The Vagabond

It was already midnight. The time for the priest to declare as married. He had read them the wedding vows. As always, much fun was made of the vows. Everyone was enjoying, yet her heart was sinking.

In a few hours, the little girl, Papa’s princess, mama’s best friend and brothers’s little darling would change her prefix from Ms to Mrs. Her surname would change. She would enter a new house about which she knew nothing.

From day one, she would be expected to know what the family likes to eat for breakfast, who likes his tea served as hot, and who likes it cold.

From now on, every mistake of her husband would be blamed on her. Even though the mother and son would have fought more than dozen times, yet now if they fight it would be because she has taught him like that.

Sometimes everyone’s chapatti would be burnt, or a dish may be less salty or more spicy, yet if it’s her mistake, she would be ridiculed for.

The house where she grew up would become a guest house whenever she goes. Even for that she would have to take permission from her husband and his family.

How suddenly everything would change overnight and she would be left all alone!

She didn’t realise that the priest had stopped chanting the holy scriptures and now they had to get up and seek everyone’s blessings.

Slowly she got up, and she and her husband started touching everyone’s feet to get their blessings.

Her family got busy in preparations for the “Vidai.”Her husbands cousins surrounded her and started appreciating her Heena and her bridal costume.

Slowly, the time came and her friends and her family accompanied her towards the car in which she was to go.

Everyone was silent. Her heart cried out, yet she couldn’t cry. She would always say I won’t cry on my wedding.

The car started and within a few minutes she was at the new place , her new home, her new family.

As she stepped in, the little girl whom she had kept controlled till now, broke down. She couldn’t see anyone she knew around. Surrounded with unfamiliar faces, she started crying. Her old family was left behind.