An American wedding

I always wished to attend a wedding in America. Having seen weddings in so many movies, I wanted to see it myself, is it really like that, thevows, "you may kiss the bride", daughter- father dance... Yes, yes, yes. It is all that!

I never expected to see N's mail in my mailbox asking me to assist her for a wedding shoot on Friday. Just couple of hours before her mail, I mailed my friends regarding a potluck grill lunch. As Navratri was supposed to start on Saturday, most of my friends had plans of fasting or being vegetarians for the nine days ahead. But seeing N's mail, I almost jumped in my seat. I couldn't miss this opportunity! Potlucks keep happening girls, I thought. But a wedding happens just once!

I called U immediately and he too readily agreed. My son looks at me and asks, what's happening mom? I am called to assist a wedding shoot, I said. Can I come, was his expected reply. No I said. He agreed and told me take a lot of pictures. Aww....

So I replied to N that I would join her and wrote to my friends, the grill-lunch was cancelled! Instead I met my friends on Thursday for a chaat and chat party :)

I met N on Thursday evening for the first time. She is such a lovely lady and good to talk too. We talked about how to go about with the next days shoot.

I was too excited to sleep well Thursday night, but I slept and woke early. Only to sleep back for an hour late morning. But it was totally rejuvenating!

The wedding venue was sort of a vineyard, a very cosy place. We went to the brides room and she
was getting ready to wear her bridal gown. OMG! It was such a pretty gown! I'm sure at the store she may have gone, "I'm saying yes to the dress", with all tears rolling down her cheeks and all huggy-huggy to the everyone who helped her select the dress.

Without wasting a minute, N was ready with her gear and had already started clicking pictures. I was still admiring the gown :) Unlike desi weddings, the bride was so relaxed, having a drink, joking
around and posing happily for the photographer. She wasn't shy at all! And I was happy seeing her.
Yes, I did help N with the photos. Then the outdoor shoot started and everyone was so outgoing while taking pictures. The best man, maid of honor, all that I had seen in movies was right in front of me.

The wedding planner managed the wedding so well. All was happening at the proper time as planned. The guests arrived on time and everyone got to enjoy the vows.

The vows part was so emotional. "Something, something and till death do us apart..." My heart almost sank, with the flash in my hand held up. And then "you may now kiss the bride" part. Oh God! It was magical. The bride blushed and her cheeks were so rosy. The father of the bride shed a tear and so did many of the guests. N was totally doing her job and I was totally enjoying looking at everyone, along with doing my part of helping the photographer.

The number of guests were limited, which was really good. Most of the arrangements in American weddings are done by the bride and groom themselves, so they really are on a budget. Inviting the closest acquaintances is anytime good.

After dinner, there was dance on the stage. At first the bride and groom danced. They looked so good together. Talking casually and kissing while dancing. All eyes on them. Wow! Then the father of the bride danced with her. This was the best part. The dad was such a sport. He danced so awesomely and so did the bride. Oh...What a wonderful world... My heart was still to come back to its normal beat.  After that most guests joined the dance floor and it was total masti and fun! Everyone was in an enjoying mood. May god bless the couple with lots of happiness.

And just like that it was time to leave for home. We packed our gear and left the venue. But the wedding was still there going on in my mind.

I can't thank N enough for taking me along with her. The pictures turned out lovely. N shared a few
on her page. They truly are beautiful, especially the magical father-daughter dance one.

I had to write down this experience, so that down the way I don't forget it and fight with U saying you never took me to an American wedding! Yes, I am capable of doing that!

So thanks a lot N and wish you all the very best for your future shoots.And my friends, what all you see in the movie weddings, it really happens!

Yashoda - Krishna

 

 

Any kind of art is kind of a stress buster. I just wanted to draw something since a long time. So just searched for a cute picture that I had seen in a song. Though my sketch is no close to the original one, I thought of posting it here.

Yashoda & Krishna

 

Men will be men - a short story

Men will be men


Today as always Kushal came to office and started his work. He had moved from Chicago to Bentonville just a couple of days back. He was getting to know the place and new colleagues. He was well aware of the huge amount of work that was going to be there in the project.
Like most of the times, even today he had a tiny tiff with his wife Jui. Though a little tense after reaching office, he emerged himself in his work and thought of trying to forget home issues till evening.

After lunch while he was sitting by his desk, he heard a familiar and very peculiar laughter from a distance. At first he ignored, but when again he heard it, he casually got up and started looking around trying to find from which side the laugh was coming. He walked a bit further and there were two women sitting. The one with the peculiar laughter sat with his back towards him. But she suddenly turned around.

