Oreeti.POV.
WE both sat down on the small seats provided fot us. And in front of us holy fire was lit and then the whole wedding ceremony started . We took vows and together we took seven circles around the holy fire. There were seven small wood like structures kept on the ground between the petals and me and Aarav has to touch it with our toe before and after every round.All those chantings were so long and the heat from fire was able to keep me awake through this whole process.
The smoke was making my nose twitch but I couldn't sneeze as it will spoil the ritual. I had already taken citrazene to prevent the allergy .
After all those it was the time for the Kaniya dan where my father tied the knot of my duppatta with Aarav's shervani's .Then Aarav held my hands and my father poured soem water from avove while we both are holding a Banayan leaf in our hands and then the ritual was completed after some more chantings.
Then the ceremony for Sindoor and the neck wear came which symbolise that I am married.
Aarav applied sindoor pver my head under the Maang tika and tied the manglasutra around my neck.After this we were considered married in the presence of everyone and the holy fire and then Aarav bent down and held my foot and placed a toe ring around my toe forefinger and he performed the same process with my other foot.
I took the support of his shoulders while he was doing this as I was made to stand.
My heavy dress has made my movement slow and restricted.
Then we both got up and together we touched the feet of all the elders to get their blessings.
Everyone gave us their blessings. And all of them were happy but my mom had tears in her eyes and my Pa was trying his best to hold back his tears.
Then it was our time to leave and my first time to go away from my parents. Now I am Mrs. Aarav Sharma so i have to leave with Aarav. After the rituals Pratiksha came with a beautifully carved board where the moral lessons for both husband and wife were read out for a happy and successful marriage in front of everyone.This is a ritual in our clan. And I must say those moral lessons are something they have very very little meaning but if they are followed they will lead to a successful life.
After that I hugged all my family members. Earlier I used to think that I will not cry but after realising the situation it brought tears to my eyes.I didn't want to leave them . I cried so much. Aarav was looking awkward as my little cousins were glaring at him for taking me away. Now I am supposed to spend my life the man my family chose for me. I have to let go of many of my habits and things along with Aarav just to start a new life with new habits and new things. Leaving the place where you learner your first alphabet and the spelling of alphabet is difficult but this is the ritual which had been going down from so many years.And I am not the first nor will I be the last.
I kissed them goodbye. And then went forward where my mom was standing holding a plate of raw rice in her hands. I picked up handful of rice and threw them behind me as it signifies the abandoning of any dark omen and acceptance of goodness.Then my maternal Uncle picked me up in bridal style and put me on the car seat where Aarav was already seating behind me. It is the ritual for the older maternal uncle of the bride to pick the her and carry her and made her sit inside the car with her husband.
My bags were already inside the car trunk. And then the car started moving.
Tears were not stopping and my eyes were red and swollen due to crying and allergy. I was hicupping. I waved them goodbye and the car started moving and I left my family behind. Then I saw someone holding a water bottle in front of me. I took it and dranl two mouth full of water and thanked the person and saw it was none other than Aarav. My husband.
I was silently crying. Aarav handed me a handkerchief which I gladly accepted.
I have a habbit of sleeping in the car when we are travelling and mainly on somebody's lap which always included my cousins , mom or Pratiksha. So with Aarav around me I was feeling awkward and sleepy.
So i closed my head and rested my head on the window pane and I don't know when I fell asleep but last thing which I remember was someone picking me up and placing me on his lap. I snuggled to the warmth which was provided to me.