Swaragini- Marriage (Part 1)

Marriage
“Marriage….” A Simple word which holds a lot of meaning in our society…An occasion which changes everything in two person’s life… which becomes base for their love story most of the times … which is a first step of success who already in love with each other… where two different families becomes relatives… where tears and happiness both occupies in a girl’s heart at a same time… where the definition of her own house get changed… where she step into a strange house just by trusting a person…Her Husband… May be trust make them love each other which make the couple succeed in their life…Sometimes broken trust lead to the end of their marriage even life… whatever happens in our life , The occasion is so important in everyone’s life.
This series is only about Marriage and it’s rituals sometimes the life after marriage … The marriages in a different situations with different couples and people in Swaragini… Raglak,Swasan,Ragsan,Swalak, Ramta,AnnuDurga and Uttara.

Marriage 1:
“Finally ,The day come… The day for what I feared a lot… still, for what I scared…. Tomorrow , it’s My marriage day…”I thought. My friends were pulling my legs and teasing me by thinking that I was blushing about my marriage as I was looking down.
But , I only know what’s going inside me. I know it’s a important day in my life… not only in my life… for my whole family… I should be happy… but I am scared to trust the people whom I hardly met once or twice that too on my engagement … I didn’t speak that much with my inlaws and fiancé even on my engagement day.
We just put ring in each other’s hand and he just smiled to me… we didn’t even speak over phone. Isn’t it strange? I am being a software engineer and he is being a doctor, we never tried to talk with each other. Why didn’t he contact me ? if he had contacted me, I would have cancelled this marriage like I did before. I know I was sounding crazy. But I don’t want to leave my family… it’s the place where I live..which I love… why should I leave this place? Why should a girl always sacrifice? I know my questions were never get a place in the society where I live. Still I remember what I have spoken with my bhabhi.
***
“Bhabhi, I don’t want this marriage…” I said.
She smiled a bit.
“why did you don’t want this marriage?”She asked.
“I don’t know…” I turned my face.
“Choti…”She stressed and made me sit on a bed.
I put my head on her lap and she started to caress my hair.
“He is good looking. His family is also looking like a nice people. His character is also good. Don’t you like him?”She asked.
He is good looking . His mother also looked like nice though she was bit strict. His sister was chirpy as me. I didn’t feel anything bad in them. but…
“Are you scared of marriage?”She asked and I nodded. I wondered How she knows.
“How did you know,bhabhi?”I asked her.
“Don’t wide your pebble eyes. Your bhai and I get to know how you broke the previous proposals when you broke your second proposal”She said casually. I couldn’t help to not wide my eyes more. because still now how much proposal I broke… one .. two.. three… Arghh! It’s countless… leave it.
“Do papa and maa also know this?”I asked by becoming serious.
She nodded no and I let a long breath to be relaxed.
“Now tell me, why are you scared of marriage?”She asked. I know she won’t leave me today. Atleast, she can understand.
“ I don’t want to leave my house. I don’t want to live away from you all . I couldn’t trust strange people ,bhabhi.”I cuddled myself in her embrace.
“Choti, it’s each and every girl’s fate. Didn’t I marry your bhai and live here happily?”Bhabhi asked me.
“Don’t you long for your maa, papa ?” I asked her to prove my point. But I regretted by seeing tear layers in her eyes. She could remember her memories about her maika…
I shocked at myself what I thought… I thought as her maika which was her own house before… I thought this house is as her own house because she belongs to my family. I felt the situation became tensed.
“Bhabhi, why can’t boy’s leave their house and stay in their wife’s house for a change? Search such a groom for me. I will never disagree…”I announced.
“will you let your bhai be a ghar jamai in my house?”She asked by raising her eyebrows and with a grin.
“Bhabhi…” I pouted .
“Choti, don’t you trust us? He will be a good companion to you for your life, Choti. The boy who loves his sister and mother a lot and values their decisions, will also give importance to their wife’s decision. This is a very good proposal. Just give a chance…”She said in a promising tone.
I wondered about the logic she said… but finally, I agreed to marry him. is it a good decision or not ? I don’t know. But I trust my family and their decision.
