The Rituals Of Marriage

“No, no, no. I won't do this. I will complete your wish after we get married. Just wait for 3 days. After that...”, Seema refused me directly. We were on phone call. I cannot resist myself to listen her sweet voice. My ears get relaxed when it hears her. She makes me stress free. I am so lucky to have her as my better-half.

“After that?” I asked without wasting a second.

“After that your desire will be completed,” she added.

“It’s three days, dear. I cannot wait for three days,” I insisted to approve my request.

“We shouldn't do this before marriage. Once Pandit ji announces us spouse of one another, then I am all yours,” she spoke slowly.

“Pandit ji...," as I heard the word Pandit ji, an idea started revolving in my mind and I enquired about Pandit ji. “Can you tell me the name of the Pandit ji and where could I meet him?”

She got surprised and released question immediately, “Why? What will you do?”

In reaction, I replied her, “I am not going to answer you.”

And then she added, “And without knowing the reason, I am also not going to answer you.” On hearing this statement, the first meeting of ours started flashing into my mind, when she refused to plant without knowing the reason why I gave her a plant for free to plant in her locality in “One Person One Plant” campaign organised by me.

“It is very confidential, try to understand.”

“Ok. Harikant Jha. 3rd floor, 24/77, block 10, Punjabi bagh, New delhi.”

“Thank you, jungli billi.”

“Now, I am going. Mom is calling me. Ok bye.”

“Hmm... Mom can call you for only three days. After that..”

“ Bye, love you, Ullu.”

“Love you too, Allu. Bye.”

Time kept going on too slow for three days and then finally I won the battle with time to arrive the day when I was going to tie the knot with her. We were in wedding hall. She was sitting beside me. I could feel the every instances of getting her into my life. Everything was going smoothly.

Suddenly, someone spoke loudly, “Where the hell the Pandit ji is? Time is escaping.”

My future mother-in-law passed her order pointing at her son, “Go to Pandit's house and fetch...”

As she did not complete her command, I interrupted her, “ He won't come. I fobbed him off from coming here.”

Silence flooded through into the hall. Everyone started staring at me like I was an alien. My father was stepping towards me with his clenched fist. Seema got shocked and confused.

“This was the reason to meet him?” said Seema frustratedly, “If you didn't want to marry me, you should have talked to me instead of this shitty step.”

“I have brought my Pandit ji. I want that our marriage would be unique,” I cleared her negative thought.

She started glaring into my eyes as she wanted to ask where the Pandit is. I unpacked one of the boxes kept beside me and withdraw two baby plant.

“What do you want to prove? Have you gone mad?” dad shouted at me in an uncontrolled manner in front of all the guests.

I said slowly, “I am not mad. We need plants more than Pandit.”