Our engagement was a simple affair. It took place on my parents' terrace with just our immediate families and a pandit in attendance. To add a personal touch, my sister Vittu, cousin Shanu*, and I stayed up all night crafting paper flowers to decorate the venue. We organized a small lunch for our neighbors to celebrate the occasion. The engagement ceremony was brief. I initially wore a traditional South Indian saree and later changed into a saree gifted by my future mother-in-law after the puja.
When my father saw me in the second saree, he was taken aback. "You have become a North Indian," he exclaimed. Those words caught me off guard. Does a girl cease to be her parents' daughter once she gets married? I believe not.
Despite my rebellious nature in recent years, my parents remain my own, my very own. I love them deeply, more than words can express. Though I fought fiercely for the career I desired, for the right to work in the library, for the freedom to move to another city, and for the person I loved, it never meant that I stopped loving my parents. It simply meant that I wanted to live life on my own terms. The thought of choosing between Vardaan and my parents crossed my mind countless times, but Vardaan was also a part of me. He was my love too.
I believe it is unfair to ask someone to choose between their parents and the person they love. I vividly remember watching an episode of "Satyamev Jayate" on Star Plus with my family every Sunday. There was an episode on love marriages, and as I sat there, tears streaming down my face, I couldn't help but question the unfairness of it all. If I would eventually have to marry someone, why couldn't it be someone I loved, trusted, and admired? I understand that my parents had difficulty trusting my judgment at such a young age, but perhaps they could have trusted me, too. It all seems trivial now.
When my own daughter or son begins dating, I am certain that I will be a hundred times more paranoid than my parents were. I will fiercely want to protect and safeguard them. To my mom and dad, I can only say that I'm sorry for causing them so much pain. And I want to express my gratitude for eventually relenting, losing hope, and allowing me to marry Vardaan. Just kidding :p I truly love you both very, very much.
Returning to the story, our decision to keep the engagement a private affair upset many relatives on both sides. Both our families were angry that we hadn't informed them about the ceremony. We had wanted it to be an intimate occasion, but it's impossible to please everyone. However, we received some good news on the day of our engagement—Vardaan received a call from his dream company offering him a job! Everyone jokingly referred to me as his lucky charm. I couldn't complain!
In South Indian engagements, it is customary to set the wedding date on the day of the engagement itself, known as nischitartham. Rings are not traditionally exchanged, although in modern times, it has become a popular practice. Finally, the pandit announced a date for the wedding—April 2018. Wait, what?
*Shanu is Gayatri pinni's (aunt's) daughter and my favorite cousin in the whole world.
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The North-South Love Saga
RomanceOnce upon a time, Uma, a Telugu girl, and Vardaan, a Hindi boy, fatefully crossed paths in a library. Little did they know that their encounter would ignite a love that would shape their lives forever. In the face of a daunting long-distance relatio...
