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| Blessings once we reached home from the Court. The main album’s deep inside the cupboard |
Waking up in the morning. Showered. The rather ornate Akberally kurta, pyjama & blue jacket instead of the usual pinstripes and khaakis. Diligently making rangolis outside the door with the contraption mother in law to be had given. Rani, Banu’s predecessor, swapping the floor. Waiting impatiently for mashi, mesho and the tiny cousins to come in their Maruti 800. The long hot drive to the Wedding Court beside Asiatic Library.
Bride to be in a never seen before avatar of a sari. Accompanied by her parents, mama, masi. Mamma sprinting with her aged legs so that she wouldn’t miss the moment. Finally someone to take over after from us after our many trips to the registrar’s who insisted in talking in Marathi. Noone told us that there were agents to do all this. To be pa in law and mama in law taking over. Their Marathi honed by Mumbai and working in banks. Mad rush when our names were called. Crowded room full of strangers. Even though we hadn’t invited anyone. The family managed to nudge in. Mamma got a seat. The registrar said something and gave the couple scraps of paper to read from. “Aab sab log taali bajao”, he said. No, “now you can kiss the bride”. Super fantastic dry fruits got by Jamshed Uncle. He hadn’t forgotten. Call to the mom in Calcutta. “Yes, we are married”. Dad’s Pentax capturing the moments. Without a flah.
The wedding band consisting of eleven including two sub ten year olds and the new couple…lunch at Starters and More (now shut). Drive home. Stop at a Studio at Linking Road for wedding photographs. Home. Entering after Parsi mom in law broke eggs at the door. She didn’t throw them at the groom but did earnestly tell the groom to give her daughter 5 almonds and a glass of milk for breakfast everyday. Mashi doing the Bengali thing on behalf of Granny in Calcutta.
Solitude. Exhausted slumber. Making omelette for the new wife who was hungry. The first of many meals. Drive back to Gallops to for dinner. Carefully preplanned menu which I felt too nauseous to eat. The wedding party reduced to nine with Mamma running out energy. Mama looking after her. Home. Deep slumber before the flight to Calcutta the next day…hopping across two cities in pre low cost airline days… how time flies
