to go ahead with doing all the pheras together.

The seven pheras were the seven vows that the bride and groom made to each other. With Adhya ahead of her groom in the first three pheras and Mrityunjay walking ahead in the next four, the seven vows were made which were then followed by the Ashwarohan.  Adhya had to remove seven grinding stones one by one, showing her determination. It was followed by the Sindoor Dan and the wedding or 'Vivah' was almost complete. The bride and the groom, followed by their families and the guests, went on to the dawat and soon it was time for the Bedai.

Th Bedai, as always, was a very emotional affair and almost everyone was crying.

Nitya, although crying, said, "Look at Adhya. She is crying as if she's going to some faraway country when she is actually just going across the street from our house," Adhya hit her and everyone else laughed a little. Adhya would only be going to the hotel room booked and would be meeting everyone the next day before leaving for their vacation.

Adhya and Mrityunjay along with the Bajaj family left the Vyas Haveli and, eventually, all the guests also left with them. The house was left with the rest of the Vyas and Rathore family sitting in the drawing-room. Everyone was talking about how well the whole event went.

Shambhavi was sitting quietly with Anisha, and Nitya was lying down with her head on Shambhavi's lap. Nitya, deep in thought said, "It's a stupid thing, having to leave your own home if you're a woman. I won't leave my home."

Shambhavi smiled and said, "Well, now we know that Nitya wants a naval Officer along with the demand of him leaving his house to come and live at our house. Anything else Miss Vyas, or is that all that you want in your ideal man?"

Everyone laughed at Nitya's pout as she thought about what else she wanted, "Well not yet. If I add anything, I'll let you know."

With conversations like that the night gave way to morning and everyone went to sleep well after midnight. Anisha, Shambhavi and Nitya all slept as if trying to make up for one missing sister.

The night was quiet at the Vyas Haveli, quite opposite to what the scene was at the hotel where the Bajaj family was staying.