Had to leave for Pune around noon to attend my friend Manjul's sister's wedding and was all gung-ho about it. Joined by a friend we blabbered and joked the entire journey. Our first stop was a snack joint where we picked up a few vada-pavs. Trust me, if there be a Nobel prize in the field of gastronomy it would definitely be awarded to the guy who invented the vada-pav. Peace be upon him. Within 3 hrs we were at Pune and off to the bride's house. The plan was to reach there and crash as the journey got tiring. We skipped the crash plan and it was a grave mistake to commit, the effects of which were borne later at night. As there were many relatives visiting the house, we got ready for the evening waiting to leave for the venue. In the meantime I caught a glimpse of Manjul in her Sari as she was getting ready. Stunningly dressed she made me weak in my knees for a moment. Her heels made her take baby-steps;it was great fun. She'll be reading about this only now. My next blog will confirm that am alive and was not strangled by her. Otherwise it was great knowing you all. Sigh.
The reception was held at Hotel Radisson, Pune followed by the wedding late night. The groom arrived atop a horse and was carried in by the bride's relatives to avoid the groom's traditional excuses of not wanting to go in.
The bride(looking beautiful) arrived later accompanied by her two sisters(equally graceful).
After countless camera flashes, the couple decided to garland each other. The groom's side got really excited and lifted him on their shoulders to pose a daunting task of garlanding an 8 foot groom.
After much joking and plea's the groom was finally brought down and the couple exchanged garlands amidst loud cheering. *LOUD APPLAUSE*
After getting our pictures clicked with the couple, we proceeded to have dinner. Our hunger at that moment was of camel-gobbling proportions. The food was really delicious(anyone could have figured that out looking at us gorging) and the desserts were-how can I put it decently- OMG bloody awesome. Malpua with Rabri(milk's not Laloo's) was the night's favorite topic being discussed. Post dinner were the wedding ceremonies that included the Phera's and Vidayi. As the hours passed by the effects of our grave mistake started setting in. It was lovely to witness all the intricacies of a traditional North Indian wedding and be part of the event. Every minute detail that is attached to the Kanyadaan, Phere & Vidayi is cherish-able. The couple might think otherwise as they had to undergo all this in front of a pot of fire. Manjul was livid with us as we were yawning away with glory. At around 3 a.m. after returning back to the bride's house, the Vidayi ceremony involved the girl's family getting teary-eyed and the boy's mother explaining to them that her 'Bahu' is going to be very happy under her custody :P
Sadly our friend had to urgently get back to Mumbai and we left the next day early morning. En-route to Mumbai, my friend slept during the entire journey while I was having these unbearable 15 minutes of slumber every now and then. On reaching home, I ate and crashed. Slept like a baby. All said and done, my day and a half was really memorable and I am so glad I made it to the wedding.
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