The Red Wedding ( Not from Game of Thrones)💑

Please read the first part of the story  The Gift before reading onwards.

I was hoping for some news in a week but could not muster the courage to ask about it from Rohan given how the situation unfolded last time.

After nearly two months, I got the invitation card and that summed up everything. I went to the wedding and tried to help in any way I could. After interacting with various people involved, I learned that like everything else in life, a wedding can be observed from various points of view. Everyone involved is in it for their own reason and motivation. A wedding, especially in the Indian context, is one of the major events in the life of so many people. No wonder they plan it for years and are ready to go down in debt to make it a grand affair. 

I heard many people criticizing the food and arrangement. I realized that no matter how well you do something,  you can never make everyone happy. 

It was a night wedding and I stayed up all night to help my friend and witness the various rituals involved. I, with my limited understanding, tried to make sense of the various actions and words of people there. ' Kanyadan' or as I understood, giving your daughter as ' The Gift ', was an extremely emotional affair for everyone. I found myself incapable of holding tears when I thought about the gravity of the event. The father of the girl donates his daughter to the groom with an expectation that he will help her in leading a good life. The girl has to accept a new family as her own. I am sure that it was not a walk in the park experience. I remembered my days when I had to leave my family and go to a boarding school. It took me years to fully adjust in the new surrounding but I knew that after 6 years, it would all come to an end. She has no such comfort. She lived with her family from the day she was born. Her family is the base of her life as she knows it.  And in a few hour rituals, everything changed permanently. I thought of the reason why people chose ' Kanyadan' and never ' Vardan', a boon indeed for all the men. Nothing could be said with certainty but I reasoned that the rules of the world were made by men and who would create such a grave problem for themselves. The brave men were not as brave I guessed.

Women are facing it for ages. No wonder they are called 'Shakti ' or 'Power'.

It was morning. The wedding was over. The boy's father insisted on an early departure. At around 9 AM, all the gifts were loaded on a minivan and the human gift sat in the brand new car 🚗 which was again a gift from her father.

Suddenly at the time of departure, when  Rohan's father went to say goodbye to his counterpart, he put his head on the feet of the boy's father and requested him to forgive any mistake committed by his girl who he knew was somehow no longer his. 

The Boy's family departed along with their brand new addition and I turned towards my home. I saw that all the people involved in various arrangements moved towards Rohan's father with their long bills. The Uncle came to him and said, ' One done! Now start thinking about the next one'.

I slept 😴 throughout the day and in the evening I opened my diary to write down about the various events seen through the eyes of various people in my opinion. Since most of the decoration at the wedding was red, I gave the title of the article as' The Red Wedding'. I started writing.

The Boy- Thank god for the system of arranged marriages. It was completely beyond me to woo a girl like her on my own. It is also beyond me for now to buy so many things and a new car. I am so happy to be a part of a society that awards me so much just for my gender.

The Girl- How am I supposed to respect someone who gave so much trouble to my family? And now I am part of the same. Greed can never be fulfilled. And what kind of idiot is my husband who can not resist the injustice? A spineless moron! I now have to live and tolerate him while I wonder how much more trouble my family has to undergo just because of him and his family. I feel terrible. I wish to be a boy if I have to live under these conditions. And a boy with Spine I meant. 

Boy's father - The arrangement was great but I will have to show that It was just OK. I can now brag about the wedding and the gift to all my friends and family. Today I feel so alive. I got so many things without spending my money. OH wait! I had spent a lot on my son's education. This is the return on my investment.

My boy got more than everyone! He deserves it. Thank you, god, for such an obedient son. 

Boy's Mother- Now I can say goodbye to the kitchen and house works. I will simply rule the house now. I had to make regular payments to the maid but now I got one who will not only do all the work but has also brought so many things and will keep bringing her entire life. 

Girl's Father- Life is cruel indeed.  My daughter is not with me and my financial health is not good either. Just for the sake of matching up with the society, I was forced into this extravaganza. By the time I will be out of debt, I will have to do the same again. I wish that everyone, especially people with money should make marriage a simple affair so that people like me with limited means are not forced like this. They must be doing it because they can but that changes the society even for those who can't. I hope someone gets aware enough and breaks this chain of showmanship. 

Girl's Mother- 

My point of view- The treatment of human beings as property baffled me. Girls in this country, especially in small towns and villages, are still felt like a burden for the entire family. How 50% of the population is treated as second class is completely bizarre.

Just a moment! we have not allowed them to be 50%.

It's insane to think that girls are playing a role they didn't ask for. They and their family have to sacrifice so much more just because of who they are. 

'This is Completely wrong!' Rahul yelled at the top of his voice. 

'Things are changing Rahul. Slowly but surely things are changing but why you left the column for the Girl's Mother blank?', Radha asked.

' I had no idea about her feelings. I still have no clue. She gave birth, raised, made her capable, and then donated her child to someone. It's like donating a part of your body, your blood. The Red of The Red wedding got its color from there I guess', Rahul said.