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PART 32B
At one corner of the terrace, there was the food shamiana and breakfast was being served. There was pohe, the groom’s favorite breakfast item, mini uthapams, the groom’s second favorite item. The one person who wasn’t eating anything was the groom himself, he watched the food table decorated, the fact that she remembered he liked sambhar more than chutney, just made him miss her even more. He was beginning to feel like an idiot. As the women from his family were finishing downstairs and slowly coming upstairs, and the men were having chai and coffee, most asked him whether he ate, but he just nodded as though to say, he did. But actually he didn’t. He had some water and went and sat at the mandap. The priest’s attendant who had done the sankalp puja was informing him that within minutes, antarpat will start. He wanted to ask if Sai will join him for it, but the attendant disappeared and he looked around to check if anyone else could answer him.
He notices either the terrace has his family, or strangers. He assumes they are from the neighborhood, all eating pohe meant fo him. His father is chatting with her’s, the sofa on which he has slept a few times has made its way to the terrace so that uncle can sit more relaxed. Samrat is chatting with Aniket and some other man, who he doesn’t know at all. Where the hell is Shivam? Ah!, saala is stuffing his mouth with Devyani. Where is his mom, oh there she is Shivani and his mom sprinting up the stairs smiling away. Is Sai behind them?
Suddenly lots of activity starts, the main priest has arrived and Virat is flanked by his family and he has been made to shift perpendicular on the mandap, he cannot see the entrance of the terrace, but he knows she is here. Music is being played and suddenly there is thin off white silk cloth (antarpat) placed in front of him. The priest has started saying the mantras quite loudly, Virat looks around, his family is behind him grinning. Then he watches Shilpa holding the cloth and on the other side, it’s Shilpa’s mom. He signs at Shilpa to droop it a little, she grins and tries to, but her mother on the other side holds it stiffly and is seen chatting with Usha Mavshi who is standing a bit behind Sai.
The priest’s attendant while uttering the mantras orders Shilpa by moving his hand palm facing upwards, to raise the cloth. Virat glares at the attendant, who continues the mantras but points to Sai’s feet that are peeping under the cloth, and Virat stares at her feet, looking like the prettiest feet in the whole world, painted toe nails on toes covered with red alta on feet covered with mehendi, if he were to step back a little, and he does, as Shilpa pushes her a little in front, and he can see silver with gold bell anklets resting at the front of her feet. He has a small smile on his face. The groom and the bride are handed garlands, which Virat drops and while picking it up, brushes his hand over her feet from under the antarpat. She feels it, the whole thing happens in a matter of seconds, slight confusion creates small discussion, she can hear voices on the other side of the antarpat, and the same gets repeated on this side.
“Arre kya hua?”
“Kuch nahi Kuch nahi”
“Mala gir gaya tha, usne utha liya”
“Ganda ho gaya kya”
“Dusra leke aaye?”
“Zrurat nahi hai, saaf hi hai”
“Chote pujari ne ok kar diya hai”
Thank god for this chit chat, as everyone has missed the blush on the bride’s neck and cheeks and the warmth in her heart which surely has happened because of his warm fingertips over her toes. She has a small smile.
The groom and bride and pushed closer towards the antarpat, the mantras get louder, and now the priest makes both Sai and Virat recite certain Sanskrit prayers, called mangalshtakas. These are prayers to the gods alerting them of the muhurta, as they can now assemble to bless the couple, as the muhurta comes closer, all the people attending the wedding, also come closer to the mandap. And right at the time of the muhurta, 10:23am, the antarpat is removed from between the groom and bride, and they are told to exchange the garlands. Virat and Sai smile at each other. Virat puts the garland and whispers to her and she puts the garland and runs the back of her fingers over his stubble whispering back
“Hi, Just Sai”
“Hi”
There is lot of yelling and hugs and rice (sign of prosperity) being thrown on them. For an outsider, it may seem like the wedding is done, but what is done is only the beginning, the gods have blessed this union, but Hindu scriptures ordain that before the couple can begin life, they must make some promises to each other, families must come together to make the bond stronger, and now that they are husband wife, they must be made aware of the rights and duties they have for each other.
The bride and groom are now made to sit next to each other, there are only few people left on the mandap with them. The priest has tied a knot between them using parts of their outfits. Virat has his mother, sisters and Shivam. Sai has Shilpa, Shilpa’s mom and Maavshi on her side. The rest - Kamal, Ninaad, Shilpa’s dad, Samrat are seated and near the sofa, very close to the mandap. The rest of the guests are facing the mandap. The priest makes announcements as and when each post wedding ritual begins, as he sets things ready, people from the mandap come and throw rice as they may have missed throwing at the time of muhurat.
The priest announces
“Kakana bandhana saathi kaun yenaar aahe?” Who will come forward from the girls side to perform the ritual of the kakana bandhana, literally means bond by the uncles, interpreted as a protective bond that is created around the couple by men from the girls side. When Sai whispers that she has no uncle or brother, the priest tells her, anyone she trusts to protect this union and ward off evil. They will need four people.
As her father, and Shilpa’s father come forward, she calls out to Shilpa and Shivam to join, the priest smiles. Shivam is touched that she thought of him, he looks at Virat with misty eyes, who grins at him back. Shivam steps on to the mandap and touches Sai’s shoulder. She grins at him and pats his hand. Shilpa grins while watching. Ashwini smiles and looks at Ninaad who smiles.
The priest makes them all stand and draw a cotton thread around the couple. They form four corners and pass the thread around the couple. Of course Devyani merrily takes pics. After, the priest, takes the thread and ties it with a turmeric tuber (a small piece of the root) and ties around the bride and the groom.
The priest then announces Shilpa and Shivam to stay back and light the homam (sacred fire) along with the bride and groom, as this would symbolize the support the bride has as she enters married life. While the four light the homa,
“Shivam dada aap toh Sai ke party mei chale gaye” Devyani announces
“Abb Sai aur Virat ki party ek hi hai. Haan, kissi be Sai ko Kuch bola toh khair nahi” Shivam retorts with mock warning.
The priest smiles and continues putting ghee into the fire and starts reciting some mantras and asks the couple to stand up, Shivam and Shilpa step back.
And this marks the beginning of Saptapadi (7 steps), the ritual where the couple make promises to each other begins. In front of family and friends, Virat holds Sai’s hand and 7 promise are made for each round around the fire.
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Edited by columbia - 4 years ago
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