Around the Indian wedding in one night

@4 am morning- I was multitasking.

Trying to wake up my drunk cousin reminding her university exam this morning.

Trying to convince the shook-up groom and sobbing bride i.e. my another cousin (to be wedded in the next 18 hours) to let the matter go and not to have second thoughts on each other’s ‘love’ just one night away from the wedding.

Trying to pull a charged-up guy down from the roof top railing  and stop him from shouting my name while our whole family line was about to wake up, just beneath the roof.

10 hours ago-

I was climbing the stairs with my heavy bag. Sounds of dhol thumping my ears. I wanted to throw the bag and start dancing to the beats right away. on reaching the hall, My eyes met big gathering of senior ladies who had apparently no idea how fast did i grow up. Continuous 2 hours i was inquired on all-well-being and pulled from cheeks after which i started feeling unwell a little.

Thankfully, there entered my cousin ( bride’s sister) in all desi flashy Pink lehnga. An unusual sight of a DU chic on any other day. She borrowed me from the crowd on the pretext of decoration preparations. First few words from my heart came out – “bloody idiot! where were you lying dead all this while! ” . “Shhhh..” all she said and silently dragged me to the roof top closing the door on our back carefully.

The scene was ‘quite’ different across the roof.

In one corner, a stage was set up. 3-4 guys were adjusting DJ, strobe lights hung from water tank. In other corner, a table with imported bottles of alcohol on it was being set up by the same servants who were serving aunties downstairs with laddoos-that’s where overseas cousins come into help. The bride, with neon horns, in a loose shirt turned around and hugged me. The gates were shut. Family line fell tight-slept on the other side of roof after all the preps for big morning had been done. They had no idea what’s going on the other side of the roof.

On a January night, in Delhi, on roof top with everyone wasted around; I, the only sober one in the crowd, was living the night.

Another cousin confessed that the guy who she came with to the wedding all the way from Singapore and introduced as her fiancé, she has no plans to marry with. I was struggling for the words when another cousin fell on me pleading – “Di, I will fail in exam tomorrow! Don’t forget to wake me up in a while!!” I ran downstairs, arranged a bed for her at the farthest possible corner from the mamis, mausis, and nanis. “phewww!!” I breathed out. Suddenly we all heard a shout.

It was my name.  I ran back to the roof at doubled the speed. There i saw a guy standing on the railing of the roof with a bottle in hand in the mid of night, in all filmy style, shouting my name with the prefix- ” I want to marry you” . My eyes popped out, throat ran dry. “Oh god, pull him down! he is creating a scene! he will die! I am gone! “. With nobody conscious around, I myself had to run to drag him down and plead him at the calmest of my voice to stop screaming. He was half way expressing his feelings that he supposedly hosted since high school when another drama started.

This time it was the the bride herself. Crying, hugging and lost in her best friend, a guy. I left the weeping soul near the railing and walked with the unbelieving eyes towards both of them, the bride and the BF (best friend).  The BF had proposed the bride and bride had confessed her liking then and there. Both were crying and i was standing there. Silent and stunned. Fighting in my mind for the appropriate course of action, I asked others to drag the BF out of here. Seeing the tragedy unfolded there, few of them came back to their senses at the lightening speed, beating the alcohol out.

Meanwhile, my cell rang. None other than groom it was. ” Oh Crap!!” somebody has called him to tell all the drama. He was waiting outside the house to have a word with bride. I pleaded him to go back and take a proper sleep before the most awaited night of his life. He was adamant. Bride was slapped into conscience, splashed with water and deodorant’ed by me.  In the middle of road, they argued for an hour.

back to 4 am morning- where I was multitasking.

I was loosing all the cool i ever possessed. I wanted to pack the bag back and leave in the mid of night. What will i answer tomorrow if asked anything!

The bride confessed her mistake and repeatedly professed her love for an hour. I described the scene a little differently to the groom in her favor. Somehow, he was convinced into not to rethink their alliance and left, albeit dumbfounded. I don’t blame him.

On the other side, the freshly aroused romeo was still waiting on the railing to finish his love-tale.

No body slept that night. Ah! Except the cousin who missed the exam next morning.

Next day, all the roof-night-riders appeared with red puffy eyes. Many exchanges of looks happened but no one spilt a word.

The wedding eventually happened- against my worst fears.

That was the most memorable, dramatic, tumultuous and crazy wedding of my life. But the end result is a sweet and amazing love my nutcase cousin and her husband share today.

I wish you luck against any such interesting Indian wedding. Happy wedding season! !