May 17 - Wedding Day

Current Tune: Tare Hain Baraati…Chandni hai yeh Baraat - Virasat

I was thinking previously that I was going to actually sit and document the two posts that I had lost describing the Sagan ceremony and the DJ Party. I am not just not feeling that creative energy at this point to go back and re-write those — maybe in the future.

So here we go and continuing on with now starting with the big day — May 17.

Morning of the 17th

After a fun filled evening the night before, you can believe that nobody went to sleep early. Nobody really needed to get up early either — well, except for Mumma and me. Yup, I had to wake up at 4 am, before sunrise, get all ready, and wear a new red and yellow sari. Then we had to do pooja after that, and then I went back to bed. Interesting isn’t it?

Of course I was tired, so it didn’t take me long to get back to sleep. I didn’t end up sleeping too long as it was my wedding day, and I was excited!!

The rest of the morning was busy as didis, masis, chachis, bhabhis, etc… were in and out of our room trying to see how they can help, what needs to be done, etc… The feeling that morning was amazing to think that today is our day, that day that Neeraj and I have waited five years to see, feel, and live. That day was finally here that we would be bonded together forever.

After breakfast and seeing everybody that morning, it was time to go to sleep — again. There was packing that was going on that Mumma was doing for me, but I spent the partial afternoon trying to fall asleep because everybody kept on saying its going to be a long night, and you need your sleep before you go to the beauty salon. So I was forced to sleep on the day that it was just not possible.

After maybe an hour or so, you could hear the loud chitter chattering going on in the room as everyone (mostly masis’, mausajis, etc..) was gathered around in our room. It was time for a refresh, change clothes, and get ready to go that wonderful place that I loved (yeah right:!: ) that is the beauty salon.

But nothing was going to get me down today because it is my day. We left for the salon around 5ish as it was going to take a few hours to get me ready. I was told that I didn’t need to be at the hotel until around 10.30ish that night because the baraat was going to be late.

I reached the salon, they took me the back, and then the festivities began to get me ready. There were about 8 other brides there that night getting ready for their big days. All of them had been there for a while, and a few were even ready when I got there. Most others were planning to leave around 8ish.

Everything was going well until it was time to get the chudiyan (bangles) on. Lata Didi had bought the pack of chudiyan that I was going to wear that matched my wedding lehenga. In our Punjabi weddings, the mama (mother’s brother) puts on a set of red and silver bangles, known as a chuda, on the bride. Sometimes it happens the morning of the wedding day and then they cover the bangles with a hankerchief and are unveiled that night before the pheres. Or like in our family, the chuda is put on immediately prior to the pheres. Because our pheres were going to start around 4 am, I needed chudiyan to wear between 10 pm - 4 am. So Lata Didi had gotten chudiyan that were my size to match my lehenga from Delhi. That night as the salon lady was getting me ready she began to put on those chudiyan. They were sliding on just fine until we got to the last four. For some reason, they did not want to slide on to my hand. She began to put moistrizer on my fingers, knuckles, everywhere, but nothing was working. She ended up pushing it onto my hand which also cut through some skin — so now had these huge cut marks on near my knuckles on my index finger, thumb, and near my pinky finger.

Same thing happened on my other hand, but why??? You will find out later, as the post continues.

I will have to say that the women at this beauty parlor, Shades, were awesome. On the most important day of my life they really made me feel like a queen. They did everything to make me look so beautiful, and I appreciated it. They were professionals in every single way, and I was very happy that we chose them to do it on this day. I was the last bride to leave that night, as Pooja Didi, Bobby Jiju, and Ajay Jiju were suppose to pick me up at 10, but were late. The salon closed at 9.30 or around there, and they even turned off some of the lights. The owner of the salon was there waiting with me, along with a few of the guys that worked there.

Finally Pooja Didi walked in, we paid the owner, and we were on our way. As you walked onto the streets, you could hear the fireworks/dhoom/dhamaka of a nearby wedding.

An amazing feeling it was as we made our journey to the Clarks Amer Hotel, the venue of the wedding celebrations.

Next Post - Marriage Day Continues…

Alvida. Jai Mata Di.