Sunday, July 13, 2008

A toast... to the happy couple!

And so she managed to get most of her to-do list in order and head to Raipur for the grand grand grand ceremony of 'Bhankur weds Yediii' :D

It started with a chaotic moment with her making it JIT to the station to catch her train from namma bengaluru to aamchi mumbai! The train journey.. hmm... interesting than most! Her jinx of the 'budhhe snoring uncle' was semi broken since he was accompanied by a 'jovial buddhi aunty' as well! :) And to say that she has done it all is an understatement! A kid (cute lukin one!) setting out to do an MBA was also part of the accompaniers and the 'single-serving' friends made for a happy, interesting conversation at least upto Pune! Beyond that is when she caught some sleeeeep!!! :D

Hail Kurla station.. the usual Bhasad and the search for a charging point as she waits for di to pick her up! Her super cute (understatement) bhanja and di manage to make it through mumbai traffic (such that there has never been in the city ever) and we camp out in Andheri at the Shoppers while waiting for it to be time for the next train to take her to Raipur! Well.. Mr. Cool Dude Bhanja was the centre of attention and we had a happy time! Time to get into the gaddi with the 'driver sahab' driving her back to Kurla station! TRAFFFICCC!!! accidents.. red lights.. traffic jams such that the driver sahab who has ben driving in mumbai for quite a few years now has never ever seen! Well.. 8:15 (20 odd mins before the train leaves aamchi mumbai - and the train starts from here!)and all they have moved is probably several inches in that life threatening jam! SOS call to Shekhar aka Mommy.. check for next morning flight tickets to Raipur.. budget 5k! Mommy is stunned but nevertheless is a sweetheart and does the needful. 8:40 (5 mins after scheduled time) - 'Driver sahab.. maan lijiye ki bilkul traffic na ho.. tab hum kitni duur hain?' A smile and a half later the reply she gets is 'tab bhi 15 mins to lagega!' She meekly says.. 'gaadi ghuma lijiye.. ghar chalte hain!' ~ And thus goes the story of how she missed her train!! Calls went to and fro to let the groom in waiting know of the disaster and he can only bellow into the phone! It takes some convincing and pacification as she explains she's still coming but now by flight! Reach di's place.. book flight tickets... leave wallet lying around! (now this is a detail that you will refer back to sooooon!) and then settle down with Jeeju for an evening of exotic drinks! (lets not get into the details here... she doesnt want you guys to know the tankers that they can be!) ;)

The night finds them tullee, having patkoed all weird harkatein and dozed off.. the morning finds her hungover and just going through the motions of daily life to catch her flight! (~hopefully!) Breakfast doesnt go in at all... water also goes in in piddly drops! And then she heads back to the gaddi with the driver sahab all hopeful of them catching the flight! Well.. little did he know the jinx that she can be and soon came to the conclusion that the TJ's he's been seeing since the other day are all her doing! :D ~ grins and takes a bow! Run lola Run through Teminal 1 A without showing ID proof and barely get thru the security check when they announce boarding... but she needs coffee... Run to the coffee shop and scream 1 cappuccino only to scream..'cancel the order.. cancel the order!' Why u ask?! Why??!! Read this carefully.. "She has forgotten her wallet at home!" (home which is at least 2 hours away... and has a mere 10 bucks in her pocket!) and now go back to..'booked tickets and left wallet lying around!' :D So yet again.. "Bhankurrrr.... u have to have to have to pick me up from the airport!!!" And by now he can break his head somewhere! ;)

A first person account:
Well.. lets just say I finally made it!! For some odd reason he took me via the picchwaade ka raasta! And then I was introduced to the family! :) Chacha's and chahchi's, Bua's, Masi, all the Sisters and all the Brothers! :) We took time opening up.. but once there I was family for them! And it felt sincerely amazingly warm!! From pestering me to dance.. to khilaoing the bachcha's khana... to actually dancing with me! :) I had the bestest time with my extended family!

From endless trips to the parlor to get the bride looking stunningly beautiful... (with the first trip i guess I became the bridesmaid! and in the bride's words... her stress buster!) So I was one of the groom's bestest buddies and the bridesmaid rolled into one! Ever rushed a bride up to the waiting room after she's all dressed up and then rushed back to dance in the baraat and then rushed back up to escort her to the stage to be with her knight in shining armour?! (I had the driver puzzled... I had the bride's mom wondering where I am.. I had the groom's mom wondering ye barat me kyon nahi hai?! and I had the bride telling me 'go ani go' and the groom calling me up 'tu kahan hai?!') I guess i figured out the reason for the pichhwaade ka raasta.. Each time the bride would dress up, the groom would have instructions to be at the back door.. all the lady cared about was..'will he like me like this? am i lokkin good enough for him?' and each time..he wud thaamo his dil and fall in love with her all over again!! (umm.. each time = 3 times = for the engagemnt, wedding and reception!) :D

And then:
As the ceremonies drew to a close she somehow was being looked for by both the groom's and the bride' family's for various things... :) She loved it! She was happy that she was around the bride's mom when the vidaai happened... (it's amazing how bride's find it in themselves to cry buckets! :D and it's even more amazing how the knight in shining armour stood by waiting for her to stop crying.. wanting to do just about anything to make it easier for her! :) The luv just sort of surrounded you!) She was happy to be a part of the families and of the wedding! She knows this is a moment she will treasure in her heart.. Maybe these relationships were silent... maybe she won't keep in touch... but the thread in her heart will stay! Forever.. !

And then again... Groom's mom as a parting note: 'Apni shaadi pe humko bulaogi na?!' She: 'Jab kabhi bhi karungi to pakka!' :D

तो इस महफिल का हम हिस्सा हुए... ये महफिल शाम बनकर कहीं खो सी जायेगी.. पर इसके नगमे.. इसके नगमो से हम हर शाम थोड़ा मुस्कुरालेंगे! :)

7 comments:

Nishant said...

gug gud gud !!

a nice post ... but i still wonder.. how come none of you guys had camera !! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Sam said...

Awesome seetie!! :D I did go for my cousin's wedding too and what fun it was.. :) Details coming up soon.. ;)

Anirudh 'Lallan' Choudhry said...

kya baat hai.. mazaa aa gaya padh ke

Sangfroid said...

good going :-)

weirdly though, the vidai reminded me of the Crabtree ad :-P

Sangfroid said...

And ya, all the best to the happy couple!

Vaibhav said...

super description..was like a movie flashin' in front of my eyes n badi vadiya filum thi ji..patakha:)

ani said...

nishu: :D bahut fotos hain! load na le!!! :)

sam: where art thou disappeared?

anirudh: :) shukriya!

sangfroid: :D hee hee!!!!!

vaibhav: :)))) full on huh?!