by P. G. Van
My hair was in a partial updo with a loosely tousled look, and I ensured that the makeup artist stuck to a neutral palette for my cheeks and eyes. I finished up with a warm glossy lip stain that complimented my skin.
I smiled remembering the look on Nick’s face when he saw me and decided to stay with my current look for the ceremony.
“Where are the bridal lehengas?” Nate asked looking at me in the mirror.
“You mean Reetu’s lehengas?” I asked confused with Nate’s question.
“I am asking about the outfits that the bride was supposed to wear. They would have been Reetu’s if she had shown up to select the outfit and showed up for the wedding,” Nate said in a stern voice.
I looked at her in silence, as I knew exactly what was going on in her mind. “Nate, I can’t wear those lehengas. They were meant to be worn by Reetu and even if I wanted to, the fitted blouse will be too big for me.”
“They were never meant to be worn by Reetu because she never showed up to pick out the outfits, and I am well aware that you are not as busty as Reetu,” Nate said giggling at me and added, “You picked out the outfit so it was yours as soon as you laid your eyes on the outfit.”
“She is right, Sam, and the color scheme for the wedding outfits is usually very similar so you can wear the skirt and the scarf of the bridal outfit with your blouse and the scarf of this outfit. It will make your outfit that much more special and unique,” Rhea said as she held out an ornate headpiece for me to try on.
“Thanks Rhea. Where are the outfits, Meera?” Nate commanded.
“In the closet to your right,” I said as Rhea gingerly placed a multitier head ornament in my hair. The head ornament had a pendant large enough to fill the center of my forehead, and there were three chains running outward from the pendant.
“Rhea, this is a bit too much,” I said looking at the multitiered chains that loosely ran along my hairline on both sides of the center pendant. Rhea clipped on the head ornament center chain hook to my hairdo at the back of my head and hooked the side chains in my hair just above my ears.
“Look at yourself, Sam. Not every bride can carry a multitier head ornament like this. You have the cheek bone and the facial structure, and the ornament is doing its job of exaggerating your features,” Rhea said as she looked at me in the mirror.
“Ooh, I love that maang tikka,” Nate squeaked as she came back into the dressing room holding the two bridal outfits.
“Which one do you want to wear?” Nate asked as she held out the two outfits. One lehenga was a classic and timeless style with a touch of drama with the multilayers. I had wanted the outfit for myself the first time I saw it in the boutique a few weeks ago. I drooled over the heavy flair at the bottom of the skirt with added layers of cancan to the lehenga that gave it the majestic feel.
When I could not find anything as resplendent as that one for Reetu, I set it aside as an outfit for the wedding ceremony for her special day. Nate had insisted that I keep it for myself as I liked it so much, but I wanted Reetu to have the best outfit for her special day.
“You know what I would want to wear, Nate,” I said giggling.
“I told you the outfit was yours the day we saw it at the boutique. You had to be a suck-up and offer it to Reetu, but I am glad it’s yours now,” Nate cheered.
Thirty minutes later, I was ready to get married to the love of my life again. Nate and Rhea ran through a million permutations and combinations of the jewelry styles and the ornaments that I had to wear with my outfit until I finally picked one necklace that worked well with the head ornament and called it a day.
“Nick is going to have heart failure when he sees you like this,” Rhea said giggling and Nate nodded in agreement.
“Thank you for doing this for me girls,” I said smiling and added, “I look like a walking bridal store, and I just hope Nick changed out of his cargo shorts and t-shirt.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Meera, Nick just mounted the decked-up mare to go to the wedding pavilion,” Nate shrieked looking at her phone.
“What?” I asked almost falling off the chair when I heard Nick was following the rituals of the Rajput wedding.
“Yes, Srini just texted me that he changed into a traditional outfit and is ready to be received my mom and dad at the wedding pavilion,” she said putting her arms around me and added, “I am also told that the ladies at the event are unable to peel their eyes off him.”
I laughed and said, “Nick looks great in traditional outfits. It’s too bad he doesn’t wear them as often.”
“Rhea, you should get going. I want you to take Sam with you and don’t let him talk to you about Reetu,” I said smiling at her.
“I got it Sam. I will take care of Sam,” she said smiling and asking, “What is Sam’s full name?”
“It’s Samraat,” I said smiling at her.
Rhea set aside another set of jewelry for me to wear for the reception, and gave Nate the instructions before she took off to take Sam home.
I sat waiting to be summoned to the wedding mandap with blood pounding in my ears. Nate exchanged text messages with Srini to give me the updates on what was happening with the rituals. My heart was racing, and I felt the blood rush through my veins in a mad rush.
“Nate, why am I feeling nervous?” I asked softly.
Nate looked up from her phone and said laughing, “It’s very common for a bride to feel nervous for various reasons, but since you are getting married to your husband, I don’t see why you would be nervous.”
I smiled back at Nate and looked at the opulent lehenga in a deep maroon color with a floral design hand embroidered all over the skirt and wondered again how I ended up in that outfit when it was supposed to be worn by another girl. The wedding I had planned and worked for the past few weeks had turned out to be my wedding.