***

My friends were getting tired and went to take a little bit nap until baraat comes. But my sleep is far away from me. I looked at my room and slowly come out of my room.
I looked at the hall where my papa, maa , bhai and bhabhi were making arrangements and waiting for baraat. Why are they so concerned to send off me though it’s pain for them? I know they are consoling themselves by pointing my good life which I can get after my marriage. I looked at my home which held a lot of memories in my life… which witnessed my growth, my happiness, my joy, my sadness, my fake anger, my pranks…. My everything till today. I entered into my parent’s room.
I caressed the wall which had I and my bhai’s drawn paintings with crayons…
“Choti, you are here. I am searching you all over the house.”My maa said by caressing my face. I held it on my chin for a moment while I lost myself in her love.
“How much beautiful my daughter is? Wait!”My maa said and put a black mark nearby my earlobe to nullify evil eyes.
“I am always beautiful not like your son…”I said to tease her and distract myself.
“you won’t leave him even on your marriage “My maa slapped my shoulder playfully.
“I will never leave him even if it’s hell.” I said playfully.
“Maa, baraat will arrive in two minutes. You go, I will be with her”My bhai said while entering the room.
I felt bit nervous. We always fought for everything… from a TV remote to papa’s car… There was not a single day between us without fighting with each other even after his marriage…though we love and care for each other…
“Choti…”My bhai called me.
“why are you calling me choti suddenly? Don’t think that you can rule this house happily. I will come anytime to make yourself pluck your hairs.”I said by putting my hands on my hip.
he smiled by my words and then He gave me a small box .
I opened the box and saw a cute alarm clock. It was the first gift from my father to him… it was so precious to him. I controlled my tears.
“Are you trying to fool me by giving this alarm clock? I will take this but you have to gift me some other thing also”I said in a threatening tone.
He stepped before and kissed in my forehead. I lost my control… it’s first time … first time in my whole life he shown his love directly without teasing me…
“bhaiyu…”I shrieked and hugged him .
“Whenever you need me, I will be with you Choti. So, don’t cry “He said in a broken voice.
“ I know bhaiyu…” I replied by tightly clutching the alarm clock in my hand.
“Choti…”My bhabhi entered and smiled by seeing us.
I smiled back.
“Choti, let’s go”She said and put a veil by using my saree moni.
I stepped down to the mandap from my parent’s room. Soon, Marriage rituals started. I looked at My fiancé’s face through my veil.
He was so handsome in Sherwani. I snapped myself for my thought. I felt like blushing though I don’t know about my feelings for him.
Soon, we sat before yagnakund. Priest told us to put so many things in havan kund. I touched his hand and we put the things in havan kund. I felt something different in me. I felt comfortable with his presence near to me.
“Bride’s father can do the knaya dhaan”Priest said.
My papa and maa stepped up to mandap and sit adjacent opposite to us. My father took my hand in his hand and priest put something in my hand. My father gave my hands to my fiancé. I looked at his face. He was so happy… so happy as he won the world. But in contradiction, I saw tears in his eyes. Soon, my fiancé filled my mang with sindoor and adored my neck with mangalsutra. Now, he is my husband and I am his wife. My wedding is completed.
We both stepped down from mandap. But his sandals were nowhere found. It’s a funny ritual which I enjoyed a lot in my bhai’s marriage. I , myself, gave my bhai’s sandals to bhabhi’s sister .
My bhabhi came before with a smile in her face.
“Is it like my nandoii(Husband’s sister’s husband) can’t get his Sandals?”my bhabhi asked.
He smiled by accepting his defeat.
“So, Rago di what do you want from your this little chotu?”He spoke so casually with them .
“Just take care of our choti and always keep her happy.”My bhabhi said while showing his sandals to him.
He turned towards me. Though I didn’t meet his eye, I felt his strong gaze.
“Though I can’t do as you, I will try my best to keep my wife happy. It’s my promise”he said. I felt something so genuine in his voice.
