On a rainy day, her thoughts often veered to those brief moments of drizzling, that made her heart miss a beat, coupled with a look of panic and the lips sent a quick prayer and then next moment, a smile lit up her face.
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Tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks and the heavens poured too. The tears did stop, gradually, once she realised she couldn't force people to be by her side at the most important, much awaited juncture of her life, however, the heavens didn't. She continued to glance through the various flower arrangements being shown to her slide after slide. The clouds roared outside. Then one look out of the window and her eyes got dewy again. "What if..? Will it ever stop raining? The arrangements won't get spolied na? The ceremony is gonna be outside, they would be complaining?" She kept looking out of the window for quite sometime and wishing in her heart that the rains would stop. Atleast not tomorrow, or she and her parents might have to go through lot of humiliation, and the wastage of food, money, decorations, efforts. No! She wanted everything to go smoothly and beautifully and nothing to play a spoilsport.Her brother, paralyzed father had been doing months of research, discussion, recce to decide on the venue. The banquets which would be easier to reach for everyone were either booked, with not great decor or food, or really far away. Since both Tia's and the boy's family lived not too far away, it din't make sense to have the marriage ceremony which would take long to reach. The lawn venues, on the other hand, were spacious, had great parking space and lovely glittery, rich decorations. So, for the venue, despite much deliberation that the D-Day is gonna be then when it pours and pours heavily, somehow an open lawn of a club was agreed upon by both the families, though the question still hovering over their heads, 'what if it rains?' The club officials assured alternate arrangements could be made in the small hall, just in case. Tia wished and hoped and prayaed it won't rain and all would be well. So much for conviction?
It was the D-day. The skies were bright and clear and the weather was cheerful just like the festivities and ceremonies going around Tia at her brightly decorated house. Smiles hiding pain and tears hiding joy played hide and seek on one face or the other every once in a while. By afternoon the sun was playing the same game too. Once or twice that Tia got a glimpse of it, apart from bothering over her bridal dress, makeup, jewellery, the stuff to be carried to the venue, her suitcases, fighting tears, taking care of her mom, she got worked up. No, it won't rain, not today. Even on her way to the beautician she kept saying in her heart, "I love this weather, the breeze, the feel of raindrops on my face but no rains today, not today! I would welcome and dance with you like I have always done since my childhood, but not today!"
So far, so good. The heavens heeded her. All was going well. And then it was that moment when Tia, all decked up in her bridal glory, with hope, fear, faith for her new life had to go on the stage to meet her groom. Here he was, holding out his hand to have her, support her on the stage and exchange garlands and nuptial vows. Tia and the man of her dreams both held pristine white lilies and red roses garlands to put in each other's neck. Tia put the garland first in her groom's neck and everybody clapped. Just then Tia felt two droplets caressing her cheeks. No, she wasn't crying. And she tried looking up, but before she could, she felt a little weight on her neck, a gentle tickle, and the strong scent of lilies and roses so close,heard everybody clapping and looking up at the skies. It had started drizzling just then, very light but enough to bring about a look of worry on almost all the faces, And her eyes met her man's. There was anxiety in his, as if saying, "see, its gonna pour, now what?" She looked up at the skies next moment, her heart pounding fast, a panicky frown on the bedecked and beautiful and till-then-smiling face, thinking of what her parents might have to go through if it starts pouring heavily, how it would mar the celebrations, and saying a quick prayer at the same time and giving a reassuring look to her man. And then, the next moment the drizzling almost suddenly, abruptly stopped. The smile returned on Tia's face and it dawned on her. She blushingly told her man, "Blesings, they were, from the Gods above'!" The marriage was solemnized! The droplets drizzled for only those brief moments that they held each other and exchanged garlands of holy matrimony and only at that spot of stage where they were standing. Since there was not a single droplet felt for the next few moments they both looked at each other, cherished a mutual smile and then turned up at the heavens above as if to thank for the blessings and being a witness to the holy wedlock that they were bound into.
XXX
Tia got up to the gurgling and roar of clouds, stared at the ceiling, bed, the man lying beside her, and then the walls to look for what time it was, and then she heard it again from the tiny window, this time louder! The pitter patter of rain drops turning into heavy downpour. She lay there listening to the heavens venting it out for quite some time and smiling to herself. It rained like never before that day. Afterall, they had held it for so long! The heavens had drizzled to pour the blessings and now they had to shed it all as wishes for her new life full of hope..
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