ShaNak SS - Sathi Sath Nibhana:Pt11|Pg25 17Sep11 - Page 2

it was really nyc!

wonderful part...

loved it...

want to know more...

continue soon...

After the last incident, Shaan had a smile stuck on his face for a very long time.

Shaan and Khanak were called to the mandap in 15 mins. Shaan was standing on the right side of the antarpat. The pandit shouted, "Please vadhu ko leyi aavo". Her kaka and another pandit were now holding the antarpat (a curtain/cloth) while the main pandit had gone to arrange for the kalash and ask the ladies to get the aarti ready. Suddenly there was a commotion from the brides side and he could see her feet now on the other side of the curtain. There was no way he could glance at her as the antarpat had been pulled up by kaka and pandit. He was handed the garland as the auspiscious wedding mangalashtaka phrases were enchanted by the pundits.

"Swasti Shri Gananayakam Gajamukham Moreshwara Siddhidam Ballalam Murudum

tadeva lagnam sudinam tadeva, tra-balam chandra-balam tadeva vidy balam daiva-balam tadeva, lakshmi-pateh tenghri yugam smarmi

shubh lagna saavadhan! shubh mangal saavadhan!"

 

All throughout the mangalashtaka, there were grains thrown on them. As the ucharran completed the antarpat was removed for the jayamala vidhi.

For the first time after 3 days he was seeing her and she was absolutely radiating. Their eyes briefly met as the pandit informed Khanak to put the jayamala. The punjus that they were, his family shouted "Jhukna nahi!! Jhukna nahi!!"

Shaan smiled and stood tall in front of her. She glanced up and tried reaching to put the jayamala, but could not. Quickly her cousins came around and picked her up. Shantanu just grinned as she put the garland around him. But surprisingly the cousins never put her down, making it difficult for him to put the garland around her neck.

She looked down shyly expecting to be put down. He smiled and made a jump with help from his friends their hands on both his hands pushing him further above and he put the garland on her neck. They both came down simultaneously smiling away embarrassed at the situation which they had never imagined.

The pandit asked the bride and groom to approach the mandap, and then Khanak's bai and ada came ahead for the madhuparka ceremony. The grooms legs were washed and he was given sweets and milk while making him sit at the mandap. Shantanu was very conscious as Khanak's parents touched his feet. But they smiled at him and her Ada said "pratha hain". He smiled back at them.

The moment he had removed his shoes to enter the mandap, his friends and cousins had stood over the shoes protecting them from the bride-side tolli of girls who would try to steal them. They had confirmed from Khanak earlier in the week that Gujarati's also had this as a rasm.

As soon as Shaan sat down, he glanced at Khanak who was made to sit on his right side. She quickly glanced once at him and back to seeing her feet and the yagya samagri ahead of them. He said "hi there" and there was no response other than her hands fidgeting on her knees ahead of her. He had been warned by her earlier only that she is not supposed to speak during the marriage vidhi. He smiled and looked at the pandit for the next set of instructions.

Finally he had the time to think about her attire, a maroonish red saree with a delicate golden work, her pallu was made in a gujarati style, with the end tucked on the left side of her waist. In the few mins that they had been opposite each other during antarpat he had noticed everything required about her, her makeup highlighting the right things, her eyes looking bigger now with the kohl lining around it along with eyeshadow (which he had never seen her use before), she was wearing dangling earrings, which she normally never wore unless they were the lighter artificial ones (which he hated).

In between the rituals he was stealing glances at her. He bent closer to her, had to move close to her during the Hasta Milap, (the groom's stroll is tied to the bride's sari/shawl). This knot and the joined hands of the couple symbolize the union of two souls joined together in holy matrimony.

As Shaan held Khanak's hand, he could feel that she was tensed; but he could not see or understand any reason for it. This was the day she had been waiting for, THEY had been waiting for and dreaming about. and yet here she was all tensed up and uptight for some reason. He slowly went close to her and whispered into her ear. "What's wrong" while waiting for the pandit to tell the next rituals.

She just shook her head. He had a serious look on his face and asked, "Pls, why are you tensed". (pauses trying to take a glimpse at her eyes) "are you crying?" he asked her with shock. She quickly muttered a "No, stop exaggerating" paused and then slowly whispered "I am feeling sad to leave my family back there".

Shaan was relieved and let out a sigh, "you scared me, don't worry we will visit them whenever possible or whenever you feel the need". Pandit announced, "yajman, apna hath Kanyadaan ke liye aage badhaye".

Shaan slowly raised his hand and held his palm ahead towards her. Her ada came forward and took khanak's right hand and placed it on his hand along with the paan and supari and then put some water over the hand. They could see that his eyes were moist; a strong person like him was sober while giving his daughter in marriage.

Once done with the vidhi he spoke directly to Shantanu "Shantanu, Beta iska khayal rakhna".

Shaan nodded in a yes and bending his head said, "I will take good care of her" and then continued to say, " you need to also tell her the same, I am more at risk with her around" trying to lighten the mood. She just glared at him through her moist eyes. Ada also smiled and murmured "tum dono bhi na..." Shantanu just kept staring at her, not yet leaving her hand.

Pandit tapped his shoulder and then removing the paan and supari from their joined hands said, "Pheron ke liye khade ho jayei aap dono". He stood up and held his hand out for her to get up. She put her right hand in his and was helped by her bai and aunt to stand up. She stood up taking care of her saree pleats. He did not release her hand. Pandit started saying the mantras and asked them to take the pheras. Slowly the pheras were completed, the pheras are to express his heart's desire, and seeks the loving support of his wife.