Soon, priest come with a plate infront of me. I started to walk towards the entrance of my home. I took the mixture of various grains and coins in my hand from the plate and throw it in my back side. I couldn’t control myself when I did that for the third time.
“papa…”I hugged my papa and my maa.
“Be happy choti…”My papa said by controlling his tears and gave my hands to my husband’s hand again.
My husband opened the door for me and made me get inside. I wiped my tears and get inside the car. The car was started . I looked at my family from the car. I saw my maa and bhai consoling my papa… my super hero… I closed my eyes and leaned against the seat by ignoring my husband’s stare.
“Bhabhi…” I opened my eyes and saw myself in front of a strange house.
I saw a girl who was two to three years younger than me ,was standing before me.
“I am sorry…”I said to him .
He held my palm and blinked his eyes . I felt his care and unknowingly, I was happy.
I came out of the car and saw the house, which became my house now.
“Beta, kick the pot and then put your foot on this kumkum mixed water.”My sasumaa said.
I looked my face and my husband’s face on kumkum water. I smiled unknowingly . I kicked the rice pot and walked inside after putting my feet in kumkum water. I lit the diya after imprinting my hand prints on the wall of pooja room.
There are lot of people whom I don’t know. Someone was teasing me and him as we were married today.
“Uttu, take your bhabhi to your bhai’s room.”My sasu maa said .
The girl, who was my nanad, took me to his room while talking about her bhai a lot… about his achievements… his nature…
“ok bhabhi, we are here in our bhai room… it’s your room also from today. Do you like the decorations for your special night?”She said and blinked teasingly.
I smiled ,sat on the bed and started to wait for him. Still, I don’t about him other than his name or profession. I have seen my friends who were speaking with their fiancé to know about each other. But, why did he never shown interest on me? did he have any love failure in past or he married me in compulsion?
I heard a closing sound of door knob. I raised my face to see and saw my husband. He smiled at me and slowly walked towards my bed. He removed my veil.
“Did you marry me in compulsion?” I asked him .
He looked at me shocked and then laughed like an idiot. I lost my cool and hit him with pillow.
“Sorry sorry… “He said by giving his asusual smile.
“but why did you ask me like that? Have you watched any serials like my maa?”he asked.
“no… I thought…” I stopped as I don’t know how to say.
“you thought…” he prolonged.
“I thought you are not interested on marriage…”I said.
He smiled broadly.
“Actually, I like you when I saw you first time. Then, I even called you to know about your decision.”he said.
But I never spoke with him. I told that to him.
“Yeah! Actually you accidentally attended the call and I heard what you have spoken with Rago bhabhi regarding our marriage. I am scared that you might request me to cancel the marriage”He said .
“You were also scared…” I laughed and suddenly I kept quiet by remembering my maa words.
“ I know this is weird. But don’t worry. Though my maa looks like a bit strict, she is such a lovable women. I will help you . first, we will be friends. will you be my Friend?.”He extended his hand for the start of new relationship in our life. I don’t know what to say. But in my heart, I felt that I got a good person as my husband. I can trust him. I felt so free to share my thoughts with him.
I smiled.
“Friends.”I did a handshake with him. Later, we spoken about a lot… his workplace… my workplace… our lovable things… our life…. I thought that this night should never end… but he drifted into sleep. I was just staring his face. I don’t know what the life had for me. I smiled by seeing his smile in sleep. I like his smile. In my heart, I wished this smile never vanish from his face. I don’t know how a stranger become an important one in my life in a single day. I don’t know what I am feeling for him. The only thing I know, he is the most important person in my life now. I don’t know why I felt like that? Is it because of the relationship we have? Is it his nature made me feel for him in a single day like this? Or both? I don’t know. I miss you maa… I muttered . I felt that my husband held my hand in sleep. I turned and looked at his face again. it was so calm as he.
With those memories of my family, I have to start my new life here from tomorrow like my bhabhi, my maa, my sasu maa who were also left their house after their marriage… as bahu of his house… as wife of him.. “Mrs.Maheshwari…”I spelled and felt something different inside me. I slowly closed my eyes with the hope of a good future for everyone in our family and lose myself in sleep.