Duplex

Wedding Morning

My home was the busiest that I’d ever seen it. Sweets were made of different colors and shapes. My parents were smiling. Aunts, uncles, neighbors from all over, congregated for this union. Rajbi was as enthused as I was.
“you’re the happiest bride”
“your sarcasm reeks”
“I know”
He put a hand on my shoulder and for the first time growing up I could feel my brother trying to reach out to me. I squeezed his hand and pulled him into an awkward hug.
“can’t believe your getting married”
“gonna miss me?”
“don’t push it cat”
We both laughed. I was going to miss my only brother. We may not get along but at least we cared about each other.
Today my wedding ceremony was to be held at Hope Botanical Gardens. Before I knew it I was bombarded by five females trying to get me fitted into a sari and get my hair done. I couldn’t deny I felt like royalty.
When we got there the atmosphere was different, the park was decorated with different colors and lanterns that screamed Vivaah Sanskar. The priest was present and so was the Risearda clan along with family and people I’ve never met. My father looked at me with pride and I forced a smile. He held his arm and I took it as he lead me to the priest for our Kanyadaan (giving away of the daughter by the father). Arnaf took my hand from my father and a tear escaped from the corner of my eye. This was happening, I prayed and hoped it was just a bad dream, but it wasn’t. the kama-sukta (hymn of love) played in the background. Arnaf and I had to recite the wedding lines in front of everyone as the beginning of the wedding ceremony.
“family and friends, I pledge to be a husband, friend and care giver. Providing dharma (moral and lawful life), artha (wealth), and kama (love) to my wife”.  Arnaf repeated it three times and my father satisfied nodded and went to take a seat as the priest continued. Arnaf lit the fire and took my hand “I take your hand, asking for happiness, I ask you to live with me, as your husband, with age both of us will grow. To the Gods I declare this! Bhaga, Aryama, Savita and Purandhi…”
The audience applauded, and he felt accomplished. He disgusted me. I cried inside, I couldn’t wait for this torturous moment to end. It was dragging on and on.
Soon the sun was set and it was time for the final ritual of the day Saptapadi (seven steps/seven feet), the priest tied my sari to the end of Arnaf’s robe. We walked seven times around the Holy fire Agni the witness of our vows. I wondered if the Gods didn’t realize this union wasn’t right? Couldn’t one of them save me from this eternal torment that my parents threw me into?
After the seven circuits we recited the final vow that bonded us together as man and wife for the rest of this current life.
“we haven taken the seven steps. You have become mine forever. Yes, we have become partners. I have become yours. Hereafter, I cannot live without you. Do not live without me. Let us share joys. We are word and meaning, united. You are thought, and I am sound. May the night be honey-sweet for us. May morning be honey-sweet for us. May the earth be honey-sweet for us. May the heavens be honey-sweet for us. May the plants be honey-sweet for us. May the sun be all honey for us. May the cows yield us honey-sweet like milk. As the heavens are stable, as the earth is stable, as the mountains are stable, as the whole universe is stable, so may our union be permanently settled”.
We bowed before everyone and Arnaf squeezed my hand that he still clutched in his palm. He wheeled me into his embrace and planted a kiss on my lips, I eased my way out of his grasped just Intime to end up in the arms of my mother.
“you look so beautiful Cassie”
“thanks to you mom”
Tears stuck to her eyelids as she refused to blink them away.
“everything is going to be okay” as if she was remembering our conversations from a few nights before.
Soon the celebrations begun as I was now Mrs Cassandra Singh Risearda. Laughter, singing, dancing and eating ensued. This was not how I envisioned my wedding. I am supposed to be happy not heart broken on my wedding day. All my life I’ve thought about marriage, but I never knew my father would dictate how I spend the rest of my life and with whom. For the past few weeks I’ve never felt so sad, lost and bamboozled. I felt like a slave being shipped from my homeland against my will. I exhaled and hung my head in despair,I have lost this round and father has given the enemy ammunition over me, I've been sold into slavery - marriage, I am now bounded for life.