The Reddy-Sadhukhan Vivah

Moon mailed in last evening and complained that my much promised post on her wedding was long due. When the weddings - mark the plural (yep like most other Indianinter caste weddings these days,this one also had two styles of wedding), took place, the turn of
events between both the families were rather amusing..andthat's what had prompted me to promise Moon to jot down my account of her weddings.
A quick background. Moon and Phani had been going around for quite sometime when their families sniffed something fishy. They were also like most other couples having a blissful time in the US, and their parents were totally oblivious of the fact.
Before the parents got their act together, the couple decided to spill the beans and from there on began the long filmy saga of bothfamilies trying their best to dissuade their respective bachchas to go ahead with the alliance. The couple had however h foreseen this and had astutely braced up to face the inevitable outcome.
Phani was from the Reddy community. Being a Reddy was like being a one stop shop for oodles of dowry. And if the Reddy boy was settled in The US and held an MS degree, then he was the preeminent type.
Moon was from a typical Bengali family. They ate fish everyday and they, like other bengalis believed that every Oriya was a good cook (an euphemism which R will understand).
Neither families expected that their respective kids would go ahead and choose their partners - coz both Moon and Phani were considered the quiet, reserved, studious types, who couldn't possibly think beyond their laptops. How silly!
I think the only thing common between both the families was their levels of interference in their kids lives. Both families I feel were/are rather prying :).
But then, this generation is obstinate and no amount of tears shed by the mothers deterred their decision to marry each other. With much reluctance the families met. Dates were set (if i ever get into the nitty gritties of how the dates were set this post will turn into an epic), venues were fixed, menus were decided.
No. The families wouldn't compromise on the style of wedding. The bongs held ground- our only daughter hence a bengali style wedding. The Reddy's argument- our only child and a matter of prestige, hence a telugu style wedding. A compromise was made. Both types of wedding would take place on different dates. The bong one according to bong calender, and thetelugu according to the bride and groom's nakshatra. (Suraj Barjatiya should have been there - Vivah would have had a much better script) Monies were flowing like a perennial river. Both families wanted it to be a lavish affair - Orchid mandaps to landscaping in the venue. All arrangements were met with....ah, well, it wasn't as smooth of course. Moon would decide on a particular mandap, dad would try to bargain for a better price with the vendor, a deal would be agreed upon- that's not the end. Moon liked to please her in-laws to be. So she always did a double check with them about the arrangements- obviously there would be changes - colour combinations, a picture of their family God, ....blah blah blah...(which meant more animated conversation on the table at dinner between moon and dad).

Meanwhile, we - r and me- went rather berserk with our shopping. This was the last wedding in our family and my last chance to deck up. Loooooooong earrings, jhataak mataak sarees, gold chappals. Ghagraas for meeshu. If one needs to understand what berserk possibly means, sample this- r picks up a kurta pyjama from Hyd's premier boutique worth 5000/- bucks, Wills Lifestyle club shirt and trousers, another kurta from Lifestyle and a suit with a Satya Paul tie. Hell- this was a Sadhukhan-Reddy wedding not a frigging Ambani wedding. I mean for our middle class standards all these purchases meant only one thing- an outrageous credit card bill.

There were a total of 6 events - the bengali wedding, sangeet, a ceremony from the groom's side (can't remember what that was called),the telugu wedding, reception, followed by a satyanarayan Puja at the grooms place. Phew!
Well the events went as expected. But a few things need special mention.
1. Moon's make up package- costed her an unheard of sum of money.
2. Mejo mamu's luggage - it always gets lost!
3. Phani's granma's special jig at the sangeet. She is too sweet for words.
4. Dutta kaku's fancy for Anjalli. It was most amusing.
5. Moon's rehearsal of shubhodrishti! She is incorrigible!Hilarious.
5. Moon's jasmine flowers. ****! That story is something else. All i can
say is moon needs to still compensate for that episode :D
6. Munni Mashi's gajra
7. Meeshu's slap across Tinni's face and her specially reserved anger towards Tukuma and Ratnamami.
8. The shocking pink swarovski studded 30 kilo reception saree in which Moon surprisingly looked good. (i did'nt say very good. but good compared to my what i had imagined)
9. The booze den at the reception (it was very cleverly done - but I still don't get something - what about the women folk? They should have had a separate den. At least the bong women).
10. The happily perched bengalis in the reception - they refused to budge. All the telugu guests had long gone. But the bongs wanted more. Tch!tch!
11. Ma's dramatization of every thing. The Sadhukhans love drama.
12. Phani's telephonic enquiry - hi! is sonu there?
13. Phani's famous words for Moon during vidayi - dont worry Sonu, we'll not go to our place, we'll go to your house OK? Please don't cry!!!
14. Moon's priceless gifts - glassware, glassware and more glassware.
15. Laddu Gopal dada's smart ass comments on the vegetable prices. He is invincible!
16.Ma's obsession with orderliness.
17. Oh! how can i ever forget Moon's black spot?????
The list can go on and on and on. But the fact is that this was perhaps the only time we all were together as a family and we loved, cried, enjoyed, laughed, gossiped to our hearts content. weddings are meant to be this way - unforgettable! It was the most memorable wedding i have ever attended. Here's wishing them the best in life. Cheers!