Amara prema

CHAPTER-14 Bibāha (Wedding)

Mythrei was overjoyed at the sight of Ari as he appeared at the other end of the stairs. for the first time in four days, she stood up from where she had remained rooted, only to fall into his arms. she had neither eaten nor slept through these protests. her last drops of energy had been savoured in her bouts of excitement. but she didn't care. it was over. she calmly rested her head against his shoulders as he carried her home. this was it. their life was going to be peaceful yet again. no more police, no more politics. it was going to be just the two of them and their world. or so she hoped.  

ippa edhuku podava naga ella vangininga? adhum enkitta oru vartha kooda sollaama? Mythrei asked Ari as she walked into the balcony. she had just stepped out from the shower and to her surprise found a red saree and a few gold ornaments laid out on the bed for her. Ari turned around to reveal that he was too, dressed up in traditional clothes. innaikku edhavudhu visheshama? she frowned. podhuva apdi onnu irundha naa marandhirukka maatene...she clicked her tongue and put her finger to her chin. her forehead curled up as she tried hard to remember the dates. Ari chuckled quietly as he admired her thinking stance, but quickly straighten his smile when he saw her looking back up. adhu seri, nadandha kalavarathula naaley marandhu pochu idhula eppadi vishesham nyabagam irukkaradhu. neengaley sollunga enna vishesham? she asked, giving up. adhella aprama solre, nee modhala podava kattittu vaa, he ordered. Mythrei pouted, adhu enna dha vishesham nu sollunga le...she insisted. Ari rolled his eyes. oru vela marandhutte nu kochukittu sollaama irukkingalo? she asked. adhella onnum illa nee po, poyi sonna maadhiri podava kattittu vaa, he told. sollunga le, she begged. enna nee? thiruppi thiruppi adhuvey ketu kittu, vishesham enna nu pora vazhi la theriyum nee poyi kattittu vaa ngra! he ordered. seri seri..thittadhinga, she sighed and dragged herself back inside. 

apdi ennadha kette? vishesham enna nu dhaaney kette adhukku edhuku kovapattukittu, Ari could hear her murmurs from the bedroom. nee enna thitradhu kekkudhu! he yelled out to her. naa enga thittana, naa onnum thittala, she mumbled as she walked out the room. enna paaru? he lifted her face up. she refused to look him in the eye, she had to let him know she was upset. vidunga, she pulled away and pretended to be busy with her pleats.  kattula malli poo vechurundhene? adhayum vechukkaye, he asked. But she stood there with sealed lips refusing to talk to him. seri naaney vechu vudrey, he shrugged. once he was done he promptly sat down on his knees, slightly startling her at first. she immediately looked to the side. but Ari didn't complain, he quietly smoothened out the pleats and fixed the ends of her skirt. ippa seri aayidichu, he admired his work with pride. she found herself following his gaze down, only to be interrupted by his hand below her chin. paaru! pottu vekkala! he scolded. naa vechene? she frowned. adhu sivappu, vella colour la vekkala la, he replied. vellaya? vella colourla pottu vekka maatanga, she whined. but before she could finish he took something out of his pocket and began drawing over her forehead. enakku vella dha pudikkum, he shrugged. enna panringa? nethi muzhukka pottu varayaringala? she complained. ey! nethi sulikkikaatha! pesaama nillu! he ordered. ah! ippa dha azhagayitta, he smiled, looking at his work proudly. enna panninga? kannadi kaatunga, she rushed back to the bedroom. ey! adhella theva illa, mani aayidiichu kelambanum, he pulled at her hand. yenga! oru nimisham kannadi paathuttu vandhurrey nga! she begged. adha venaam nu sonnela! vaa nee! he dragged her out the doors. annaikku thoongittu irukkumbodhu meesa varanja maathiri thiruppyum edho setta pannirukkinga nu theriyudhu, she whined. enna comali ya aaki ooru muzhukka kootitu poga poringa na, inimey naa pesavey maatey, she warned. enna nambey, adha solrey la nee azhaga irukkey nu, enna namba maatiya? he begged her as they walked through the corridors to the stairs. she reluctantly nodded her head. appo seri ini kannayum moodikko, naa solradhu varakkum thorakkadha, his hands crept over her eyes. yenga! padikattu theriyaadhu!! she cried. thookittu porey, parava illa...aana kanna mattum therandhidaadha, he said as he lifted her of the ground. 

