My phone flashed “Neha Kanpur”. At first, I was convinced that it could not be her and that my phone, yet again, has gone mad…. (with Samsung, u cant really be sure!) However, carefully and with a mind making out all the possible reasons for her call, I slid the slider up and started talking. At first, it was the same how-u-doing and how-is-everyone and kabi-to-yaad-kar-lia-kar….Then she came out with the reason as to why had she called….
Her eldest brother, eldest of the 4 siblings, just got engaged. Disclosing the reason for the call here might sound just plain and flat, but trust me, at that time, it was enough for me to dance barefoot on the icy floor that the marble becomes on a mid-December night. I know marriage happens to almost everyone of us. And that it’s no big deal. Almost daily, many hundreds of people get tied in the nuptial bliss (only to discover later that it was not just that…..a bliss..). But this news from my long-parted friend infused a great deal of ecstasy and excitement in me. I have always fancied celebrations. Real celebrations. I like to admire houses adorned with beautiful lightings and decorations on the eve of such big events, be it a wedding or Diwali or Gurupurab. These houses radiate such positivity and joy that it is just impossible to escape without being untouched. If such is the thrill of just witnessing the whole activity, one can not even imagine the whirlpool going on inside the “would-be”s’ hearts….. That suddenly from one “guddu” or “pinki”, they become the reason for people to swarm from even far off places just to shower blessings on the newly wed. The whole idea is just too indescribable in words. All you got to do is wake up to a house full of ceaselessly chatting aunties, uncles busy in arranging for things (the sight of uncles with grave looks arranging for things like DJs and “ladies sangeet” surely takes you to a different world altogether. You seriously can not imagine that this serious lot can also think about raising the fun quotient of the do!!). One peculiar thing about the whole scene would be- irrespective of the culture, location or people, we will always find some common groups of people having the time of their lives at the wedding. A couple of them as I said, aunties and uncles. Then there would be kids, boys and girls, of 7-14 yrs. who would be found running around, disturbing their parents or elder ones, or some buried in the mobile phones games borrowed from their dads (elder siblings are not very likely to give their hand-phones to them…!!) .Then there would be the elder lot. The girls, usually discussing their dresses, guys, or some sulking about how bad their hair look, some complaining about the dark circles around their eyes while the others explaining the great invention called “concealer” to them. While the elder guys would either be busy lending a helping hand to the uncles or catching up with the girls. All this and much more happen for the big night. Actually, what interests me is not the final day, but the course of reaching that beautiful day. So much of effort and time goes into making that one night perfect. And trust me, with all the kith and kin around, life seems no less than a celebration. Once you get over with it and start your life as it was before, you miss all the fun and the laziness that you were allowed to be with. You miss the celebration. But we console ourselves by saying that if everyday life becomes a celebration, then the word “celebration” would no longer hold its importance, it would become a monotony. So, all that happens, happens for good.
Coming back to Neha k bhai ki shaadi……m really looking forward to having a gala time at her bro’s wedding. And which category do I fall in, u must hav already guessed…. :->
Lets see what is in store for me.....and the big day....
till then......as i say........Let the mystery remain...
