LOVE BLOSSOMS(COMPLETED)

7. Wedding Night

She talked a lot about my profession as she told me that she did find surgeon's job interesting. At the middle of our conversation, Nivin came by my side and as if that was a cue,Hashini diverted all her attention to my hotshot friend. Slowly I excused myself and talked with her dad for sometime and then moved on to others.

By the time dinner was served I would have conversed with all of Ria's relatives present in the hall. Slowly,I reached my family who did try their level best to interact with someone or the other. They told me that eventhough many didn't know Hindi they still tried talking to them in English. Amma too seemed to have entertained them for sometime. We had our dinner which was provided in a buffet style where multi-cuisine food was served. Starting from idly-dosa(South-Indian cusines) to roti-naan and dal-makhani(Punjabi a.k.a. North-Indian cusines),we enjoyed our food well. When we reached our destined rooms my body and voice was dead tired and sore all thanks to my active participation tonight. I was determined that when my body hits the bed I'd sleep a pleasant sleep. But when my body did hit the bed my mind wandered somewhere else. I remembered the fact that I had to tell Ri about Seema on our wedding night. I didn't want our relatives to witness our drama so I booked a honeymoon suite in ITC Chola the biggest 7Star hotel in Chennai. I also remembered that Ri would be happy to spent our wedding night in a hotel as she prefers privacy. My mind is dreading both the moment and her reaction to the hidden truth that I am to reveal.

Slowly as my anxiety started to fade in and my tiredness started to take control, sleep invaded my body.

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The next day was our wedding day and tonight would be the most awaited wedding night. I was woken up early but that wasn't a big deal for me as I'm a morning person. Nivin and Raj stayed by my side throughout the day and thanks to Raj's talkative and friendly attitude we bonded in much faster than expected.

The day's event passed like a blur but there were a few events that were so much of fun.

The Kasi Yatra,Unjal and last but not the least the garland exchange was the best of all. Ria's uncle lifted Ri so high as if she weighed nothing. My uncles too was none less that lifted me still more high.in order to reach Ria and put the garland around her neck. We had so much of fun in that. Then came the ceremony that I had awaited for long. The time when I could claim Ri as mine.

It was funny to see Appa squirming trying to balance Ria on his lap. Ria was a slim girl but that never meant she weighed any less. I guess she has lots of bone weight.

When I finally got to tie the yellow thread around her neck,I sighed a breath of relief almost unconsciously.

The whole of the wedding ceremony I was choking and tears were involuntarily escaping my eyes because of the sacred fire being lit. Ri did choke a few times and shed a few tears but quickly got accustomed. She spent the rest of time soothing me as if I were a baby.

When we were heading towards the dinner hall and Aakanshi reached me to lift me up, I loved the way Ri played and gelled up well with Aakanshi. I couldn't control myself when amma joked about Ria's appetite.

Slowly time passed by quickly and other fun events like grahapravesham and few ring games came by. A pot fill with water and a ring is given to us. Me and Ri have to us as we've to dip our fingers in and find the ring. I found the ring and so I put it onto Ria's finger. Then came the papad game where we broke papads a.k.a appalam as they say here observed each others head.

Finally came in the reception party. The lengthiest of all where I met with Ria's colleagues, publisher and editors. I also met some of her students who came in with their parents. The visitors formed a long queue and came in one by one to us where we were standing in the centre of the stage to give us their gifts and blessing and to also take a picture with us which forms a record of their visit.