Sam and Reetu had no preferences for colors, flowers, or even their own outfits and every selection and decision I made was to my liking, and it was as if I planned the wedding of my dreams for myself.
I took a deep breath wondering if there was something external guiding me through the whole situation from the time I told Nick’s mom I would take care of the wedding and leading up to the outrageous idea of getting married again to my husband when Reetu did not show up. I realized the series of events that led to that day was what was making me nervous.
I was extremely happy and was looking forward to a lovely evening, but I felt like there was something more I had to do and I had to embrace my destiny to know what I was destined to do.
I remembered at that point that I had completely forgotten about RajaRam and Jasleen’s love story and my desire to find out why RajaRam abandoned the woman he loved to death. I looked at my faint reflection on the wall-mounted TV and realized that I had all the happiness in the world, but I was not satisfied as I was yet to figure out why RajaRam and Jasleen lost each other and wondered if that was my answer for a happily-ever-after with Nick. I jolted internally as I felt the sharp chills run down my spine making it very clear to me why I was nervous.
The suite door opened as I sat lost in my own thoughts and Ann peeped inside and asked, “Is the bride ready?”
“Yes, she is,” Nate cheered, and I looked up at Ann smiling. She was beaming at me as she walked over to where I was sitting and said in a teasing tone, “Well, my bad-boy brother has a beautiful bride.”
“Ann, did you talk to him about getting on the mare to go to the mandap?” I asked curiously.
“Oh no. Nick wanted to do it. He is decked up in the most traditional outfits and is waiting for you so he can get off the mare and get married to you,” Ann teased and added, “Let’s go before he gets impatient and rides his mare into the hotel because I know he is dying to see you.”
We headed downstairs in the elevator and Ann whispered as we went down to the pavilion level, “Just a heads up, you will be greeted by the Bhatia boys at the elevator entrance.”
I looked at her wi
th a puzzled expression as the elevator doors opened and a dozen kids ranging from ages five to maybe early teens stood waiting for me.
I smiled looking at them as I stepped out of the elevator and one of the little boys said with excitement, “Uncle Nick is really marrying a princess.”
Ann giggled and said, “Okay boys, make way if you are done drooling over her.”
“Ann, stop it. They are kids,” I said shaking my head.
“No, they are Bhatia boys, and I don’t need to tell you how they are,” Ann said poking her elbow into me.
I met my mom and stepdad at the end of the hallway accompanied by a few of Nick’s relatives that were scanning me from top to bottom and looking at me in awe. I knew many of the guests were wondering why I was decked up as the bride.
“Meera, you look beautiful sweetie,” my stepdad said planting a kiss on my cheek and added, “Nick is waiting for you. Let’s go.”
I walked hand-in-hand with my stepdad with Ann, Nate, and my mom right behind me with the battalion of Bhatia boys following them. As I walked towards the mandap that was setup with the fire pit at the center for the ritual, I scanned the crowd for Nick. The mandap was set up outside in the beautiful landscaped grounds of the hotel and was now surrounded by the five hundred odd wedding guests who were still standing looking at the group in the mandap.
The priest handed me a garland of flowers and directed me to stand facing the wedding guests and asked the rest of the group to step away from the mandap leaving me all by myself standing at the center of the four-pillared white pavilion set up for the wedding.
I looked around wondering where Nick was and as if that was the cue, I heard an uproar of drumbeats and watched in amazement as the wedding guests cleared out a center section and at the end of that clearance was Nick, still mounted on the mare looking into my eyes.
My heart banged away in my chest as he trotted down the clearance smiling at me. I smiled back at him as I took in his traditional attire in deep maroon and gold with a matching maroon turban that made him even more irresistible with the facial hair framing his features. My heart skipped a beat when he stopped the mare a few feet away from me and got off the majestic animal that was decked up in gold and maroon.
I looked at him as he walked towards me in a traditionally festive outfit with his hands on the sword that was attached to a slimmer than usual cummerbund at his waist. He looked breathtaking in the long coat-like maroon top piece with the thin gold colored cummerbund. The maroon top was paired with ivory silk leggings and he flaunted the chain that was once my waist chain over the maroon tunic that fit perfectly over his broad shoulders and was filled to perfection with his well-built chest.
He had his fingers wrapped around the sword like a warrior and brought true meaning of the significance of the groom carrying the sword. He carried the sword with great honor to show that he can and will protect the bride.
I remembered Nate’s comment about women at the wedding unable to peel their eyes away from Nick, and I knew why when I saw him stand in front of me looking at me with his deep dark eyes that could make me swoon.
“My prince,” I whispered as I reached over his head to put the flower garland around his neck.
I heard him chuckle as he took the garland of flowers from the priest and put it around my neck.
“You are heart-stopping beautiful, my love,” Nick said in a soft voice as he brought his lips to mine in a slow and loving kiss. The guests at the wedding broke into a clamoring applause and as Nick pulled me closer to deepen the kiss, the blood pounding in my heart deafened me and the intensity in his caress blurred everyone around us out of sight.
“Thank you for making my life a true fairy tale,” I said smiling at him.
