Ram

Can someone please tell me why everyone applies this yellow paste before marriage? My all 6 kiddish brothers and sisters will drench me in the shower of it.

I thought and made my way towards the garden where everyone was waiting for me. I was only in my dhoti and the sun locket dad gifted me making my upper body shine by the sun's rays.

Pitamahi Kunthi smiled at me and made me sit on a seat and made Abhi sit along with me. He's the groomsman for this wedding.

First Maharaj Dhritarashtr followed by maatha gandhari applied to me. Everyone followed them. Then came the turn of the kids. I gasped when Divya took a handful of it and was about to come towards me.

I got up and hid behind maatha Draupadi who giggled at my state. I was still angry at them. I huffed in anger when Maatha Draupadi ditched me and let Divya paint me with haldi. It even went in my mouth.

Dad came forward and started cleaning it from my eyes with his uttariya. I held his shoulder in support and let him clean my eyes. They are burning. Gosh! Still 5 more left. God save me.... 🥺

Subhadra: Arey kids. Leave some for the bride too. She will have to apply the remaining haldi that the groom had used. (She said making me sigh in relief.)

All the kids didn't even consider leaving Haldi and painted my whole body with the yellow paste. Only Mirchi powder is left. Then I'll look successfully like a marinated chicken.

On the other side the bride is being sat down in a yellow skirt like thing wrapped till her chest.



Like this... Ignore the background and the old lady...

She was whining and telling the ladies around her to stop washing her like clothes. Which they royally ignored. Her mother especially Maatha Draupadi was on a mode of teasing the bride about how she is looking like a yellow doll.



The mangala snanam was over. (If you don't know about this mangala snanam thingy. Just know that this is the first ritual before the bride officially becomes one. It is simply a bath given by all the ladies of both the bride and groom's families with water mixed with rose petals and flowers. The above picture is a glimpse of it. Ignore the face and the saree.)

After the mangala snanam bride got ready for the mehandi while all the gents went to rest as the mehandi is all about lady's thingy.

Next morning-

The palace of Hastinapur is beaming with decorations and people's giggles.

In Ram's chamber-

Ram

I was in my chamber standing in front of the mirror after successfully embarrassing myself when I was being bathed with milk and some anointing oil early morning.

Dad laughed out loud when my dhoti was about to slip at the time of bath. That embarrassing thing didn't leave my mind. Gosh! All the ladies were there as well. But they didn't laugh. Instead, Pitamahi Kunthi twisted Dad's ear for laughing. Yes, he deserved that.

Divya, Lucky and Abhi this trio didn't leave my side from the morning. They are annoying duh! I wore the dhoti specially made for my wedding with grand work on it and came out of the bathing chamber. All the kids stood up and started getting me ready.

Ram: Where are the ladies guys? (I asked confused as a few minutes back both Divya and Lucky were there and I even heard Gauri and Nithya's voices as well when I was changing.)

Abhi: They went to get the bride ready Bhai. (He said giving me a mischievous smile making me raise my eyebrow at him.)

Ram: Stop smiling like a wizard and get lost. (I said smacking his head when he said.)

Abhi: Any last words as a bachelor Bhai? You are going to be married soon. (He asked making me frown.)

Ram: I didn't even agree to this wedding and you expect me to participate in every ritual like I was wanting this from my whole life. (I said setting my hair when Abhi said.)

Abhi: I dare you to say the same thing in front of the bride. Then I'll believe you truly don't want this wedding. (He said finally setting my uttariya.)

I was about to retort back when Dad and pitamahi entered along with all the kulvadhus of kuru vansh.

They made me sit and apply the kalyan tilakam and basikam.



(The kalyan tilakam is tilak as shown in the picture and Baasikam is the thing wrapped around the head like in the picture.)

I just let them do whatever they want to and relaxed myself on the stool.

After a few minutes, all the ladies stood up and made the gesture of 'Nazar na lage' and took me towards the mandap which was outside the palace among the people. I suggested this idea. The grand mandap stood royally among the people who cheered when they saw me, their elder prince in a grand wedding outfit.

I smiled at their affection and silently sat on the asan before the fire. The pandit started reading the chants while giving offerings to the fire. It continued for half an hour and then the bride was called. I didn't dare to look at her but my heart won over the argument and I finally turned my gaze towards the lady.



She gracefully walked along with the Dwarka royals and other kingdom's royals as well. I got confused as to whose kingdom she belonged to. And the blood red coloured veil is not helping the situation. Who's she?

