Krishna! - Part 2

Chapter 24 - Jyeshta Shukla Ekadashi - How did Rukmini spend the morning?

Amidst all the noise and chit-chat that was going on throughout the palace, there was one room that was sublimely quiet. Naturally, Rukmini's. But it was not that haunting quietness that gave shivers. It was a spiritual quietness, a happy quietness, a positive quietness. 

Everyone knew that Rukmini had always requested for some time off, to spend with herself, just before she did something big. Every single time. And today? It was one of the biggest days of her life. Being welcomed into a stranger's family, not knowing how they would be, how they would treat her. And yet, unlike other girls who feared, Rukmini was sure. She had faith. She had faith that her Shyam would come. 

And to intensify that faith, she had requested some time off to sit and meditate, even before she began to get ready. The Brahmamuhurta was when she started and she wound up at Sunrise. As soon as the Sun rose, it all started. No noise, but all the arrangements for her to get ready. Quietly everyone worked their way in decorating the room, getting her Nauvari ready, her jewellery ready and her bath ready.

After her meditation, Rukmini walked to her room, to find her mother and her sister-in-law waiting for her, with smiling faces and tears in their eyes. She took their blessings and went into her special wedding bath. It was made ready, with simple warm water and energising herbs. She quickly bathed, washed her hair and came out, looking as fresh as a jasmine flower filled with dew drops.

And she sat. Just allowing her Mother, sister-in-law, Kanika and handmaids to decorate her the way they wanted. Literally treat her like a painting. And it all started.

The handmaids and Kanika fed her hair some warm steam made of burnt hibiscus and curry leaves, to dry her hair out. Her entire body was smeared with sandalwood paste, just the perfect amount, not to naturally cover her original complexion, but just to enhance it a little more, and also to make her smell fresh. Once she was smeared and decorated with fresh scents, her mother and sister-in-law began draping the wedding Nauvari on her. The choice colour was quite traditional, but not the perfect one that she would have worn at her wedding. It was a Nauvari saree, with a simple golden border and not too much work going on inside the saree, quite plain for a wedding so to speak. It was paired with a slighlt darker velvety maroon blouse of sleeves that were elbow length, completely filled with golden embroidered peacock feathers, as if the best of Krishna was embodying her arms. It was hot that day, and yet she had chosen velvet. But she wasn't bothered because she knew she would be kidnapped and settled by the evening. Just a few hours of trouble. Her mother began tying a knot from the left end of the saree and a near-middle portion of the nauvari exactly at the right side of her midriff, tight enough for her saree to hold in place and comfortably loose for her to be able to breathe. The left end of the saree was then taken around her left leg, securely covering her left leg all the way till the the ankles. The right end of the saree which had the head piece that normally goes over the shoulder was pleated and placed over her left shoulder. The rest of the saree was collected towards her midriff and her sister-in-law pleated the entire remaining saree. The pleated portions were then tucked into the base round her midriff to create a neat Kel. From the centre of the pleats made so, her sister-in-law pulled the same to her back from in between her legs, to create a double bordered pleat that she tucked into the middle of her back. The head of the saree was then readjusted to help her feel comfortable. And to match these, she had her light brown Shela that matched her saree perfectly. The longer end of the Shela was casually placed over her left shoulder, while the other end was tucked into her right elbow. She was in entirity in different shades of brown. 

As she was being draped, Rukmini heard a voice,

'Shree?!', 

And the voice filled her with immense happiness.