Kushal could not believe his eyes. It was...it was Shonali!
“Yes, it is Shonali”, he thought excitingly.

“Hey Kushal!” said a equally surprised Shonali.

“H..Hi Shonali!” stammered Kushal. Words were not coming from his mouth. But he tried to speak. It was the same Shonali he had a crush on when they worked together back in India. Oh, those were the days. But he just couldn’t talk to her then and now too. How he wished he was bold enough to ask her out some day!

“How have you been?” asked Shonali.

“I’m good,” he replied. “In fact better...after seeing you”, he thought.

“When did you come here?”

“I just moved for Chicago last week.”

“Oh thats why I’d never seen you around.”

“How about you?”

“Well, I’ve been here for the past 3 years.”

“Now its my chance to say wow”.

Both laugh and so does the lady standing next to Shonali.

There is an awkward silence for a few seconds.

“Its been a long time since we met,” Shonali started the conversation again. “After I quit Infotek, I joined Digital Informations in Bangalore and they sent me here on a project.”

“Thats good. I’m still working for Infotek.”

“Kushal...can you tell me where’s your desk? I just have to take some backup and I’ll be out and running.”

“Oh sure, of course. Thats my cubicle there,” said Kushal pointing towards his desk. “Do stop by.”

“I’ll be there in sometime.”

“Okay” said Kushal and started walking to his desk. “Be sure to stop by,” he said turning around.

Shonali showed him a thumbs up.

As Kushal walked towards his desk, emotions, memories poured in his head.
He thought, “Shonali is here! I can’t believe it!! I was so much in love with her back then. She’s still the same beautiful, simple lady. Now after so many years she and I will be in the same office. Yippee!!” He starts dancing in his thoughts. As he thinks, animated clouds of various thoughts form in his mind. He stares at his computer screen.
“I will not let her out of my life now. Its destined that we come back together. Did she have a mangalsutra in her neck? I didn’t notice anything in her neck. Maybe she’s still single. Should I tell her I’m married? Yes, I will tell her. No, no orelse she will distance me from her. But if she has the same feelings like I do, I will tell Jui I no longer want to stay with her.” In his thoughts, Jui breaks his head with a rolling pin. Kushal shudders. “Whatever may come. I will be with Shonali. Yes this is destiny. God knew my love for Shonali was true, so he sent me here. I will marry her and make my life happy.” The thought clouds floated in his mind, Shonali coming running in his arms, he putting a wedding garland around her neck. He smiled at the thought.

Just then Shonali tapped on his shoulder and Kushal came back to his senses. He first viewed her neck. “Yes!! no mangalsutra, no thaali! She’s not yet married,” he thought happily.
He smiled at her. A sense of victory smile.

“How long have you been in US?” Shonali asked.

“Its more than a year now. You know Infotek. They really make us desperate to seek an onsite project.”

“Yes. That was one of the reasons why I quit.”

“Good move.”

“You know what, I have to leave now.”

“Oh, so soon?”

“Yes. We are meeting late actually.”

There was a question mark on Kushal’s face.

“I quit my job and am out of this project now. Todays my last day at work.”

The happy thought cloud burst in pieces in Kushals mind. His smile vanished.

“Really?” he asked unbelievingly.

“Hmm. I’m moving to Tampa tomorrow.”

“Oh.”

“Mind if you walk me to the door?”

“Sure,” replied Kushal, not being so sure.

“I was quite bored with this project and was looking for a change, when Suraj searched this new project for me.”

“S-Suraj?”

“My fiance`. I just forgot to tell you about him! I’m getting married next month in India.”

“Co-Congratulations.” The next marriage thought cloud popped in his mind and then he noticed the engagement ring in her finger.

“Thank you.”

Shonali opened the door with her badge. “There he is!” she said pointing out at the blue car that was waiting for her. “He’s from Mumbai and now settled in Tampa. We met online through a friend. I’m so happy to be with him. Yay!”

“Wow. Thats nice,” said Kushal with a slight smile.

“It was nice catching up with you again. I’ll be touch with you. I’ll get your email id from my friend and send you the wedding invitation.”

“Sure... sure thing.”

“See you then. Take care,” said Shonali, as she shook her hand with Kushal.
He half-heartedly shook her hand. She then sat in the car next to Suraj and they both waved at him and drove into the sunset.

Kushal looked as their car went and from his thought cloud he got another bang on his head by Jui. “Come home for garam rotis and sabji,” Jui said in his mind. He came back to his senses and smiled back into the office, imagining all his thought clouds vanishing in thin air.

THE END.