Marriage has a different meaning for us women. After marriage, a girl enters into a new phase of life and a new home too. She has to leave behind her relatives and friends and start building new relationships that are quite overwhelming yet very sensitive.
My morning at the Saraf house began at 5:30 when I woke up, took a shower and got ready to go to the temple for Ganesh pooja. On my way to the temple, my mother-in-law explained to me the significance of the ceremony. She told me that we were to seek blessings from the lord for my new life and my new start in the Saraf family. She explained the rules of the family and their way of living. All of a sudden I felt like a child who is being ordered and told what to do and what not to do. I felt like I was stepping into an alien world.
After coming back from the temple and seeking my mother- in-law's permission, I headed straight to my room and lay down on my bed. I was so exhausted with all the marriage ceremonies and then early morning; on top of it, no early morning tea gave me a severe headache. I went back to sleep again.
When I woke up I saw Siddharth standing near me; he had come out of the bathroom cloaked in steam and wrapped in a towel. I found my eyes straying on the drops of water on his bare skin. It gave a tinkling sensation and the moment our eyes met, I felt guilty for looking at him so shamelessly. He approached me and gave a hug; his bare chest against my body gave me goosebumps. He leaned forward and placed his lips on mine, holding my waist and caressing it. I felt a hot sensation running through my blood, and suddenly there was a knock on the door, and we had to hold back.
It was our servant who had come to call me as my mother- in-law wanted some help; I immediately checked my clothes and rushed to the hall. She sat to tell me about the mundane routine carried in the house, and then she served breakfast to my father-in-law.
Siddharth was by now dressed up for office. She went to the kitchen and quickly packed their lunch, and I was surprised at her working. She was way too perfect at everything; maybe she had been doing it since years now. After both of them left, she carried on with her family whereabouts and informed me about dinner at a relative's place. My entire day went on arranging my room, my clothes and after feeling exhausted, I left some work for the next day. I decided to take a shower and get ready for the evening.
We were about to leave for dinner when suddenly my mother-in-law ordered me to go and wear some heavy jewelry as the newly wedded bride of Saraf family. Though I didn't like her gesture, I didn't dare to say anything to her. If it would have been my Mom, I would have denied and shouted at her for all this drama.
How strange it is that we are pampered and secured like queens in our family, not even allowed to see a stranger as if we do not know the world and suddenly we are sent to a family where we don't know anyone, and they possess all the rights on us. We left for dinner without Siddharth as he said he would join us a little late. I was somewhere very upset with him, but my father-in-law who had arrived by now told me that he was really busy at work. Otherwise, he would have definitely shown up. I believed their words and put a fake smile on my face. Siddharth's aunt and his family appreciated my looks, my complexion, my beauty and choice of clothes. Finally, dinner was over, and we were back home.
So this is how my first day in the new house went, which made me doubtful and upset about the whole thought of marriages and its consequences. But letting it go was what I did that moment, and I slept all exhausted without even knowing when Siddharth came and slept.
The next morning I followed the same routine: woke up early, took a shower, got ready and went down straight. My body has been allergic to cold water since childhood, and I did not have this habit of bathing straight after waking up, but here I was left with no other choice. Being allergic to the cold, so many sneezes at a time would not only surprise my mother-in- law but also put a question mark a lot of the time.
After a few days in the Saraf house, I was informed that my mother-in-law wished to retire now and give entire charge of the household to me. This news came as an atomic explosion without any sound; this meant entering the kitchen in just seven days rather than one month and working all day long, the way she had been working for years. She further added that she had invited around thirty–forty people on this occasion and she was expecting my best in this small gathering.
This made me anxious and worried the entire day and gave me a sleepless night. The entire night I tossed and turned, thinking to myself about how I would be able to do this. What if I was not able to prove myself? I started cursing my decision on getting married.
Siddharth, my husband, was in a deep sleep, unaware of the commotion going in my heart. Every day I would watch my mother-in-law working and would try learning from her, but in my head, I couldn't understand how this perfection could be achieved in just seven days when it had taken years for her to do that.
Soon the day arrived, and I was mentally prepared to take it all. Siddharth had taken an off from work to help in making some arrangements for the evening which made me happy, seeing him around every now and then. In the evening, we both were walking hand in hand, greeting the guests and doing the other serving work. It felt good being next to him for such a long time.
Finally, I was invited to the kitchen with some small auspicious pooja and was then asked to cook something sweet for all. Thanks to my good stars, my sisters-in-law and some aunts helped me in this endeavor; once the dish was served and eaten, I was declared pass and promoted. After everyone left I finally got a chance to meet my parents and talk to them for a while. Seeing them made me cry. I gulped down my tears anyhow and hugged them both tightly with a smile. My mother asked me if I was doing fine and I halfheartedly told her that everything was fine. Maybe when we grow up, and our marriage happens, we learn to keep our thoughts, our truths to our self, and wear a fake smile in front of the world. Finally, when the day was done, we headed to our rooms. I decided to take a quick shower before sleeping, and When I came out of the washroom was surprised to see siddharth awake, may be waiting for me. I went and sat beside him. He held my hand and apologized for not spending time with me in these seven days. He explained his work pressure and his responsibility as his father would not be able to work more now. But he promised that he would plan a wonderful holiday soon, and while holding my hand, he tied a bracelet on my wrist with both of ours name initials as a first night gift on the seventh day. I thanked him, and he hugged me tight and planted a kiss on my neck, which gave me a tickle. It was a different feeling – his warm breath close to my body made me melt in his arms. I blushed with his action then he pulled me closer and kissed me hard on my lips. I surrendered to his love and let go of myself completely. I did not realize when he skipped me off completely, and we were both lying on the bed making love. It was the best feeling in the world. I felt different, an alive and cherished woman, finally.
Following this routine and this life, it was soon my first year of marriage. It made me contemplate on how difficult it is to blend two people with different backgrounds, experiences, family histories, and expectations as one, in a bond called marriage that lasts long. The new Nandini lost interest in herself and in everything around except the desire to win over Siddharth's and his family's love. It was a hello to the new beginning and to a new me.
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General Fiction"Falling in love is madness; it erupts like a volcano at once and then subsides with time easily. But being in love is like the leftovers of the love story that has already burned to ashes." A vibrant, bubbly girl Nandini Jyoshi leaves behind all h...
