Fairy Tale of A Village Girl 24 Customized

Marriage rites are completed. Akash felt like a burden is removed and after the gesture from the priest he and Varsha stood up to depart from the prayer canopy. Varsha is helped toward her own room and Akash along with his friend family members is ready to depart to pavilion prepared for them.

On the side of the courtyard when Akash looked for his shoes, he was not able to find them. He questioned Kripa and he also did not find the shoes. Akash felt speechless and asked his grandfather and he laughed.

Akash felt annoyed and asked Kripa "Is this also some irritating custom to make me go barefoot up to the pavilion?" Even family members felt speechless about the ignorance toward the customs of the marriage.

While Akash is feeling irritated, a small girl of about 10 years came to him and pulled his sleeve to attract his attention. Akash made himself look calm and then asked the girl "What is it?"

The girl looked at him and said coyly "I am one of the sisters of the bride." She pointed toward some other girls of age group around 10 to 15 who are smiling and laughing while looking toward Akash and then waited for his reply.

Akash felt like there is something about this girl's expression and asked "So?"

The girl while thinking how to say, tried but it feels like she felt not able to say properly and blurted "If you want your shoes, you have to pay for it."

Akash felt speechless. He looked at this shy girl and then those girl standing at a distance. But he did not see his shoes with them. It seems they have hidden his shoes somewhere. He said impatiently "They are my shoes, why should I pay for them? And when did bride get so many sisters?"

"Brother-in-law! We are the distant cousins of Varsha di. Some of us from her maternal family." Another girl who is a bit more in age joined the little girl and said. Akash waited for the answer for his other question but none came. Both girls also stood in front of him and showed no expression other than expectations.

Kripa found his cue and started his recording while laughing and he added his commentary "Looks like this is the custom of hiding the shoes of the groom by the sisters of the bride. Groom has to pay them to get his shoes back." Akash felt irritated by his friend's comments and then said to girls "How much you need to bring my shoes back?"

The little girl showed her 5 fingers of one hand but said nothing. Akash questioned "Five hundred?" And he pulled his purse and bring out a five hundred note. But the girl did not move from her place. The elder girl said "Brother-in-law! Aren't you evaluating your shoes so cheap? We need five thousand."

Akash felt surprised and said "This is a loot. I can buy many shoes like that in five thousand." Even Kripa laughed at the side. His grandfather saw that situation is not improving, he came and laughed and said "Ha ha ha. This is a custom where we have to show our generosity and pride. Shoes are just the means." And he pulled around eight to ten notes of thousand from his pocket and gave to the girls and said: "Go and divide among yourselves." Girls thanked Patel Grandpa and went back laughing and running.

After a few seconds, the shoes of Akash are in front of him. Akash felt frustrated about his own ignorance and also due to his grandpa's generosity who gave almost ten thousand to the girls.

In the pavilion, Akash is feeling down and did not respond to his grandpa when he asked him some things. It was really embarrassing not knowing the custom and bantering with small girls. Even some elders made fun of him and also commended him for his bargaining skills. Looking at Akash pouting Kripa laughed and said: "I do not know whether the groom has learned these expressions from the bride." Which brought a wave of laughter from surrounding people and anger of Akash onto him.

After some time, the bride side called groom, his brothers, and friends for the breakfast of hotchpotch. Akash felt like this dish name hotchpotch feels a bit weird and asked his grandpa "Tell me about this stupid hotchpotch before I embarrass myself again." It is really difficult for Akash to ask this question as it will make him look ignorant but there is nothing he can do. He looked at his smiling grandpa and felt irritated and said "You have brought me in all this mess. So, clarify before I really lose it."

Grandpa smiled at his frustrated grandson and put his hand on his shoulder and said lovingly "Don't go on the name. It is just the breakfast and the bride's family will give you some gifts and that is all. You just have to be yourself."

Akash along with his friend Kripa and cousins and other brothers form relations went for breakfast of hotchpotch. There are about 15 people in breakfast with Akash. They are all seated on a thick cotton drugget on the ground in inner courtyard and food is served in front of them on the plates made of palas leaves.

Akash found that people are looking at them including small children, women, and gents and felt strange. Onlookers included the family members of the bride, some are peeking from rooms, some are looking while sitting on thresholds and some are standing at a side and waiting. Akash looked around and then whispered to Kripa on the side "What is this? Why is everyone looking at us this way?" He looked at the food being served at the front and said: "Let us just finish the food and go back."

Kripa smiled and said in low voice in his ears "This breakfast is also a custom. I found from some people that you have to wait before you start. Someone will come and give some gifts to everyone and after said then only we have to start eating. Do not be impatient and embarrass yourself."

Akash although irritated, but he also felt good that Kripa found some information for him to help. They waited after food is served. A person came with a stack of cash and put some on the side of Akash's plate and he then put some in Kripa and then he continued and put some in everyone's plate. Akash looked and found that it is almost five thousand. His cousins and friends have a bit less than him. After a few minutes, his father-in-law came and gave him a watch and gold chain to wear on neck.

Akash looked at Kripa while asking with his eyes whether they should start with breakfast and Kripa shook his head saying that he did not know. Akash looked around and found no answers. The situation is very unnerving. All the gazes are filled with questions. He did not understand and looked for any face he can recognize and found Varsha's father, his father-in-law.

His father-in-law saw his gaze and came to him and asked: "Does son-in-law have any demand?"

"Demand? Why would I have any demand?" Akash asked confused.

Varsha's father understood that Akash does not understand the custom and said in almost a whisper "If groom needs something from bride's family like money, vehicles or anything in dowry, they can ask them. If the groom is not starting his breakfast, it means he wants to put some demand." Akash felt thankful to his father-in-law for explaining in lowered voice but he still felt very embarrassed and then he said: "I don't have any demand."

He looked on his side at smiling Kripa and hit him on the shoulder and said: "Why are you not eating?" And then he picked a spoonful from one of the dishes and put in his mouth and looked at his other cousins and said "Eat. Do you all have some demand? Wait for your own marriage." It brought a wave of laughter from the onlookers and reduced the embarrassment of Akash a bit.

Akash finished his breakfast in a hurry and went back to the pavilion. He felt frustrated with these customs. What the heck? Even if they are customs, why am I the one being customized? he did not know what to do. This marriage is a pain enough but the additional customs are bonus torture. So embarrassing.

Chapter end