The wedding rituals culminated in the wee hours of the morning, as Anisha sat, decked up in her red Benarasee saree, awaiting the future set of events to unfold. Everyone around her seemed to hustle among the chores, aplenty, that remained to be winded up, before the final departure. The hall still smelt of tuberoses and jasmine, which were leftovers from the night before, a testament to the nuptials and celebrations.
At the other end of the hall, Anisha saw her husband, Parth, talking animatedly to the cab driver while he tried to negotiate a deal for their onward journey, which would commence shortly. November had carried with it a nip in the air, as Anisha reached out for her shawl: a gift from her grandma. And with this, her heart was gripped in melancholic nostalgia. Her eager eyes searched for her mom and dad among the crowd of strangers from her in-law’s side.
Soon, it was time for the ‘Bidaai’ ceremony, which would mark the new bride’s farewell from her parent’s abode. It was a Bengali wedding, and the rituals were performed in accordance with the tradition. As was customary, in the end, the bride was supposed to throw a handful of rice grains behind her, without looking back, which would be gathered by the bride’s mother—indicating that the newbie bride had paid her dues to her parents and didn’t owe them anything now. This ritual pricked through Anisha’s sensitive heart, while she bled silently, “Can I hug you once mom!”
As she got into the car, her dad rushed to hold his daughter’s hand, “One last time before the Bidaai”, while tears streamed down her kohl lined eyes, leaving dark trails on her blushing cheeks. The groom, Parth, now entered the car, as they started for their five hour journey from Delhi to Jaipur.
Theirs was an arranged marriage, and for the very first time, Parth held Anisha close as he tightly gripped her delicate hand, saying “I am with you.” Anisha found her loneliness melt away as Parth started an engaging conversation with her, which kept her busy on the Delhi-Jaipur highway. She bid adieu to her birthplace, Delhi, with a heavy heart, but now she found herself on the threshold of a new dream, with her companion in tow!
The journey stretched till twilight, and on the way, Parth chatted with his bride, narrating funny anecdotes of Jaipur from his childhood days. Anisha was amused by this light hearted conversation, and soon felt at ease with her partner. She loved the twinkle in his eyes, which made him even more endearing to her.
Anisha’s heart throbbed with excitement as they neared their destination, leaving the highway behind. The ‘Pink City’ welcomed her with open arms, but Anisha forged a new connection with the ‘Highway’ that bridged the gap between her childhood home and her marital abode. The journey, laden with sweet memories, was one to be cherished forever!