The Rejection

14

The final day of the wedding came for which Sam and Sia were eagerly waiting. The wedding place was chosen by Sam, he did not want a destination wedding; not to save money but he did not want a place where they had no memories of their love life and journey. Instead, He chose a place where Sia’s parents got married and how she always loved that place and would always talk about that place. Plus it would make great memory nostalgia about that place to Sia’s parents. It was an open ground wedding place. The place was beautifully decorated the way Sia had planned it for years. The entrance of the wedding Mandap was very unique, it had a ceiling filled with colorful umbrellas and the umbrellas were tangled upside down, open and the handle was decorated with colorful threads. The family photos and guest’s photos were tangled in between umbrellas. The entrance wall- it was created as a memory wall. On that wall relatives, guests, and friends could write their message or blessings on the wall for the groom and bride. The aisle had rose petals filled in a glass bowl with water and scents. Little lamps were placed on the carpet which was showing different shadows of different shapes. Sameer and Sia’s one photo of their college was placed at the entrance, the photo they took on the last day of their college, and it was lighted with a colorful series of small lamps. The entrance was decorated in a way that all were standing, spending their time there and clicking photos with such a decorated place. The guests were writing their messages and blessings on the wall. Some friends and cousins were writing funny stories about them to tease them. When Ronith entered near the wall he did not know what to write and how to express his feelings or blessings for them. He actually did not want to write anything but Sia had instructed him to write something so he could not go away with it. He could not manage to express his true feelings with words so he chose to sarcastic and he wrote, “People will be jealous of you as you are the cutest couple in the world but to me, you are a funny one. Marriage is all about compromises and communications and I know Sia will be constantly communicating and Sam will be doing all the compromise. In the end, you both will be happy and I will be so happy to see you happy. Happy wedding to the couple who cannot be happy without each other.” He did not write his name, and did not disclose who actually had written it he knew that Sam would guess it, that it would be Ronith only. The wall was getting full of blessings and they the wedding planner had to arrange a fake tree with fake branches and small leaves tangling on that tree, the leaves were made up of papers so one could write their blessings on it. 

Little bottles were placed on the table and one could spin them and the bottles were ending at the different props, wherever the bottle would end, one could take photos with that particular prop. Some were waiting in line to spin the bottle; some were waiting in line to use the particular prop they had been assigned to by bottle. Unique and funny props were placed so everyone was having fun and some were embarrassed to use props that were not suiting them but they had to, as a part of a little game. Some married people had to use the prop stating they were single and had attended a wedding to find a perfect one. Sam and Sia had decided that on the wedding day they would only see each other at the time of the wedding and not from the beginning of the day itself. So Ronith helped them and made sure that they were not meeting intentionally or unintentionally when they had arrived at the venue. They wanted to follow the traditions and could wait for some more hours before seeing each other. Though Sia kept checking on Sam through messages that if he had gotten ready or not if he wanted anything and if he had Ronith by his side for everything. Sia knew Sam had no one but only Ronith so she kept checking up on him till the wedding time had arrived. 

Photographer was requested by all the guests, and no one wanted to be left out from the photo. The Mandap and other decorations were done by the wedding planner and it was simple yet elegant. On the right side of the entrance, some activities and games were arranged for the entertainment purposes of guests. One potter was also there, who was teaching guests how to make the pot and he was giving them gifts of the pot, which one had made. Aakriti also went there and learned how to pot. While everyone was going to the potter to just click pics so later they could post it on social media. But Aakriit was not one of them and she actually wanted to learn how to pot. When she was learning how to do pot, Ronith was just there to make sure everything was okay. He saw her making pot and her dirty hands but it was still attractive and Ronith wanted to learn the pot too. But it would be inappropriate of him to go there when Aakriti was already there. Aakriti made pot with difficulty and the potter gifted him the pot she made. There were darts and boards, vintage cycles were there and one could decorate them with flowers, wooden boxes were placed so one could paint them. When weddings would be going on they did not want their guests to feel bored. Indeed, it was an arrangement for guests which they were going to enjoy and would talk about it for years. Sam had his own little guests and for those kids, arrangements for those kids were made too. Games like Jenga, musical chair, sack race, and cornhole were there.  Kids were more subtle than adults and were playing peacefully and did not make any complaints about arrangements or about games, they did not even feel bad if they could not get the chair in a musical chair and were convincing themselves that on the next game they could win easily. 