Nick smiled at me and looked at the priest who was patiently waiting to give us directions.
“What’s next, Panditji?” Nick asked the priest.
“You didn’t really wait for me to give you instructions before you decided to kiss the bride,” the priest teased smiling at us.
Nick and I performed the rituals under the close supervision of the priest who kept mocking Nick for kissing me before he adorned the black beads chain around my neck that marked the union of a man and woman.
“She may be the bride, but she is my wife,” Nick said to the priest amidst a ritual and flashed his wedding band at him and added, “I am just doing this because she wanted the experience of a Rajput wedding. Right, sweetheart?”
I looked up from time to time to catch the expressions on our beloveds’ faces as they watched us perform the rituals. I kept looking into Nick’s mom’s eyes as she beamed with joy watching her son get married, especially after coming really close to having a disastrous day.
The priest guided us through the last steps of the ritual of Nick putting the sacred saffron colored powder in my hair partition just below the head ornament and he clipped on the black beads necklace that I had picked out weeks ago around my neck. The priest blessed us and said to Nick, “Now, you may kiss your bride.”
Nick laughed and planted a kiss on my temple and turned to face his parents for their blessings.
Nick hugged his dad while I hugged his mom. When we pulled back to look at their happy teary-eyed faces, Nick’s mom said softly looking at Nick, “I was very upset when you guys got married in India without us, but you gave us so much happiness today, I cannot be mad at you marrying this princess in a hurry.”
Nick looked at his parents with pain in his eyes and said, “I am so sorry you guys,” and hugged them and added looking at me, “She was the one who wanted to get married in India.”
I burst out laughing and joined them in the group hug that ended up growing out of proportion as everyone standing around the mandap joined in to celebrate.
*****
“I had no clue that my mom was upset that she could not attend our wedding in India, in person,” Nick said as we headed back to our suite after the photography session.
I smiled at him and said, “Any mother would, and I don’t know if I can still justify my behavior after our wedding, but the guilt that weighed me down was because we got married without your parents. Thanks to Reetu, I am relieved of my guilt.”
“I knew why you were feeling guilty, but didn’t really understand why and now I know. I will tell you that you were absolutely right, and I am sure Ma felt better when we moved into the family residence,” Nick said planting a kiss on my lips.
“Nick,” Mitch called out from behind us.
“Congratulations you guys, that was the most beautiful wedding I have ever witnessed,” Mitch said hugging Nick and added smiling at me, “Ms. Nick, you look like a queen and Nick you don’t look too bad.”
I smiled at him and said, “Thanks Mitch.”
“Both your phones have been ringing like crazy the past hour,” Mitch said giving us back our cellphones that we had given to him before the ceremony so we wouldn’t text each other like we had in India.
“The people I care about most were all around me except for Sam, and I know he would have called someone else when he couldn’t reach me. Who was it that called me so many times?” Nick asked looking at his phone.
“Why did Reetu call me so many times, and it looks like she left me a dozen voice mails,” Nick sneered and hit the button to listen to the voice mails.
I looked through my call list and realized that I had numerous missed calls from a number with the caller ID blocked but no voice mails. I had a text message from Rhea.
Rhea: Sam, I hope you are enjoying your wedding
Rhea: I am having a great time with Sam. We stopped at a local coffee shop on our way home.
Rhea: BTW Sam is such a great guy, I can’t believe that beeyotch didn’t show up for the wedding.
Me: Thanks Rhea.
Mitch and I looked at Nick as he listened to one voicemail after another and finally hit delete on the last voice mail as he shook his head.
“Nick, what is it? Why did she call?
Is she okay?” I asked looking at him.
“Her messages are all over the place, but she says she wants to meet me to apologize for what she did because she can’t face Sam,” Nick said in a soft voice.
“You will do no such thing today, Nick,” I declared and added, “We should go talk to her tomorrow.”
Nick laughed and said in a teasing tone, “Your wish is my command, your majesty.”
“Not funny. We need to go now and change for the reception,” I said in a flat tone glaring at the sight of Mitch and Nick laughing at Nick’s comment.
“Mitch, where is Sam?” Nick asked as he followed me to our suite.
“Sam is with Rhea at a coffee shop and he is doing okay,” I said to Nick without turning around to look at him.
“She is really on top of things today, Mitch,” Nick teased.
I waited as Mitch and Nick approached the suite entrance, and Mitch opened the door for us and handed the keycard to Nick.
“Nick, I would like to hang out right outside the suite if you don’t mind,” Mitch said in a flat voice and Nick agreed without objecting.
“Why is Mitch waiting outside our suite, Nick?” I asked Nick curiously.
“I am not entirely sure, but I am going to let him do his job while I do my job of keeping my warrior princess happy,” Nick said pulling me to him and bringing his lips to mine.
I giggled against his lips and said, “I love this look of yours with the mustache and beard, but I don’t know how long you are willing the keep it.”
Nick took his lips to my neck and said as he rubbed his chin against my neck, “However long you want this feeling on your neck,” I moaned and threw my head back enjoying the tingling of his facial hair on my skin.