The morning fog was not evident due to the rainfall last night. The rain drops usurped the place of dew drops on the leaves. Birds did not chirp, perhaps they laid frozen due to the morning chillness. The stray dogs abandoned their regular spots on the roadside. The sky had an extraordinary gloomy appeal. To that silent morning, I woke up. The day was not mine. It was that of my sister’s. It was the day her wedding bell has to ring. She woke up at her usual time, went ahead with her routines. The rest four members in the house were already ready by then.
She took a longer time to bath. Everybody was anxiously waiting outside. She came out fresh, with no specific reaction on her face. The gathered ones around could not read what is in her mind. She walked silently into the room. She changed her wet clothing into the recently purchased black and white kurthi. She brushed her hair for a longer time. She could not tie it as she usually does, because her long hair refused to dry soon. She just took a hand kerchief and her mobile phone from the shelf.
She walked out, with her regular smile. I was standing near the door, waiting for her. A few members from the neighborhood came to take a glance. Somebody suggested getting blessings before stepping out. Everything was silent. There were no murmurs, nor any laughs. Somebody reminded to take snaps. I ran inside to take the phone. It was kept switched off to get its battery charged faster. It took time to get it switched on. She stood facing north to the rising sun, in front of the lamp. The elders came to her one by one. She touched their feet and they blessed. The phone got switched on slower and obviously, I missed few snaps.
Now it is time to go. She stepped outside and walked towards the staircase. Those steps were not just few blocks of cement to her. They had welcomed her all these years, let her sit on their laps when she is sad and wished her good bye every time she went to office. No idea if she bid them good bye within her heart. But, I felt they blessed her.
We walked towards the car parked near the gate. Stranger the day that we did not look back to wave hands to the people outside. She sat inside silently. I sat beside, with the an empty mind. I did not know what to tell her. I just told the driver the place to go.
We stopped in front of the temple. No poojas were done, but the priest asked us what the purpose of visit when we kept Rs. 50 as dakshina. We had to tell him it was her d-day. He went inside, took a bottle of payasam and gave us. He asked us to visit the temple together again. For the first time in the day, I felt happy and peaceful. Perhaps, I took it as a sign of blessing from God.
We headed straight to the beauty parlor. The parlor was empty, except for two kids and the beautician herself. Beautician looked angry, may because we were late. She silently stood for dressing. Being a tomboy myself, I had no role to play. I stood beside them and watched silently as she was adorned in her wedding sari. She looked gorgeous. I could see her happy and smiling. She did not seem to miss the hurried noisy atmosphere of a marriage make up do. One hour of dressing, she was all set for the marriage.
The groom’s party dropped in late. They had nothing to do, except to take her to their vehicle. I silently walked down alone to the car. I did not know, if I told the driver to go back to home. He began driving. For me, more than the physical, it was a journey of thoughts. Was this the way a girl enters into her dream day? I do not know. But, I knew one thing – today was my sister’s marriage and it was not a fiction.
She took a longer time to bath. Everybody was anxiously waiting outside. She came out fresh, with no specific reaction on her face. The gathered ones around could not read what is in her mind. She walked silently into the room. She changed her wet clothing into the recently purchased black and white kurthi. She brushed her hair for a longer time. She could not tie it as she usually does, because her long hair refused to dry soon. She just took a hand kerchief and her mobile phone from the shelf.
She walked out, with her regular smile. I was standing near the door, waiting for her. A few members from the neighborhood came to take a glance. Somebody suggested getting blessings before stepping out. Everything was silent. There were no murmurs, nor any laughs. Somebody reminded to take snaps. I ran inside to take the phone. It was kept switched off to get its battery charged faster. It took time to get it switched on. She stood facing north to the rising sun, in front of the lamp. The elders came to her one by one. She touched their feet and they blessed. The phone got switched on slower and obviously, I missed few snaps.
Now it is time to go. She stepped outside and walked towards the staircase. Those steps were not just few blocks of cement to her. They had welcomed her all these years, let her sit on their laps when she is sad and wished her good bye every time she went to office. No idea if she bid them good bye within her heart. But, I felt they blessed her.
We walked towards the car parked near the gate. Stranger the day that we did not look back to wave hands to the people outside. She sat inside silently. I sat beside, with the an empty mind. I did not know what to tell her. I just told the driver the place to go.
We stopped in front of the temple. No poojas were done, but the priest asked us what the purpose of visit when we kept Rs. 50 as dakshina. We had to tell him it was her d-day. He went inside, took a bottle of payasam and gave us. He asked us to visit the temple together again. For the first time in the day, I felt happy and peaceful. Perhaps, I took it as a sign of blessing from God.
We headed straight to the beauty parlor. The parlor was empty, except for two kids and the beautician herself. Beautician looked angry, may because we were late. She silently stood for dressing. Being a tomboy myself, I had no role to play. I stood beside them and watched silently as she was adorned in her wedding sari. She looked gorgeous. I could see her happy and smiling. She did not seem to miss the hurried noisy atmosphere of a marriage make up do. One hour of dressing, she was all set for the marriage.
The groom’s party dropped in late. They had nothing to do, except to take her to their vehicle. I silently walked down alone to the car. I did not know, if I told the driver to go back to home. He began driving. For me, more than the physical, it was a journey of thoughts. Was this the way a girl enters into her dream day? I do not know. But, I knew one thing – today was my sister’s marriage and it was not a fiction.
2 comments:
why does marriage day have to the "dream day" of a girl?
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