In Mandap and at other places, the Ceiling was decorated with spilling net curtains, which were supported by artificial flowers, and on the wall backside of Mandap, candles were garlanded which were scented too. At the center of the stage, two wedding chairs were settled up for the bride and groom.  Lotus Shaped stage was beautifully decorated with flowers and amidst those sparklers, the bride and groom were supposed to walk on the aisle after completing all the traditional rituals of marriage. All guests were seated at their assigned table, list of seating arrangements was made priorly by the wedding planner. Everyone was appreciating the décor of the venue and some were just waiting for the catering to be started. Some were complaining about how they missed their chance of getting a welcome drink and how the waiter had not still brought them their welcome drink even after asking for three-four times. Chattering was constantly going on amongst guests about how costly that place might be, about how the bride and groom should have chosen destination wedding rather than that place. Some were complaining about the cold temperature and were suggesting that instead of that, the wedding place should be a banquet hall. Children were running across the ground and were not ready to listen to any wedding planner to not mess with chairs and decoration. Some teenagers were bored to attend a wedding at their parent's force and were just busy checking their mobile phones. Some friends of Sia were asking and begging the photographer to click them and to suggest them about different poses. Some youngsters were checking out to each other and were finding if they could find one for themselves to marry them, a wedding is the best place to find people. 

Amidst everything, each and everyone just shut up as they got to know that bride was about to come. Everyone left the things they were doing and set their ears and eyes to look at the bride, some were ready with their mobile phones to click her. The videographer made his way through from the back to the front as he had to cover the whole entry of the bride. All eyes were ready to see her, those who knew and loved her were waiting to appraise her beauty, and those who did not know and were just attending the wedding for the sake of attending, were waiting to see how much makeup she had put on, and was her hairstyle ok or not, if she had gotten dark stains of Mehandi or not, and was her eye makeup too much. 

At last, the bride made an entry; Sia came in a vintage car with her brother and her maid of honor and with Aakriti of course. Her brother and cousins had made an umbrella for her which was covered with white and pink roses and helped her walk down till Mandap under that umbrella. Sia had everyone’s attention on her as she walked down till Mandap.  She was wearing red choli; a dark red blouse with a dark red lehenga and was covered with a scarf of the choli. She had put on HD makeup and was looking very decent in that makeup. She refused to wear all the expensive gold earrings and she had put on white jhumkas which was a gift from Sam for her first birthday after they got together. Her dark lips were covered with peach nude lipstick. The innocence of her eyes was taken over by eye shadow and mascara. Her bright skin was glowing even more after Haldi. The big nose pin was supported by her back of the ear through a golden chain.  Her neck was decorated with a tight off white pearl necklace. She had a twisted braided bun with original red flowers which were showing off her newly highlighted hair. Golden bangles were arranged in between her red bangles. Those bangles were looking even more beautiful as they were worn on the darker Mehandi color of her hands. Bangles were the only thing which was not of her choice to worn and rest everything was of her choice. She was wearing red sandals which were covering her newly manicured nails. Her anklets were making noise as her feet were walking one by one. She had already looked at herself in the mirror first time while putting on her jhumkas so after getting completely ready she was not able to look again herself in the mirror as her mother told her it would be a bad omen. Because of her mother’s believes she had to put a sharp knife with her to protect herself from any harm. She reached to the Mandap; her maid of honor was adjusting her lehenga as it got uneven while climbing on stairs. She stood on one side of the stage and her eyes were fighting with each other in order to win who would see Sameer first. Little did she know one wall of leaves was made on the white shawl which was placed to divide the stage into two parts so that Sia and Sameer had to wait for more to see each other. After she got on stage and to Mandap that shawl was brought up on the stage and her friends and cousins were holding that up.

Everyone was calm to see a bride and then were waiting for the groom to arrive. Sameer made an entrance on a chariot, which was driven by his best man, Ronith. He was wearing Maroon velvet sherwani which was Sia’s choice of course. He had creamy color bottom tight pants. He was carrying a sword which had a golden handle and was inside a red cloth. He had white traditional shoes put on, which was the shoe code of his friends too. He and all his friends were wearing the same kind of shoes so when asked to take off, no one would try to steal it as it was all looking the same and no one would be able to distinguish which groom’s shoe was.? He was looking elegant. He had watched on his wrist which was gifted to him by Sia. He did not need any makeup but his cheeks were already pink as he was blushing to know that Sia was waiting for him at Mandap. 

