It was my sis’ wedding! I was damn excited….
Last few weeks before
marriage, I kept visiting Fancy Bazaar regularly after class. Jyotirmoy helped me a lot in choosing and buying my
stuff, though bargaining was my own responsibility. Thanks to my dear father for sending me
couple of thousands for buying some Assam silk mekhela sadar.
I bought one mekhela
sadar set for the Wedding day, which was Navy blue with big golden polka all
over. “It’s your marriage or Sis’ marriage?” Jyotirmoy kept teasing me all the
time…. I bought this set, because Navy blue was Jyotirmoy’s favourite colour. It’s been just few months, we had been going
around. Shopping was a kind of dating for us. We would shop, walk till Naak
kota pukhuri, eat chowmin and then catch the bus, and go back to the university
hostel. I bought one simple Muga silk mekhela Sadar set too for the Juron. To
match with both the dress, I had to buy lots of jewelries, like matching bangles, necklace, finger
rings, earrings, bindies…and for make-up …nail polish, blusher, eye-shadows…what
not!!! After all, I was the Bride’s one
and only sister!
I called up my sister
so many times if she needed anything, but always she said, “No!”…as if she was
not excited at all to marry. I didn’t
see any enthusiasm in her talks… I knew that she had a boyfriend for many
years, but as the guy was from different caste and had no decent source of income,
my parents did not accept that relation. She fought for sometime with parents,
but at last she gave up and agreed to marry this guy who was engineer in ONGC.
I reached home three
days before wedding. Tent work was almost over. Mandap for Choklong* and pavilion
for the bride for the reception was yet to be made. I took initiative of
choosing flowers for those space.
But, what I observed that there was no bridal charm reflecting in my sis' face. I tried to talk to her, understand why
she was soo upset, though I was four years younger to her. She just cried in
front of me at night, saying she did not want to get married. I infact scolded
her if she was not ready for the marriage, why she said “Yes” to our parents,
and now we had come to such a stage that we could not go back.
All relatives started
coming from near and far. I could see my sis smiling a bit, which made me a bit
relaxed.
Juron* came next day morning, at around 10 am. It was an awesome Juron….Eleven beautiful Assam Silk and Muga Silk Mekhela Sadar, two gold ornament set, one silver set, twelve gold bangles, five beautiful gold finger rings….The juron awestruck all our relatives….everyone started saying, “Runu, you are sooo lucky, going to such a rich family….” But, I still could not see any excitement in her expression, though she tried to smile in front of everyone.
In the evening, there
was a musical celebration along with “Murot Tel dia” ritual. When the dusk
came, the ladies went to collect water from the nearby river to bathe the
bride. I had to hold the main water vessel. All ladies kept singing biya naam (wedding song) all the way….
We came back, two
aunts went inside the house to take my sister out to the place where there was
a small mandap, made of banana stem for bathing ritual.
We kept waiting for
half an hour…..my hands were aching, holding the vessel. I was not allowed to
put it down. Some ladies got irritated…..
“Runu is not at home…….”
One aunt came running……
“What???” All got
horrified…..some got amused too ofcourse…..
I understood what
might happened……I just wished her safety silently…..All guys started searching her
here and there…..It was already dark. Some searched in the nearby well, some
went to search in the pond….Number of Torch became uncountable….
Mom almost fainted……..Dad
was crying whom I knew as a strong man……I just silently went to the room and
started crying putting my head down on the bed……..
Few hours passed.
Two of my aunts came
to my room and just sat beside me.
“It’s the matter of
prestige of two families now...” One aunt initiated…
“Pradip saw Runu and
a guy together getting into a bus in the mainroad. She eloped….She destroyed all
your family’s reputation.”
“Your uncle informed
the groom's family about the incident…..They are shattered…..”
“After a long
conversation, they are proposing one solution…..If you agree…….They saw you in
the Juron…..”
“What????” I was
shocked….My head was spinning……
“Cool down Junu….you
are matured enough……you understand everything…..Think about your parent’s
condition…..You can somehow manage till some extent….” Another aunt said.
Mom, Dad and Uncle
entered my room after sometime…..
Mom was still crying
loud…..Dad too was crying…sat on the floor near me on his knees…
“She already cut my
nose….You are the last hope, my love, please keep my prestige..….” My Dad’s cry
became loud and louder….
All eyes were looking
at me…….Jyotirmoy’s smiling face came to my front as hallucination……as if
saying, “You will look extremely charming in the Navy blue Mekhela Sadar on
your Wedding day!”
* Juron : A ritual when Groom's family comes to gift the Bride, before wedding, generally, one day before the D-day.
* Choklong: The main ritual of exchanging vows, specially for Ahom dynasty.
