Royally yours

54. Bhogi

Daksh

The next morning, I woke up with a knock on my door. It was 5 a.m. I opened the door and  Chaitra was standing at my doorstep still in her nightwear. 

"Will you come down? They are lighting up bhogi mantalu," she asked and I nodded at her. I let her in and set my hair to make it look presentable at least. We both went down together and everyone was already there. Her father and Mama lit the fire once everyone gathered and we all enjoyed ourselves in the warmth of the fire, talking and rounding the fire. They threw a few old things into the fire and her nanamma said it symbolized the ending of the old things that brought us pain and was a start for new beginnings. 

"I will get Viv ready for today," Chaitra declared, and that chota packet jumped into her arms from his father's. Why is this little man so excited about my fiancee?

"Drop him at us once you are done, Chotu. He won't let you get ready otherwise," Dev said to his sister and left with his wife after kissing her's and his son's forehead. Soon, everyone else left to get ready.

"You don't want to get ready?" Chaitra asked me once everyone left. 

"It will take me only a few minutes," I shrugged. She then dragged me to the backyard with that chota packet still in her arms.

"Let's bathe him then," She said excitedly. She made him sit in a tumbler big enough for his size and took off his clothes. She checked the temperature of the water and added a few mugs of cool water making it warm enough for him. He smiled at me once she emptied the mug on him.

As much as I hate to agree, he does look adorable. I took out my mobile and clicked a few pictures of him. Once she was done giving him a bath she got him dressed in a dhoti, shirt and dried his hair. She then left him with her brother and asked me to get ready as well.

I got ready in a blue kurta set and went out but when I saw Chaitra wearing a mustard yellow Anarkali matching that chota packet, I changed into a yellow Kurta. Once we went down, her Atha called Chaitra to the front to keep gobbillu. I observed everything as I had no idea about it.

She first placed something made of cow dung in the middle of the rangoli she made yesterday. Then she added some turmeric and kumkum/roli to them followed by flowers and three types of grains and jujubes. She then got up and the ladies formed a circle around the rangoli. 

They started rounding the rangoli dancing, singing some folk songs, and clapping their hands rhythmically. Chaitra's hair flew from her one shoulder to the back and then it bounced as she jumped from one foot to the other synchronizing the steps with her claps. I stood there admiring my beautiful fiancee while she danced like a peacock without any worry of the world with a beautiful smile on her lips. I pledged to not let anyone harm the peace she had on her face.

Once they were satisfied with their dancing, they all moved in. The hall was decorated with garlands of flowers while there was an artificial wall made of clothes to an edge. The garlands hung from the top of the artificial wall and a flower shape was made with roses and marigolds in the middle of the wall. There were sugarcane sticks on 4 edges of it and a few pots made of mud filled with cotton to the top, two flutes, and peacock features in it.

Vivaan was made to sit on a small stool placed in the middle. There was a bowl beside him filled with jujubes, flower petals, and coins along with akshithalu(rice grains mixed with turmeric). Everyone started pouring a handful of the contents on Viv while he giggled at them.

"Let's go," Chaitra dragged me along with her and we sat beside him for a picture once all the married people were done doing the ritual. Then, Chaitra made Vivaan give a betel leaf with betel and a fruit on it to all the people who blessed Vivaan. She said this ritual is called 'Bhogipandlu' and is performed on Bhogi day. It is considered auspicious to get children blessed on this day and it would also protect them.