Sahithi's Adventures

The Marriage

The next few days flew by and before everyone realised it the bride’s side was welcoming the groom and party. Now remember readers, we are talking of a story in the early 18th century – which means no motor cars. The groom’s side had taken up residence in the local Zamindar’s guest house. The zamindar, Ananda Varma, was the local ruler who decided the fate of Vikrampuri province in which this story takes place.

The bride’s father was the Diwan in the court of the Ananda Varma and was very much respected by the Zamindar. So, he had lent his outhouse to the groom’s side for as long as wished for which they were grateful. It also helped boost the image of the bride’s father as well give the groom’s party something to boast about back home. The wedding procession was met at Sivaiah chowk by the bride’s father and a few others.

From there the party moved slowly towards the mandap in the local temple. The groom riding a horse was looking as handsome a groom could be. The rest of them walked while some danced to the tune of the band which was playing great music. The inhabitants of the town, the shopkeepers and others, were watching from their shops or houses at the procession with interest.

Now, the mandap was busy with guests who had already arrived. Refreshments were being served while they talked. Many of them were relatives who had been meeting after a long time. While they were busy catching up on recent events which they had missed, the youngsters were in a world of their own. Some young men were stealing glances at the brightly dressed women while some others were some seemed to have already stolen the hearts of a few damsels. Children were running around laughing and screaming which added to the charm of the occasion.

The bride, Komali, was nervous. She was tense though she was happy. She didn’t know why she felt like this. Even Sahithi who had been with her till then had gone to attend some task her mother had asked her to do. She felt alone, neglected and abandoned in a mandap full of people. She nervously started chewing the ends of her pallu.

“Feeling nervous?” she looked up to see one of her elder sister’s step into the room. This woman had already been married for six years and was the proud mother of a five year old time bomb that no one knew when he would turn the world upside down with his cute antics. She was also very kind and understanding, so everyone felt at ease around her.

“Yes, sister, I feel alone.” The older woman sat beside Komali and patted her cheek.

“Don’t worry, my cute little angel. Everything will be alright. Even I felt like this when I married your brother-in-law, but everything will be fine. You might have to endure some hunger.” She was there till news of the arrival of the groom was announced.

“Have you seen Sahithi?” she asked feeling weird that she was nowhere to be seen.

“She must be somewhere nearby.” Was the answer given to her as her maternal uncles arrived to bring her to the mandap in a beautifully decorated bamboo basket. Her eyes roamed all over the venue looking for her friend who was strangely missing in the most important event of her life.

The chant of mantras failed to raise her mood as she went through the motions, her mind felt something was amiss. She was absent-minded as she went through the rituals thinking about her missing friend. She failed to notice the slight frown in the groom’s sister at the absent-mindedness of the bride.

Her spirits didn’t rise when she was sent to change clothes for the final part of marriage ritual. The groom’s sister, determined to find out what was ailing her, followed them.

“Vadina(sister-in-law), is everything all right?” she asked with a look of concern placing her hand on Komali’s shoulder and shaking her a little. Komali came out of her thoughts and was surprised to see the new woman. “Are you feeling ill? Do you require some rest?” her gaze went down to Komali’s stomach and the latter’s face burned bright red at the implied insult. She was not pregnant for god’s sake! “No vadina!” she retorted. “It’s just that my friend is missing. She promised to be with me throughout the marriage but I can’t find her.” that brought an expression of relief on the other woman’s face. “Don’t worry Vadina.” She said. “She might be busy with some other work. She will be there by the time we sit for dinner. Cheer up! It’s your marriage! Don’t be so gloomy.” Komali smiled at her though her heart said that her friend was in danger.

The marriage went off smoothly. Dinner was a colourful, naughty affair with the bride and the groom teased by the relatives and friends. Komali was distracted by all this from the thoughts of her friend and she forgot about her. She blushed at the teasing, chuckled shyly at the jokes and was exactly how a new bride was supposed to be. The groom’s sister observed her closely – perhaps her suspicions had not been fully cleared.

Who could blame her? In a society where chastity was given the prime importance, the dull demeanour of the bride had made her suspicious. She had since then been keeping an eye on the bride. The one good thing she did was to keep her suspicions to herself rather than reveal them to everyone. Though she had her doubts, she was not cruel enough to destroy another woman’s life.

Now, the question that seems to be in the mind of the reader is, about the whereabouts of the heroine of this story – Sahithi. Where had she gone? Why was she missing at such an important moment of her adopted family? What had happened to her? was she really in some kind of danger? To answer these questions, we need to start our journey from the time Sahithi was sent on an errand by Komali’s mother.