They both had their engagement rings on, which was engraved with each other’s name on it. The focus of the camera and videographer’s lights was making that ring shine even brighter. Sam was smiling as he was walking down till Mandap. His sister in-laws and Sia’s friends were waiting for him at the Mandap, as they were ready to steal his shoes. Looking at them, Ronith was laughing along with Sam’s other friends, that how they were about to make full of those girls, as they did not know all shoes were same.  Sam too reached the Mandap. He removed his shoes outside before entering inside. Bridesmaid and his sisters-in-law were upset to know that they would not be able to earn anything from the so-called old tradition of stealing shoes. After getting on stage, he was shivering a little bit as he was nervous; he did not know how to react when he would Sia in a wedding dress. After completing some shlokas when cousin of Sia was asked to remove the shawl, so that bride and groom could see each other. Sam was struck by the beauty of his bride. Everything was blurred, but only Sia was focused on his lens of eyes. Sia too was blushing and her beauty was multiplied by her smile and pink cheeks. Sam got overwhelmed by looking at her on that day; he could posturize Sia when he first saw her in the classroom. By looking at her he knew, he had someone who was going to be with him throughout his lifetime and he had someone who he was ever going to need to stand with him. Falling in love with Sia was never falling for him. Sam did know he had never family, but Sia was his home. He got tears in his eyes as he was blessed that day and did not have to complain to god, about why he never got love and why he was left in an orphanage by his birth parents. Sia was his blessing. Sia too got tears in her eyes as she saw Sam. She knew she had someone for life, whom she could rely completely upon, someone who whose chose her above all, someone who would protect her and make her feel safe even if he would not be present all the time. Sia was looking the way exactly Sam had imagined. He already had seen her in his heart and mind before he was actually seeing her in front of her. 

Both were lost in each other for a moment and their own journey from college to engagement to the wedding was flashing in their eyes. They could not take their eyes off each other. But they had, to complete the whole wedding process. They were interrupted as Ronith hit his elbow on Sam’s chest to tease him. Sam smirked and was brought back in reality. Sia’s parents were asked to sit away from the bride and groom till garlands were exchanged, as weddings are supposed to be painful event for parents as had to see their own daughter becoming someone else’s daughter. Sam and Sia, both of them put on garlands on each other’s neck. Thick orchids and red roses were embedded in garland. Sia’s neck got even heavier with garland and from the necklace she was wearing. Her braided hair bun got misplaced by garland and Sam helped her to put it back where it originally was. Sia’s parents joined in the wedding and were very happy looking at them. The bride and groom sat on chairs which were set in the middle of a lotus-shaped stage. Rest shlokas were being chanted on. Saptapadi-Seven steps were about to taken by them alongside the fire. Sia remembered being questioned by Sam one day, “Do you know why there are seven rounds in presence of fire during the wedding?” The answer to that question was, “Circle consists of 360 degree and seven is the only number which is not divided by 360; between one to ten, so seven rounds represent that no one would be ever able to divide groom and bride.”  Sia’s scarf and Sam’s scarf were knotted as they had to take seven steps together. Sam took Sia’s hand in his hand and led for the first four rounds and then Sia took a lead and finished the rest three rounds. After every round, they were praying to god if there is any other next life they wanted to be off each other’s. After Saptapadi, they both were asked to sit down near the fire, Sam put on wedding chain on Sia’s neck. After all, traditions were almost completed, they both were permitted to throw rice at each other. Sia had prepared huge silver dish to throw at him. Sam too was ready to throw rice on her. Videographer recorded the whole tradition in slow motion and in black and white effect. Rice is thrown on wedding as they supposed to bring prosperity and good luck and for best wishes but there they were just enjoying the tradition for sake of enjoying. Photographer snatched both of them as soon as all the traditions got completed and asked them to give different poses and suggested them to use different props. Sia was eager to click selfies with her groom.  Even bridesmaid and their friends wanted to click selfies with the bride and groom. 

Catering was started and people had rushed towards it, they were queuing in to start off their meal. People were complaining about how rushed the place was near their favorite food stall. Amidst of special guests had arrived, those special guests were none other but the children of the orphanage, in which Sam had grown up. All children were so happy to be invited to such a wedding. They were about to have delicious dinner and items mostly those items which they had never eaten before. They were excited yet were in discipline and did not break any queues and were quietly waiting for their turn. Some younger boys of that orphanage came to Sam and Sia and congratulate them and were thanking them to invite them. People who were complaining before about their turn strangely became genuine and let those kids go first for food and waited for their own turn a little longer. It was such an overwhelmed picture, as kids were enjoying their feast and the look on their faces was such a wonder of the universe. Sam and Ronith were looking at those children and remembered their own childhood. As when were kids, all they wanted to do once in a lifetime was to be able to enjoy a feast which they had seen in “Harry Potter” movies. Since that day they had decided whenever they would get married they would make that dream come true of each and every child of that orphanage. Sia was feeling proud and was looking at Sam proudly. She once again knew she had chosen Sam for a reason. Photographer released them from his custody and they went to all their elderly and their parents to bow down to them and to take blessings from them.  Everyone was complimenting Sia for her looks and was appreciating Sam for inviting those Kids. Sam was constantly telling all it was no big deal and did not want to be a hero by doing something like that. Sia’s parents gave them a blessing and asked Sam to take care of Sia from then onwards. They knew there was no need of saying those words to him as he was going to do anyway. Sia’s cousins were teasing him that he had gotten into a big problems after marrying her. Sam told them he had a face and overcome many problems and in front of that, Sia was nothing. Sam and Sia had completely forgotten about Aakriti and why would not they? It was their day and they were allowed to forget anything but each other.