"Dhaage tod laau chandni se noor ke
Gauri slumped against the headrest of the bed and smiled lazily looking at his side of the bed. Yes ... he was not there but his aroma was. Burnt charcoal and dusky pine. Even she missed him like he obviously did but this distance was important because it is now that both of them are getting married willingly and madly in love. With the marriage preparations got implied the two feet rule. Last night all the ladies of the neighborhood and those of the extended Oberoi family had got together and sung folk songs dancing till the wee hours making Gauri the center of attention. She wanted to sleep some more but today she knew she cannot and tonight she knew he will not let her. It is their wedding day. Finally.
The early morning sun was already well risen and the winter grass shone like it had its own gentle glow from within. The air felt refrigerated, that same coolness combined with moisture Gauri always felt when she reached for the coffee cream. Though it was late enough for bright light, it was early enough for the streets to be almost deserted - perfection. Apparently 6:22 am was the sweet-spot. What she had now was less than two hours of sleep, a continuous knock on the door and a ring on the phone. Omkara it had to be.
"Good Morning. He spoke a sexy sleepy drawl and she stepped down the bed. Such a private bedroom voice of his was enough to wake her up properly. She knew if he would have been on the same bed as hers ... he would have held her in the right places and would have kissed her too but grace the god, they have to obey the rule.
Early mornings are their own reward. The buildings became silhouettes against a crimson sky and the air smelt of the ocean. There is no drone of cars, or the hiss as they move over the dew coated gardens and streets; there is only the cry of the gulls as they call for the fishing boats to come in. There is something about the dawn that makes each new day such a gift, eases it in gently, unwrapping the world anew. By contrast waking later in the day feels like a rudeness, the sun already high, bright and hot. At this time of day the air is cool and damp, She could go to an all day spa and not be so refreshed, so rejuvenated.
She looked down at the garden area through the where the preparations of her chooda ceremony were going on. Upon the flower petals sat a hundred beads of water, each one a perfect sphere, brilliant in the morning rays. Each drop sits so lightly, yet together they are enough to cause the bloom to bow toward the earth. So delicate is the flower that even these scatterings of dew are significant. Soon the gentle heat of the morning will send them back to the clouds and the bloom will raise her head, calling to the bees.
"Ghoongat hi uthaalo roshni se noor ke
She knows that in this relationship of the artist and his muse. She is definitely the stronger one. A woman who had put in so much of effort to make her marriage work, to make her trust trustable and to make her promises believable. She knew that ahead of her is a positive and a normal life with her jatadhari but what surprised her was his wish to marry her again ... with every ritual, every vow and every promise of a wedding. Om the family person, O the brother, Omkara the artist, Omkara Singh Oberoi the business man, Her Omkaraji has brought so much happiness in her life.
Omkara can never be the simple sorted out person but he is happiness for sure. Every complication of his mind can give her a reason to be one step closer to him and smile. Happiness is in everything; She dares everyone to invite it in. It is in the rain, cool and fresh, just as deeply as the warm and bright sunshine, for they bring forth different emotions. Happiness is enjoying the moment by his side, being present for that gift that is living for him and allowing it to become intense because of him.
For Omkara ... she knows happiness is never branded or gaudy or Over the top, for instance ... he can skip some big business dinner and cook for both of them at home, for him there is something about chopping a vegetable that soothes him to his soul; he concentrates in listening to the sound as the knife cuts and then the metal meets the wood. He lets his hands move slowly in the silence of the room, allowing random birdsong and windy gusts to infuse in his mind. The earthy flavors develop an intensity, there is a burst of aroma with each cut and in the quietness within, and he becomes so happy.
Other times she used to bust with life in the joy of movement. She loved to dance to vibrant music, loud and strong. She felt her limbs move with the beat, her mind enjoying the heady trance but living with him she has realized that silence can do some peaceful talking. Its not always about telling everyone that you are happy and expression of happiness can be subtle too. Apart from many other things both of them do together almost being unnoticed by all the family members, There is something about cycling with in the countryside in a garden near their farmhouse, with or without music, in any weather, that invigorates her. He has always said that there is part of a human animal that was born to move. To exert herself with him feels like freedom, there is pleasure in pushing herself to new levels. Yet to ride slow can be a chance to savor to the flow of the air the finer details of the trees, earth and birds. This is not the mantra to find the good in everything, not quite, for there are times of tragedy, but to enjoy what is good and to learn from the rest.
