Sach hote Khwaab

Swagat

I was in my room, getting dressed. After tying my maroon safa, Mummyji made me wear a layered pearl necklace around my neck and eventually hitched a pearl sarpech to my safa. Bauji handed me a sword as was customary. It wasn't the family heirloom as was last time, but it was equally venerable. Next Keerti applied a bit of surma to my eyes and tied the sehra to my safa. Mummyji pulled aside half the strings of the sehra, to check on me. I put aside the other half and winked at her. Brushing me off, she chuckled and hugged me from one side. I too chuckled.

Mamaji came up to me and took-off his treasured gold-engraved cufflinks. Taking my wrist in his hand, he started fastening them into my cuffs.
'Aaj se ye tere hue!', he said, with a smile.
I looked at him unsurely and started to say, 'Par Mamaji-'
'Haan pata hai mainu, bachpan se teri nazar thi inpe!'
'Aur aap humesha kehte the ki main bada hojau fir aap denge ye mujhe', I added.
'Aur tu bada ho gaya puttar! Mere liye tu us din bada hua jab vipatti ke samay tune apne Maa-Bauji ke salaamati ke vaaste sab intezaamaat kiye! Batwaare ke waqt. Isiliye ab haq banta hai tera inpe! Yeh tere Naanaji ne diye the mainu, aur ab main inhe tujhe de raha hoon! Humaare ghar ke pehle bacche ko!', he said proudly.
Elated, I bent to touch his feet, with a grin. He blessed me and then pulled me in an embrace as well.
'Rab Raakhan Puttar! Rab Raakhan!'

*

The white mare was standing at the door. It was a bit twitchy. I tried to climb it but it resisted.
'Oye main te haathi pe gaya the teri Maa nu vyaahne aur tere se ek ghodi nahi samhaali jaa rahi hai?', Bauji called out. 'Kya kar raha hai puttar?!'
Everyone around, including me chuckled at the remark. I was about to try and climb it again when someone forwarded his hand for help. I looked up to find Mukund smiling at me.
'Teri baaraat toh main kisi keemat pe mere bina jaane nahi de sakta!', he said, smiling brightly.
With a pleased smile, I took his hand and climbed the mare, while he firmly held the mare with his other hand.
Patting a dholwaala on his back, he exclaimed, 'Oye dhol baja kaake! Mera yaar dulha bana hai aaj!'
And the dholwala started beating the dhol enthusiastically.

As the wedding venue was Prem Niwas itself, we did not actually have to travel with the baraat. We just circled around the neighbourhood, dancing joyously at the dhol beats. That itself took us about three hours! One should never underestimate a baraat's calibre to dance!

Vashma, Uday, Radhaji, Chachaji-Chachiji and the entire family was at the door, waiting for us. As I stepped down from the mare and walked down to them, I stole a glance at Amrit's balcony. She stood there, hiding behind a pillar, peeking at me. Suddenly she hid even firmly behind the pillar. With a smirk, I looked ahead and proceeded towards Vashma , my hands clasped at the front.
Mummyji, Bauji, Mamaji - Mamiji, everyone had already been greeted by Chachaji-Chachiji with garlands.
I pulled aside my sehra and put it away upon my safa. Vashma applied a tilak on my forehead and gleefully performed my aarti.
Then she turned to Zaida Chachiji and asked eagerly, 'Ammi, main ek rasm dekhi thi Mrinalini ki shaadi mein! Mujhe vo karni hai! Kar sakti hoon main?'
A confused Zaida Chachiji was about answer this when Bauji called out from behind, 'Puttar khulli chhoot hai tainu! Iske saath jo karna hai karr sakdi hai!'
Vashma looked around at everyone with a mischievous smile. And I looked at her with an uncertain and amused smile. I had no idea what was coming.
Then out of the blue, she pinched my nose! - not too hard, thankfully.
Some of the guests gasped while most of them laughed their heads off.
I slightly exclaimed it pain but she did not let it go.
' "Jijaji!", aapko andar aise hi aana hai!', she said with a naughty smile. Seeing no way out, I chuckled and moved ahead as she gently dragged me in by pulling my nose.

The mandap had been set up in the middle of the baithak. The entire baithak was again decorated with rose and motiyaan blossoms. Numerous takhts had been placed against the walls with masands, all in red-golden covers . Strings of mogra blossoms dropped down from every pillar, every wall, every corner. Beautiful glass lanterns were placed all around. Some big brass vessels were placed at different spots with small decorated diyas floating on them.

Uday got me seated on a takht, while the purohit ji was readying everything of the rituals. After a while I was summoned to the mandap and and some time later, Amrit.

I stood up and turned as Amrit walked down to the mandap, dressed in all her bridal finery, just as I had seen her all those years ago. She was escorted by Uday, Mukund, Iqbal Chachaji and Manoj, each holding one end of the chunri, over her head. Everything was just so ethereal. It was a dream I was living.

aaj ibaadat...
aaj ibaadat rubaru ho gayi...
rubaru ho gayi...

jo maangi thi ...
jo maangi thi us dua se
guftagu ho gayi...

mere maula, mere maula...
mere maula, mere maula...

tera... shukriya!
aaj ibaadat rubaru ho gayi...
rubaru ho gayi...

Entranced, I offered her a hand. Taking it, she stepped on the mandap and looked down with a blushing smile.

dard ke andheron se aa gaye ujaalon mein...
ishq ke charaagon ka noor hai khayaalon mein...
dard ke andheron se aa gaye ujaalon mein...
ishq ke charaagon ka noor hai khayaalon mein...

nazron se teri chaak
dil pe rafu ho gayi
dil pe rafu ho gayi

mere maula... mere maula...
mere maula... mere maula...
tera... shukriya!

aaj ibaadat rubaru ho gayi...
rubaru ho gayi...

'Dulha dulhan ek dusre ko jaimaala pehnaaye!', Purohitji instructed.
Vashma and Radhaji brought us each, a red & white varmala. Taking it in my hands, I bent forward waiting to be garlanded.
But she did not. I looked up to realize that she too was slightly bent forward waiting for the same. We looked at each other with a confused smile. Who was supposed to garland first?
Mogar Bhua ushered aside everyone, coming near Amrit and whispered to her urgently, 'Laado raani! Varmala tainu pehnaani hai pehle!'
Slightly embarrassed, Amrit raised her varmala to garland me. Beaming, I too garlanded her.
One thing I realised from this was that, it is not just about surrendering to your beloved, it is about accepting them too.

We sat down for the wedding rites. Amrit took a seat to my right.

Her face was turned away with a bashful smile. I bent a bit forward, peeked her and slightly sighed. We were getting married- we were finally getting married. I was all hers, she was all mine. I looked up and thanked God for this day.