30 Aug A STORY IN ME
It was an auspicious Monday morning for the Padmabhushans. Their only daughter Vainika was getting married to someone who her father did not approve of much. No, it wasn’t a love marriage but it cannot be called an arranged marriage either. Vainika and Ashok knew each other from childhood. They were in the same neighbourhood of the village and used to visit the same temple regularly.
The temple festival were other days when they used to see each other. The families did know each other but weren’t friendly as Padmabhushan was a rich man whereas Ashok s father passed away and left nothing for his wife and children. They had to fend for themselves with the milk their Gitalakshmi had to give. Their cow was indeed a lucky one for Ashok as it was the reason Vainika spoke to him the first time.
Ashok was the youngest among his siblings of 2 brothers and 2 sisters. He used to take Gitalakshmi for grazing when he s back from school. It used to be the same time when Vainika used to return with her mother from the temple after the evening prayers. Being an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna, she always bowed before a cow believing it as the Gow Mata. And she was overjoyed to find Gitalakshmi on her way back to bow before and thus slowly Vainika and Ashok started talking. Padmabhushan did not like any of his family members talking to someone below their status, in short everyone. He did not believe that people are equal.
He was someone who you could call a tyrant but at the same time was as soft as milk peda when it used to come to the matters related to his wife. His wife Rukmini was the love of his life. Even though there was a huge age difference of 15 years, their love knew no bounds. They had prayed piously for having a daughter and indeed after 3 sons, they got their wish fulfilled. Vainika was every man’s dream wife or every parent dream daughter. She obeyed and listened. She never once did complain nor did she shout or kill an insect. A delicate rose, a beautiful rose for her parents and her brothers. When Vainika reached of age to get married, Padmabhushan called the family astrologer to make her horoscope charts ready and to get an alliance that was absolutely fit for his princess.
The family astrologer got the horoscopes of all the eligible bachelors in the village and found that the stars of Ashok and Vainika matched as if they were born to be with each other. Everyone was so astonished by this as the family astrologer who was also the temple pundit never said anything good about anyone just like Padmabhushan. So, this came as a cruel shock to Padmabhushan as he had no reason to say no to the proposal. Ashok was in a good position in the railways and government jobs meant lottery. Also, when Ashok s family said they did not need a single penny as dowry, Padmabhushan was lost with excuses. And thus, this day has come. The air was filled with the sweet scent of jasmine and the sounds of the drums beating rhythmically as the groom walked from the road to the temple premises. The bride’s family and relatives welcomed each guest by sprinkling rose water and handing them a small garland of jasmine flowers. The oldest brother Vinod washed Ashok s feet and made him enter the mandap of the temple where the bride was waiting for him along with the pundit. The marriage mantras were recited in pure Sanskrit and everyone agreed that the newlyweds looked like a pair made in heaven. Vainika and Ashok were led by the pundit to the temple office to sign the marriage register. They both signed and held their hands together looking at each other and below them the register paper read, Ashok weds Vainika January 19, 1976.
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