Not just happiness ... with the kind of misunderstood life they have lived for over ten months ... he has taught her a lot about pain and aloofness also. Pain for her now is a chance to become more empathic, more sensitive to others in pain. Problems are an opportunity to innovate. In isolation a person can think and let the creative mind spin new ideas. In unfulfilled expectations a broken heart can learn patience and understanding. In grief they can learn to cherish the gift of life each day. Gauri has learnt from him that she can use her pain and fear to mature the mind and develop the soul. For how can the soul dance if it is hiding in the shadows? Thus, only the brave of heart can know true happiness which is about all the little things in life or should she say different colors? Bold is what her husband always calls her and has given her a life of an equal.
"Sharm aa gayi toh ... Aagosh mein lo...
The other day when he had proposed her ... that was a really private affair and like what he promised he has taken care of every ritual being followed. Gauri kept looking at the Princess cut diamond on her ring finger for a while. After their engagement ... her mother in law gifted her some ancestral and in fact antique pieces of jewelry and cclothingas shagan ... she had her mehendi ceremony too but with him what she enjoyed the most was the sangeet ceremony.
The slow music twirled like a silken thread around them. She rested her head of his chest, and let him sway her body 'round and 'round again. The violins came in, then the piano, and then the slow and sure beating of a drum. She again thought she can love him. She kept thinking, She thought that she can marry him ... again. And the music slowed, and they met at the hands. She looked up into his soft brown eyes, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.
So they continued to dance and spin. The lights were twinkling with every step as Gauri spun in delicate circles, her dark dress billowing out. She used to love things like this, the pressure of a warm hand on her back and the feeling of her small agile feet gliding along the floor. She had always felt like a small bird learning how to fly, flailing around and finally taking off with outstretched wings and wind swept feathers. She still did from time to time, then she remembered that that bird will fly across a field and fall to the ground without a second thought as to why. Even she has to learn ... she has to fly and she has to fall too but she knew that he will always be there for her.
The music spun around them lifting away gravity. She could not count how many times she had squished his foot under her own. Still he smiled brightly as their heels clicked over the ballroom floor. He watched as her hair spun out and bounced more with each move and beat. This was perfect. This was dancing and art coming to life, strong pointed moves did not matter there. All that mattered was the person in front of her.
"Ho ... saanson se uljhi rahe meri saasein...
In a marriage with Omkara Singh Oberoi , he is the head and she is the heart; but she has still got a head and he has still got a heart. It's the difference between infinity and infinity plus one, but it works for her. It works for him. The doubts, the questions and the adjustments in their marriage are perfect for Gauri and she thanks God every day for the chance ... the gift of spending her whole life with him.
When she met him she had already lost her entire world. They were two broken souls ... even after he realized his faults of labeling her as a lowlife and repenting for the very reason ... She also thought about how can he hang on to something so incomprehensible? How can he keep pouring love into an abyss? But then there he was just like how she had been for him. There was something in those brown eyes that was so beautiful, so safe and warm. In just one look she was "home." She reached out and made the connection, and like God Himself had arranged it, he fell for her just as hard. That first day they talked, just the two of them ... on that green couch, she still recalls the conversation, the feeling he gave. He did not know it, but that day he saved her ... she knew she can trust him. They became inseparable, and though not married at heart at that time ... they were one from that day on. But don't the months take their toll dear loved one? Taken a toll ... on both of them ... undoubtedly a yes but they have learnt a lot as well. They have understood and respected each others distinct perspectives after having a similar personality. They will work together and learn how to raise a family, they will love their children without bounds, and then they look at one another with tired eyes and empty limbs after long days of hard work and sleep in each others arms. She is as much in love with him today as she ever was ... and she knows she always will be.
Bol na halke halke ...