Aisha and the Prince of Wales

Chapter XX: The Big Day

“Good morning, this is Matt Lewis from the British News Corporation, reporting live from Westminster Abbey.”

The watery sun shone down on London, and the streets sparkled, washed clean from the recent shower. 

A throng of supporters lined the streets, culminating a short way away from Westminster Abbey. Security had been beefed up, and the entrance to the Abbey was restricted to invitees only. Several people had driven in from out of town, camping outside the abbey in sleeping bags. Now they stood, many wearing raincoats, holding selfie sticks, phones, and cameras, snapping the multitude of well-dressed, distinguished guests entering the Abbey.

Reporters stood at strategic spots, as close as they could get to the Abbey’s entrance, speaking earnestly into their microphones.

“This will be a royal wedding like none other,” continued Matt Lewis, the jacket of his collar turned up against the slight nip in the air, “It is a royal union of many firsts- the first time a member of the royal family is marrying out of the Church of England- Miss Aisha Kaur Ahluwalia belongs to the Sikh faith, the first time a British royal is marrying a person of colour, and the very first time an Indian becomes a member of the Royal Family. This is a big moment for Indians everywhere- to see the future King of the British Empire that had ruled the Indian subcontinent for two centuries before British rule was overthrown in a long drawn-out struggle for independence marry an Indian woman- thus acknowledging that the last of the barriers between their respective ancestors has fallen away! It is truly a sign of progress, and we see many supporters holding banners in favour of the union. The British Royal Family is proving itself to be modern and liberal- quite a change from their usually conservative image!

“We now see Princess Louisa arrive with her beau, the Hollywood actor Gregory Owens. The pair is rumoured to be going steady, and speculation is on as to whether we can expect another royal wedding in the near future. The Princess is dressed, as you can see, in a pale pink dress and fascinator and matching heels- we have information that her outfit is by international fashion giant Chanel. 

“And now, we witness the arrival of the bride’s mother and siblings- and would you look at this! In a never seen before occurrence, the family of the bride appear to be dressed in traditional Indian garb! The mother of the bride, Mrs. Ahluwalia, is wearing an embroidered mauve salwar-kameez, often worn by the women of Punjab, her home state, on special occasions. Her younger daughter, Asmi, is dressed in a pale gold sari- a pan-Indian outfit. She is holding a bouquet of baby’s breath- suitable to her role as maid of honour.

“Next comes the bride’s brother- Mr. Arjan Singh Ahluwalia! This strapping young gentleman is dressed in a pale gold kurta-pyjama set, with a mauve turban. It looks like the bride’s family has decided to colour-coordinate!

“And now, the crowd’s cheers get even louder as the car bearing the bride and her father rolls up to Westminster Abbey! Bets have been placed all week regarding what the future Princess of Wales will wear on her wedding day- we have been told she was shown dresses designed by Chanel, Vera Wang, and a host of other internationally-acclaimed designers! In our latest poll, the public seems to be leaning towards the Vera Wang dress, but only by a small majority, with others favouring the cream Chanel! Once we find out which dress the bride has chosen, we can expect it to be sold out across Britain, with smaller boutiques producing copies for those with tighter budgets!

“But what is this?! Ladies and gentlemen, in yet another first, Miss Aisha Ahluwalia has decided to go against royal tradition, and is wearing an ivory lehenga-choli, embroidered with gold, and with a translucent veil that covers her head, in Sikh tradition! This will truly be a wedding outfit to be talked about for generations to come- it is interesting to see how Miss Ahluwalia has married the traditionally Indian outfit with a typically English colour for wedding gowns- her outfit seems to be symbolic of her union with the Prince of Wales- a meeting of East and West, of blend of religions, cultures, races, all brought together by love!

“The next time she crosses this threshold, Miss Aisha Ahluwalia will be Aisha, Princess of Wales- future Queen of England! The crowds are ecstatic, and truth be told, this union bodes very well for the future of the United Kingdom! It speaks of unity, of harmony between different cultures, and of a new, progressive UK where diversity is the order of the day!

“God bless the royal couple!”