My Nepenthe

Chapter 22

Dedicated to Naina8721 and VyshanvjKatakam for guessing right.

Congratulations lakshmi_priyanka_... for passing your exams in first class.

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I am sorry if you find this chapter not to your liking but I had to write it down... don't forget to give your comments...

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"Shyamala, this is Gauri. She is Omkara's wife," Taadaka introduced the women to each other.

The bride's mother stared at the beauty dressed in a yellow saree bordered with blotches of purple and red to match with her husband's yellow kurta. Golden jhumkas with red stones hung from her ears complementing her ruby necklace and vermilion filled hair partition. Her open hair fell in waves down one shoulder and her bangles clanged as she gathered her hands in a greeting.

"Namaste Aunty ji," Gauri smiled and received a courteous greeting.

"You look so pretty madam ji. Where is Omkara sir?"

"He is talking to Kamlesh, he will be here in no time. Why don't you take her inside and initiate the ritual, it is time to start the function isn't it?" said Taadaka.

"Of course, come inside Gauri madam," Shyamala smiled at her.

"Uh, you can call me Gauri, I don't mind it aunty ji."

"Thanks but it isn't that easy beta. We have to maintain certain etiquette. You might be small in age but we are still workers, small in status."

"But..."

"Do you have to argue with everything?" Subhadra made her presence known and Gauri stopped short.

"Come," Shyamala said and walked her inside.

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Sometime into the ritual, Gauri squirmed in her place as the women before her gave assessing looks and talked between themselves, as if she were not there at the same place as them.

The bride's mother made her sit with a group of elderly ladies saying they are important people belonging to some affluent village heads.

"Is she Jhanvi's bahu?" one of the women asked curiously.

"Must be. Isn't she beautiful?"

"Very much," gushed another.

"Let me have a look at Omkara too, it has been a while since I last saw him."

"Yeah, heard that he turned more handsome now."

She looked around the place to find somebody of her age to chat with but felt disappointed when the place was filled with the older generation. The younger ones were present close to the decorated stage where the bride sat while her relatives applied the mixture of turmeric.

"How many children do you have?" one of the ladies asked her.

"Ji, I... we did not..." she stammered.

"How long have you been married?"

"Four months at the most Daadi ji."

"Oh, newly-wed. Explains the blush," she laughed turning to the woman on the side who readily joined her.

"I used to be the same when I was your age. Where do you come from?"

"Bareilly."

"Then you should know of a village wedding. Did you marry there?"