Its Wedding time!

"You know Piku bhaiyya I am thinking of joining a gym, cos my stomach has bulged out too much", said our neighbor's big fat son. At that instant, a roasted chicken leg laid seige in his strong hands, waiting to be devoured by the ravishing monster.

After a long time I am writing something and that too on a different topic. From the end of december 2009 towards this time, that is, mid-february, 2010, I have been to about half a dozen marriages. This is too much for me, considering my alergies towards social functions. Tonight itself I had been to one, and suddenly the thought of writing something struck me when I was biting a mouthful from a big piece of chicken tandoori.

So here I am, trying to pen down my stint. Indian wedding is a perfect blend of serious rituals and customs along with other fun filled rituals and frothy moments. Wedding marks the beginning of a new relationship not just between two individuals but also between two families and thus, there are various moments in the wedding ceremonies that help to build new relationships.

These "good things" would never end. So I am converging down to my experiences. There are a lot of things I don't like in the wedding ceremonies. Given the kind of brat I am, I don't like such huge gatherings personally. With due apologies to whoever it may concern, I think that long three to four hour weddings are so boring and torturous. It's quite difficult to remember so many people, and on your reception day you have to meet a thousand families, shake hands with them and answer those idiotic questions for about a million times.

The wedding week makes almost everyone happy, but the brother of the bride is the most hit in this social attack. He does all the arrangements beforehand, double checks them, and what does he get? Hours of standing and greeting the guests near the gate. A watchman wearing Calvin Klein suit and a classic Rolex watch, or for that matter our own desi Titan. God save the brothers of the brides.

Once I saw a girl that was standing away from the crowd, talking with someone on the mobile. For the sheer excitement of it, I overheard her talk. "Hi, jaanu. So, didn't you go to your friends' place? This ain't good yaar, I had told na, I would be off for a wedding today.." "Haan mausi, aa rahi hoon.." "See jaanu, I am right in the middle of the wedding now, and I can't talk to you.." "Kya mausi aap bhi na!" "Jaanu, you know na kitna I love you? I am thinking of our own wedding now. Do something quick na, else I would be doing these phere with someone else, you wouldn't like it na?" "Ok I am hanging up now.. amm.. Can I ask one thing? Say you love me na.. Sacchi?" That was it. I had to wave off then. My brain cells had swollen like red tomatoes and they would have burst anytime without notice.

In another ritual, I saw the groom being frantically carried into the scene by the bride's brothers. He was a tad fat, with glowing cheeks. It seemed that he didn't understand a bit what was going on, and his wry laughter gave off the dead nervousness that was daunting him. The next thing that came to my mind was grooms being thrown into the mandap from an old medieval time's cannon. I said to myself, This is only the beginning, beta.

Not every thing in a wedding is not likable. There are some remarkable things too. Once, the entry to the hall was so intricately decorated, it felt like one of those mediterranean days on the banks of a small river alongside a cosy english county home. The pillars of the mandap itself were designed like the Saint Valentine's love arc, with flowers and baloons, which looked so sweet and romantic.

India is all about color. From the bead and sequin markets to the brightly painted trucks on the streets, it's absolutely everywhere you look. Actually, it's pure sensory overload in the best way possible. This is surely reflected in all aspects of a wedding.

The best thing I find in all these weddings is the food. For one thing, you get it free(you got to gift something to the pair anyways), and for another, there's no limit to it. There are a dozen or so starters, scores of items including veg and non-veg, and then there's sweets and ice-cream. It's kind of heaven for me(you should know that I am a foodaholic).

There are a lotta more things but I got bored so I had to stop. I agree to the fact that weddings are once in a lifetime(forget those few instances of forceful remarriages) and they mark the start of an even bigger relation, and one should actively take part in them. I bet, Indian weddings would charm away your mind in some way or the other.