All of mythrei's complaints came to halt when he finally set her back on the ground. ippavachu kanna thorakkalama? she asked. Mmm, ippa thora, he whispered. she slowly opened them to find their entire group of supporters and friends including those from the protest, gathered around them at their printing press. she felt confused and looked to Ari for answers, who just seemed to be gleaming with smiles. a hand suddenly reached out from behind, tying something over her forehead. she immediately turned around to find a smiling Savya staring back at her with a weirdly proud look. enna nadakkudhu inga? she began, only to be interrupted by the sight of her own reflection on the shop's glass panel. she noticed that her forehead hadn't been graffitied, but rather drawn on with the bengali kalka designs, around the red dot. her head now wore the traditional white bengali head dress, tapor. tapor wasn't just an ordinary head dress bengali laymen wore on a day to day basis. it was a sacred accessory worn by grooms and brides on their wedding day, in accordance with the bengali culture. she immediately turned back around to face Ari, and sure enough he too had put on one. that's when it dawned on her.

 ini thaali illadha perla unna yaarum thappa pesa koodathu, Ari explained. enakku idhula nambikkai illa. thaali irundhaalum illenaalum nee ye pondatti dha. aana nethikku idhoda perla onna asingama pesumbothu dha idhoda vela enakku therinjudhu. ini yaarum apdi pesa koodathu. enakku kadavul endradhu ennoda ilakkiyum. adha saakshiya niruthi ithana per munnadi un kazhuthala thali katta porey, he smiled. 

Mythrei lowered her gaze. her eyes refused to let go of the ground. she didn't want to shed tears on perhaps the most beautiful day of her life. she held her breath in an attempt to keep those tears in. she knew she would break if she attempted to say something. but her pinkie slowly slid into his, wrapping into a tight grip. in their world of love, that gesture was worth more than a thousand words. Ari smiled. he knew what it meant. He took the nuptial chain from Mr.Chattarjee and slid it up her neck. the crowd began cheering as they threw in shreds of chrysanthamum. once he was done, he cupped her face into his palms. her eyes were in a turmoil of emotions. he noticed the tears trying to make an escape from the corner of her eyes. but she quickly pulled away in time, though. she didn't want him seeing it. azhuriya? he asked. mhmhm, she shook her head. she was too overwhelmed to squeeze out any words. ennachu ma? he asked again. she quickly dried her tears away and managed to look back at him, this time with a smile. Mr.Chattarjee handed them garlands to exchange. weirdly enough, they weren't flower garlands. they were made of red paper chits, each with single lines of poetry describing Mythrei. the colour red symbolising their love, sacrifice and communism. she chuckled as she read through some of them. when it was Mythrei's turn she pulled him down to her height. she rose to her heels and kissed him on his forhead. embarrassingly enough, the whole crowd found themselves blushing at this scene.   

Ari picked up a pinch of vermillion, lined it up through the centre of her forehead and returned her kiss over her maang tikka. before he could finish, she rammed into him, breaking into a hug. this time the tears didn't hold back. they came down in bouts, as she sobbed against his chest. nalla naal aa irundhu ipdi azha koodathu mythrei, a fellow devadasi told her. idhuku dha nu sollirukkalam la? she asked looking up at him. sollirukalaam, aana oru vela nee mudiyaadhu nu sollitey na enna panradhu nu...ipdi thittam pottey, he joked. her expression quickly changed into an irritated frown. she pinched his shoulder slightly. aah! valikkudhu ma, he flinched, rubbing his hand. eppa paathalum velayattu, she complained. 

excuse me sir! photo? their conversation was interrupted by a man with a peculiar black little box on his hand. or at least that's what a camera looked like to Mythrei. ellarum vaanga, yaarayum vitraadhinga, Ari called out in bengali. ennadhadhu? Mythrei asked. camera, nammaloda padam pudikka. ini yaaravudhu kalyanam aayiducha nu ketta, indha padatha apdiye moonjila thooki veesiru, he smiled. namma padam eppadi idhula varum? she asked. adhella solli thara, ippa nee anga paathu siri, he told. yellarum nalla siringa, the camera man said. eeeeee!!! everyone yelled.