The Wedding

Weddings are a festive time. The time in one’s life where all the attention is focused on the bride and the groom; they are the center of attraction for that period. I had the fortune of attending a very different monsoon wedding in the picturesque place of Kerala and it was nothing like one would imagine it to be.

The groom, Ravi, was my college friend and from the time I knew him he was always very timid and shy of the world around him. A brilliant mathematician who worked with a well known bank but when it came to socializing he would wet himself before he could muster a word to any person.

The bride was the opposite, an outspoken and bold Bengali, Ananya. She worked with the same bank that Ravi worked in. Seemingly, they started dating a year ago and were captured by each others personalities! I had never met her before the wedding but was amazed at the scenes that were to unfold during the wedding.

Ravi, being the only child to his parents, wanted the wedding to take place in Kerala (their hometown) and asked the girls side to make it there. The inter-caste, inter state marriage was all accepted without any bollywood drama and the dates were set well in time for all to attend it with comfort.

The day before the wedding we (four friends) came to Ravi’s house where we friends were greeted to a traditional keralite family who were not prone to loud music and alcohol in their celebrations. The sound of the flute and drums were heard along with the loud and voracious noises of the women in the place.

We had already decided with Ravi that no matter what his family thinks we needed to have some alcohol to party out and have fun thus celebrating his last night as a bachelor. He had accordingly made arrangements and had kept us locked on his terrace where we could have the fun and frolic at his expense. Of course, the night went out like any other night in which we normally get drunk but the main scene was coming the next day.

The wedding was scheduled in a temple near his residence at 9 am. We had to be at the venue by 0830 am, since we were staying at his residence, we were literally dragged with the whole bandwagon and made to reach the temple on time. The girls side were to arrive at 9 and the procession was to start by then.

The girl’s side did arrive on time and there was some delay in them reaching the mandap. Apparently, they had a wilder night than the boy’s side and some of the girls and the bride included were going through a bad hangover while some were still in the drunken state. They were all being dragged out of the cars in which their arrived and the older women in the family were making weird noises (apparently speaking in Bengali).

Ravi’s mother was terrified at what she was seeing and wondered for a brief moment if this was the perfect bride for her son. There was mayhem and hysteria in the boys side for the next few minutes. Ananya finally managed to make it to the mandap and take the ferras as directed. Next she was to say the vows in Malayalam and repeat what the pandit was saying, to fulfill the traditions.  Instead, she burst out saying, “What is this baldy speaking about yaar?” We were enjoying the scene that kept unfolding and having the time of our lives but Ravi’s parents were gritting their teeth and holding back all they had until they had the right opportunity to get back.

What followed in the remaining wedding process remained an inspiration to all of us. Ananya went on to puke in the temple and then ask for another peg from the pandit. Ravi had no clue whether to scold her or run away from there. The poor guy stood and held her with all his strength to finish the traditions and be gone from there.

The time for the ceremonies lasted for about 45 minutes, it lasted longer than usual thanks to the intervals and breaks in the ceremonies. As soon as it was over, she threw her garland in the air and asked the other spinster girls to catch it (an amalgamation from the western weddings). Unfortunately, the garland didn’t go too far as she threw it up in the air and it got stuck on the ceiling. Ravi now looking clearly embarrassed with the occurrences whisked her away and took her to the hotel to get her changed and fresh for the reception and lunch that followed. A few of us tagged along to help him and the other girls in getting ready.

It took a while before Ananya realized what she had done and by that time it was time to go for the reception, she was left with a bad hangover and droopy eyes. She made it through the whole ceremony of thanking people and smiling constantly at the camera. We were enlisted to keep water and an empty bucket ready just incase she wanted to have a go at emptying her bowels the wrong way again.

The wedding ended with Ananya having a small bite and then dozing off in the wedding car with Ravi greeting others and thanking their presence to the wedding. It was a wedding like never before and never seen, I still cannot stop giggling when I think about the events that took place on that eventful wet September morning. We still look at the pictures and watch the wedding movie to have a good laugh when we need it.

I am not sure there will be partying before the wedding day at any other weddings of Ravi and Ananya’s families. This wedding left all of us drunk with the memories of a beautiful day that was made much more eventful owing to the bride to be!!!