The next ritual was for the Saptapadi - The pandit informed that the groom should chant the mantras with each step. These are requests to his wife to take good care of the house, cook wholesome and healthy meals for their family, be thrifty with money, be an understanding and supporting partner to him, etc. The bride would promise to fulfill these requests.

The last ritual was tying the mangalsutra around her neck which he did and Khanak blushed as his hand touched her neck and lingered there for a split extra second after tying the hook of the mangalsutra. The pandit passed a sindoor container to Shaan and asked him to put it on her forehead, Shaan follows instruction and places a small line on her forehead along the hair-parting, while her cousin held her maang-tikka. He noticed that her eyes were closed and she looked content with the touch.

Pandit: "Isi ke sath ye shadi sampanna hui. Mubarak ho!"

Bai and Ada ask Shaan and Khanak to take the pandit's blessings and they bend at his feet to get his ashirwad "Sada Sukhi raho".

They go forward towards his parents and then hers to take their blessings.

Finally after taking blessings of all assembled in the hall, and their backs paining terribly, Shanatanu and Khanak are standing on one side and the parents are discussing on what's to be done next. Shaan slowly passes his hand around Khanak's waist. Their back is to the end of stage and no one can see what he is doing. He slowly moves his hand on her back. She tries to shake him off without looking at him. He continues his journey and is about to reach her neck when her cousin comes along and shakes his right hand saying that he would not come to the evening reception, as he has to join office back tomorrow.

Shantanu shakes hand with him but does not remove his left hand from her back, just slides it down to her waist again. In process he understands that the blouse Khanak is wearing is a real revealing one. Once her cousin leaves, he couldn't control and lets out a laugh. She looks up at him and half the family discussing in front turns back to look at him, he quickly takes his phone from the pocket in his right hand and speaks while smiling, "that was a good joke". She knows there is no call or sms, so she nudges him with her elbow "what's the joke".

Shantanu bends slightly towards her with a questioning look and a wide smile on his face saying "Who decided the pattern of your blouse, definitely not you!!"

Khanak becomes conscious and tries to avoid the blush creeping on her face. "Bhabhi went to extreme while designing, I got the blouse just 3 days earlier, so could not even get a new one stitched" sounding upset. He tries to sober down but his smile is stuck to his face and he is quick to say "Good for me". She just stares at him wide-eyed, her blush increasing further to make her face pink.

Their attention was caught in the crowd of relatives now on the stage and suddenly heard her bua shout "Bha". Khanak lurched forward followed quickly by Shaan. 

They heard bua say "Aap ko kal se keh rahi hoon thoda aaram kar lo, mangal pani tho la jara'" The waiter comes running with water. Mangal is besides Ada holding him.

Khanak: "Ada!"

Her Ada smiles, "kuch nahi hua hain' subah se kuch khaya nahi na tho shayad thoda chakkar aaya shayad. Main thik hoon ri."

She tries to smile at him, but her eyes give away the tears that she had been holding from the past 2 hours. "Aap apna khayal abhi se nahi rakh rahe ho".

Shaan holds her at the elbow giving the much needed support. They are tied together not with the odhani alone but the relationship, making her parents as much his as they are hers. He leans towards Ada and keeps his hand on his shoulder, "App kuch kha lijiye".

Sunil, Shaan's father, comes ahead and says, "chaliye sab khane ko hi chaltey hain".

Ada: "nahi nahi, pehle aap log bhojan kar le phir hum log kar lenge"

Sunil: "Nahi, aise kaise, hum ladke wale hain, hum jo kahenge wahi hoga! Aur humari maang hain ke aaj ke iss khushi ke avsar par hum samdhi sath mein khana khaye!"

Ada and Bai are smiling, thanking God for such understanding family. Madhavi, just stands along with Sunil, not uttering a word. They turn to Shaan and Khanak, "Aap log bhi khana kha lo then change. There will be a small reception for the people who will want to meet you now as they are not coming in the night."

As all turn towards the exit of the mandap, Shaan is fidgeting with the garland and the stroll. Bua suggests that they leave the garlands and stuff in the room. As Shaan's room is nearby then go there. Shaan quickly removes the garland from the neck heaving a sigh of relief. Khanak is having a tough time removing the garland with her hairstyle and chunnari on the head. He turns around and helps her remove it. She was already tensed and their proximity was making her nervous, so she tries moving backwards from him, but is held by the knot tying her odhani to his stroll. He starts opening the knot, she stops him.

Khanak: "Isse nahi kholna hain".

She moves towards him, slowly raises her hands towards his neck, removes his stroll, holds it in her left hand and moves back. He walks behind her holding her by the elbow, "Come on Khanak, tension mat lo, Ada ko kuch nahi hoga".

Khanak could not hold her tears anymore. "Who mere vajah se dukhi hain Shanatanu, mere wajahse kuch khaya nahi hain. Mere chale jane ke baad kya hoga. They will miss me a lot na ' Ada tho is more attached to me, even when I was in UK, he used to tell me to come back. I will miss them so much."

Shaan holds her in a side hug with one arm on her shoulder and says "Can't you see how happy he is. His happiness is in your happiness. So for his sake please don't cry, he will feel more sad if you cry or look upset" and wipes her tears with his other hand.

Someone knocks and Mangal enters "ye kya ho raha hain" showing a mock shock seeing them together. Shaan is quick to retort "Apni behen se pucho, iski aasooan ka nal tho bandh hone ka naam hi nahi le raha."

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