Flame To Fire : A Journey Of Love

Chapter 11: Tied Together

मांगलायम तंतुनानेना मां जीवना-हेतुना
कण्ठे बध्नामि शुभगे तवं जीवा शरदः शतम

The priest was chanting the mantra.

Arjun was all decked up as a groom, in red clothes, unlike his signature white. But the red wasn't working any less in making him look irresistibly handsome. White Dhoti draped well-fittedly, maroon Angavastra folded neatly and cherry red Uttariya hung down his shoulder. A garland of lotus around his neck. This moment was supposed to be the best moment of his life, but who would believe if he said that he was forced to live this moment. His face was all gloomy, with no sign of happiness, no one would believe that he is the groom who is about to get married now. This moment is his marriage. Today is his marriage. But not with his Subhadra like he had dreamed a couple of hours ago, it was with this mysterious lady, Panchali, whom he had seen only once in his entire lifetime and had never heard of. Just within two hours, his life changed from dreaming of marrying Subhi and now to getting married to a stranger. He is getting married to a complete stranger, and that was the truth of his life now. He felt it a failure to call himself a warrior when he couldn't even fight to make the most important choice of his life. It would have been okay even if it was a political alliance with mutual understanding, but the fact was that it was a loveless marriage, breaking all his heart and his Subhi's heart and his mother's heart.

Just as he was lamenting of his fate, he saw her.

His bride. Panchali. His bride was adorned with the most intricate jewelry and was looking as heavenly as an angel who descended from heaven, like the full moon peeking from behind the clouds. She had worn a maroon lehenga, matching the colour of his attire. It seemed as if she had worn the moon itself as her Maang Tika, and the brightest two stars to keep her untamed hair in place, constellation collectively as her earrings, and his eyes didn't miss even a small detail of her outfit. She was the perfect definition of celestial beauty. Her eyes bore into his, and his hazel eyes, reminiscent to sandalwood soaked in water, noticed how her amber eyes flashing in gold colour under sunlight, akin to the boundless fire grazing over dried forest, akin to fire.

She looked at him, and then at her hands painted with henna. She can't believe it is her marriage. This was not even in her list of the least important things of her life. She didn't understand what made her not to end the legacy of the Tribe who dared to question her character, and accept to get married with no prior thoughts or knowledge of whom she is marrying, and top of all, coerce, more like force an already-in-love Prince to marry her. This was so unlike her.

She was feeling upset, and she was the one to bring it upon herself, understandable. But she was also feeling happy, she had no idea why. She felt as if the yearning of million years ended here, as if this point of life is where everything would go uphill. But her mind said this was all illusions.

And yet she couldn't help but sink deeper and embrace the illusion, the illusion of happiness named Prince Arjun.

Both their thoughts were broken when the priest announced them to start the Panigrahana.

"Var aur Vadhu Agnikund ke saamne ek saath khade rahe."

Panchali looked at Arjun confused, asking through her eyes as to what to do. And his eyes replied with a 'this is my first marriage too.'

"Dono apna haath aage karein. Vadhu apna haath Var ki haathon mein rakhein."

She placed her right hand over his right hand and his hand held hers covered.

"Maana jaata hai ki Vadhu apne haathon ko Var ki haathon mein rakhna apna dil ko apni pati ki dil mein samarpan karna samaan hai."

It is said that the closed fingers of the right hand of the bride represent her heart and that she submits her heart to her husband. But Panchali knew she needed to have a heart at first place to submit it to someone.

The priest sprinkled the holy water from the kalash to their hands.

"Ham vaadha karte hai ki ham hamaare vivaah ki vachanon ka maryada kar unhe jeevan mein paalan karenge. Ishwar hamare jeevan mein dhan aur dharm ki sthapna karein."

Saying so, they let the holy water slip from their hands to the Agnikund. They joined their hands together and closed their eyes, praying for the holy fire to bless them with prosperity.

'You hold the stature of my spiritual father, and I, your daughter. I seek your blessing to let my marital life be a blessed one.' She thought. 'If not, atleast fairly tolerable.'

It was the time for Agnisakshi and Saptapadi.

"You may now take the seven phrases and the seven steps together." The priest said them.

The end of her hem and his uttariya were tied together, as he locked his index with hers.

'ॐ इषे एकपदी भव'
'We now take our first step together for strength.'

'ॐ ऊर्जे द्विपदी भव'
'We now take our second step together for an energetic life.'

'ॐ रायस्पोषाय त्रिपदी भव'
'We now take our third step together for prosperity.'

'ॐ मायोभवाय चतुष्पदी भव '
'We now take our fourth step together for happiness.'

'ॐ प्रजाभ्यः पञ्चपदी भव '
'We now take our fifth step together for our children we'll beget.'

'ॐ ऋतुभ्यः षट्पदी भव'
'We now take our sixth step together to overcome all seasons.'

'ॐ सखे सप्तपदी भव'
'We now take our seventh step together for being friends forever.'

They stopped after taking the seven steps together, and looked at each other.

"Vivaah sampann hua."

Her hands grazed a little above the fire of the Agnikund, as if seeking the blessings of the only parent she has, and his eyes remained fixed on the fire.

A single drop of tear slid down Arjun's eyes at the though of the fallen face of his love, his Subhadra, and the kohl of Panchali's eyes stayed as the boundary line for her tears.

Their lives for tied together for the upcoming seven lives now. This was the first step of the journey of lifetime they would be taking together, and they both knew, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

.............................................................................................