Band Baaja Baaraat

Well, the first wedding of the third generation of clan Kadam Kuan, that much-looked-forward to event, is finally over. As is wont, any occasion that is awaited with undue fervour, leaves a sort of emptiness in its wake. The eager anticipation, the shopping, the choosing of gifts, the options related to what the family would wear (once the kids had decided whether it would be Western or ethnic, that is) the colour coordination, the footwear and accessories to match, the endless chats with other cousins, checking on who was coming and when…the count down was truly exciting.  And what was especially impressive was the single-minded focus with which gen Y-all interestingly born between 1987 and 88-planned to make it to the wedding..

The wheel having come full circle; these five youngsters are all working men and women now, attending this event was especially difficult for the three girls-living in far off Calcutta, Manipal and Bombay .One a fresh MBBS graduate had joined internship and had no leave due, the other, a dentist had similar challenges and for the third, who had joined the Banking-Insurance industry, her job was literally a nine-day wonder. Taking leave for all three was tough but whoever said When there’s a will, there’s a way must have had these youngsters in mind. Their determination and sincerity paid off and each of them arrived in style, on the morning of the wedding. The young guys, in the meantime, were already in town, one luckily working from his Gurgaon office those days, the other having winged in from the United Kingdom a week before.

All in all, the stage was set as the very popular Bhaiya prepared to don the shervani and lead the baaraat. The entire clan descended upon the venue, resplendent in their trendy best, and then followed what can only be described as marathon dancing by the selfsame enthusiastic lads and gals. We, of the older generation, looked on benignly, but now and then, were pulled into the merry circle, while the even older generation beamed from the periphery. A good hour or more later (the groom’s dad having finally beaten the crazy traffic of Delhi on a week-day and arriving) the frenetic dancing ended. In stark contrast to the swaying movements, and with measured steps, the baaraatis converged at the hall’s entrance and were welcomed with warm smiles and traditional, flower garlands.

It was pretty much a regular, big, fat Indian wedding but what distinguished it was the large number of cousins who had made great efforts to be there, from different parts of the country and even more heartwarming was the spirit with which they met one another after long gaps. The magic of the extended family was palpable, the joy writ large on each face, very heartening. The sense of kinship and bonding were  tangibly felt by everyone.

Truly, a memorable occasion!!