My thoughts broke when she sat down and a white cloth was wrapped in between us. It's time for the ritual named 'jeelakarra bellam'

(This ritual is where both bride and groom take a beetal leaf attached with the mixture of jaggery and cumin seeds and put it on each other's head over the white cloth wrapped in between them.)

Soon after I put the beetal leaf on her head and her on mine the cloth was removed. I bit my lips in nervousness as I felt some type of happiness when her hand was on my hair. It felt right at that moment. My eyes travelled to her face her veil removed a long back.

I looked at her open-mouthed. The lady is sitting in all her glory whom I worshipped with every cell in my body exactly 8 months back. Am I dreaming?

I was staring at her stunned when the pandit told us to remove the hands but I didn't hear him.

Abhi : Bhabhi ko vivaah ke pashchaat jitna chahe utna ghooriyega. Ab keliye vivaah karne dijiye panditji ko. (After marriage gaze at Bhabhi as much as you want Bhai. For now, let the priest complete the wedding.)(He said teasingly making my face red. My hand went to my nape in embarrassment.)

I removed my hand from her head and looked towards Pandit while the people around me laughed at my antics. She laughed too. Gosh everyone including the people of hastinapur. Mother Earth swallow me. I didn't even face this much embarrassment even after singing like a crow in my bathroom.

The rituals went on. After completing the seven rounds around the sacred fire while holding each other's pinky 4 with the bride following the groom and 3 with the groom following the bride we sat back down.

My eyes turned towards her automatically. She was rubbing her belly means she's hungry. What should I do? There are still rituals left to complete.

My thoughts broke when I was told to tie the mangal sutra in her neck.

(Mangalsutra is a holy thread dipped in turmeric paste attached to a golden locket and beads tied in a bride's neck by the groom indicating their union of souls.)

I tied it carefully not wanting it to be too tight that could hurt her sensitive skin while Gauri held her hair up helping me tie it.

Kanyadan was being done by my father-in-law Krishna to my father Karn. And now it's time for the groom's mother to help the bride wear the toe rings.

Everyone's face paled at the mention of my mother. Maatha Draupadi was about to move forward when I gestured for her not to and said.

Ram : Koyi baath nahi Maatha. Main hun na. (No worries Maatha. I'm there na.)(I said and took the rings from Dad's hand and bent down to make her wear them.)

She shook her head at the beginning as it was not good for a husband to touch his wife's feet. But I didn't let anyone's decision alter my stubbornness and made her wear the toe rings myself.

The commoners of hastinapur started hailing my name at my respectful gesture.

The Dwarka royals smiled at the gesture followed by my family as well.

And the time came when the groom fills the hair partition of the bride with kumkum.

I was filling her partition carefully not wanting it to fall in her eyes when a huge amount fell on her nose to which she scrunched her nose.

Nithya: Wah! Bhabhi Bhai loves you so much. See the amount of kumkum that fell on your nose. (She said making everyone agree.)

Gauri: Ye keval shuruvaath hain. Aur bhi jyaada rituals hain jisse hame patha chalegi kitna pyaar kartha hain Bhai apni biwi se. (This is just beginning. You will know how much Love does Bhai had for his wife in further rituals.)(She said nudging Anu while saying this.)

I gave her a mocking glare when I saw her blush. Only I have the right to make her blush kiddo.

After the completion of the remaining rituals, the newly married couple stood up to take blessings from the elders.

Finally, rest time. I sat down but suddenly remembered Anu was hungry.

My subconscious screamed at me in a teasing way " Anu haan, someone thought of not letting the same girl meddle in his already messed up life. "

I shrugged it off and signalled Abhi to come over. I couldn't go as the knot of my utthraiya and her pallu was still there.

Ram: Abhi bring a sweet for your bhabhi. She's hungry. (I whispered in his ear to which he smirked but nodded afterwards.)

He bought it after a few minutes along with some chilled water for me. Huh, I love him. How does he know what I need?

He gave the bowl with laddoos to Anu and the water to me.

I gulped the fresh cool water and was about to take another sip when she started coughing loudly. I panicked and started patting her back.

I forwarded my hand towards her mouth to let her drink the water while my lips muttered.

Ram : kitni baar kaha hain tumhe. Tumhari khana koyi nahi cheenne wali nahi. Dyaan se Aru. (How many times should I tell you? Nobody would snatch your food away. Be careful Aru.)(I bit my tongue in the realization of what I uttered.)

I saw Dwarka elders looking at me agape.

Ram: Sorry. (I said and went away from there as the knot was already removed by maatha Draupadi.)

. . . . . . That's it guys.... I worked at least two hours to write this chapter. Do tell me how's it. And it's written in somewhat southern culture of India. So don't think the rituals are quite different.

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Tata... 😁😁