Everything in reverse

As I was going through the manoeuvres of starting for India, I could not dissociate from the fact that I would be doing them all in reverse a few weeks later. This mental preparation does not help, cos I don't think it's even a valid preparation, it is just a reality check. Just an exercise to keep the feet grounded. 

Goodbyes are always hard. I should have become an expert at them now, but no portion of practice makes me one. The farewells to family was tear laden. It was like everything going back. Like a movie film being rewound and the characters ridiculously going through the motions backwards. But  the emotions are ten fold heavier. I might be stretching the metaphor but we landed in Bhubaneswar at 8 in the evening and we were starting around 8. The take off from Delhi to Bhubaneswar was at 5 and so was the return from Delhi to Abu Dhabi. The timing seemed to be rubbing off a lot. I consciously reminded myself of the  feeling of quiet joy that was there two weeks ago. Just to remember and reminisce the good parts. But deep melancholy just kept washing over and what I could only feel was how far I was going, from my family 's touch. From their close physical presence. From the big house at the end of a dusty lane which is still home. 

A near perfect wedding

The D day came with a lot of anxiety. The auspicious time for the wedding was set at 1400 which has gave us ample time to get ready. The information that the strike would reduce in its impact after noon also made the possibility of a trouble free wedding more prominent. Lichie was to be ferried to the beauty parlor for her bridal makeup. Under normal circumstances she would have been royally taken in a car. Even I was supposed to get a 'party' makeup. But papa had to take her in his bike avoiding the main roads. There were some ruffians who stopped and cross questioned him when he was returning. But he managed to get home safely. This made my travel a bit of an additional risk. So I gave the beauty treatment a miss :( 

The coordination of cooking, the groom's procession, the bringing of Lichie back to the venue, all were done in a bit of a round about way since the main roads and four wheelers needed avoiding. Everything took longer to get done. But everything got done and got done to near perfection.

No function of the scale of an Indian wedding can be without its disappointments and issues. In fact more than the good parts we tend to discuss what went wrong. On the wedding day in the midst of the wedding rituals there was a sudden need of a yellow saree. Mummy had to go home and get it urgently. The priest painted a picture as if the wedding would not proceed without one. But  he carried on as normal and mummy missed a very important ritual of 'inviting the groom'. The yellow saree and never used and mummy missed her last chance at doing an important ritual. She still rues the fact.

After the wedding since it was getting late, there was no time for photo op of close family with the newly weds. 

But the most disappointing was another incident. Lichie's in laws hosted a gathering two days after the wedding. It was close 7 hours road trip. We started in the right earnest. But a few minutes on Pumpki started getting car sick. She was sick a couple of times and then drifted off to sleep. Then Chiyaa got sick too! She was sick two to three times. Then they started taking turns and within 1.5 hours journey they had vomitted around 5 times each. Mummy thought it was not wise for us to continue since the children would get dehydrated and famished and asked for another vehicle which would ferry us home. She and papa continued since Lichie would be waiting for them. We were all miserable. Both K and I were eager to make the trip and had spent hours deciding clothes and ironing them. Lichie was eager to meet us and mummy and papa felt very bad at leaving us with the poorly kids. At home I tried researching means to get to Lichie's place by train. But it seemed too tedious. I was advised against it since the journey and return would really put  a strain on us. We had a perfect staycation at home. I have not been a lot in our Bhubaneswar house since the year we moved in to it after construction was when I moved to my hostel for graduation studies. So being in the house, taking care of the locking and water and lil nuances was a very different feeling. 

With the gathering at Lichie's in laws drawing to a close  wedding was officially over. I was not looking forward to the return.