Year 2022 ended with a Fabulous, Marvelous, Magnificent Wedding Event !!!

 Year 2022 ended with a Fabulous, Marvelous, Magnificent Wedding Event !!!

It was six months back, my friend Narendra called me from US “Sherry” we are all arriving in India in November and we all need to gear up for wedding of Tejashree in December.  This itself was a big news as almost after four and half years the friend and family – who is not less than a real brother is arriving India.  Moreover, ice on the cake of was a great news of Tejashree’s wedding event.  They all including newlyweds (bride and bridegroom) are settled in US and wanted to share the joy of their once-in-a-lifetime event “Wedding Ceremony”  in all of us close nits of the family threads.  It was truly a Ceremony which we all enjoyed to the fullest.  

The story has a little dark shadow of Tejashree’s father (Late Mahendra Dada) left all of us and in his absence happening of this event always had that freel of sorrow he being not there.  But on this happy note I must avoid it though it’s a touchy, emotional and little sensitive topic to bring in now.  But I must mention that he would definitely sanctified his most adorable daughter with a special blessing from some corner of that big venue @ Indore.  

Time was flying by and the D day arrived and my friend arrived in India – if would have been in Pune without saying I would have been the first to meet them @ airport, give a tight hug and wet the clothes by the long holding tears of love, kindness, happiness and what not…but missed that opportunity as was away from the place and could not make it.  They all landed and very next day the bride and bridegroom also landed.   And the free birds were just making the fun at Mumbai like the way early morning the bird crew float it the air with making sweet noise and wander.  Shopping – this is the soul of any wedding and there are endless, boundless, infinite ambitions and does not meet our satisfaction levels, but time stops everything.  Like mad these guys were shopping… the best part is these guys are now earning in US$ and then they try to convert everything to INR.. you can imagine.

Next week-end I made it a plan that I must meet them and travelled from Karnataka to Pune, and fulfilled my pending wish at the airport.  We met over a luncheon and kept on chatting for a long time, then the hotel staff finally was ready with the lock to close the hotel and we had to take a break. I had to catch a train back to Saidapur so dropped them safely back home and with heavy heart returned home.. with of course a bunch of dreams for the time to be spent and enjoyed at the wedding at Indore.

As I said time flies, it was almost running with a big bang speed and the day arrived wherein Mehendi, Music day event was organized at the Eden Garden, Viman Nagar, Pune – this society is of all beautiful people and they all gather for any event and spread the fragrance of relationship, neighborhood bonds to the fullest.  Let it be a time of difficulty, festivity, happiness and what not, they all come together and luster the event. Here again could not join, but my family joined and witnessed.  Little baby for a while was on the stage as a bride and she started telling about their tough times when Dad left them and after that with a courage Sunita bhabiji brought the kids where they are today.  Though our dear Narendra and Neelima were always there and witnessed all bad and good times when in difficulty.  Same night I was in a train to reach Pune as the “baraat” was to leave Pune on the 23rd December to be there on 24th. I was getting the updates and pictures during my journey and I have internally started to be enjoying the event though was not their directly at the venue. This was also a get together of old friends from Aurangabad ...sone pe suhaagaa. 

Bags packed with full of traditional, shiny, gloomy attire my car stopped at the Eden Garden and after a sumptuous food – which was arranged even on the day of leaving for all us, we all board the Prasanna Volvo bus.  As usual I do, performed the Pooja of the bus, broke the coconuts and with chanting of Shri Ganesha we all boarded the bus.  Tejashree took the flight as Pune to Indore journey takes ~ 15 to 16 ehours one way and since she had to be @ the stage all the times.  After pulling each other legs in the bus, a traditional game of Antakshari happened and it also went silent after few hours.  Intermittent breaks of tea and bio-breaks, we landed up in one of the best places near Nasik.  I must mention the name of the place but I forget…. We were a group of ~ 45 pax and one won’t believe the hotel arranged a big single table for all of us together and within 45 minutes we all finished eating our dinner there.  Tremendous service, good taste.  Unlike Pune wherein we keep waiting outside the restaurants for hours together and then wait on the table to gen even a Masala Papad and starters. So this kicked off the journey fun in a positive way.  Obviously there was no plan except good sleep. In between some technical issues which are very common in a long bus journeys and state toll etc.  we ended up entering in MP in early morning, where again a good Tea and break-fast joint served us quickly and we could finish our morning freshen ups there. 

And in some time bus stopped at a beautiful, awesome, fantastic venue like a palace and as soon as the bus stops music vibrations have started entering and the body started moving in a rhythmic manner – an inner dance.  Tejashree who was already reached alongwith Tejas and family members have welcome all the guests in a loud local folk music instruments with garlands and they both were also dancing.  Soon the entire travel fatigue vanished and we all were mesmerized in that very jubilant environment out there @ The Dastoor.  

After enjoying a tasty and typical Indori variety break-fast we all headed for our rooms and got ready for Haldi.   And in less than 40 minutes, the entire area was Yellow Yellow – on Haldi all were yellow outfitted… variety of sheds in Yellow and mix and match of Kurtas, sarees, suits and jackets…. Wow.. I could still feel that yellow tinge when I am writing this.  Again music – dance – group photos, single photos, selfies, and what not.   The rhythmic pulse fuelled with the fun and frolic supplemented with the food, beautifully decorated buffet stalls was real  cherry on the cake.   Mobile phones were bouncing up and down, right and left and all possible corners to snap out every detail, every emotion, every moment in and around.  What a fun man. 

Then a break-time…some went for shopping but we preferred to rest at rooms as we were almost awake prior night in journey and were getting ready for the Music Night arranged for both the parties.  We all thrown our yellow outfits and again geared up with new outfits and with the additional lighting at the venue it was just sparkling and eye catching.  We generally get well dressed up in all the events but here with the beautiful atmosphere, kind courtesy by the hosts which are Bride and Bride grooms themselves taking care of each and every one arrived, making sure everyone is comfortable out etc. etc.  – this outfit was poised more graceful as all in all we were enjoying it from within.  

I was nominated the master of the ceremony for musical night and I got hold of the mike and made few announcements to the audience to be in the crease to enjoy wonderful deliveries, shots and what not in the forms of songs, dance etc.  A surprise for both the hosts Tejashree and Tejas … our team arranged a beautiful cake of 3 tiers having a couple ballet dancing statues in the cake form… Kudos to the team who arranged such a beautiful cake.  Here again an emotional peace touched everyones’ heart when Narendra expressed his feelings as a kick off to the event, Tejashree carrying her fathers photo frame in the hand walked on the stage and for a moment we all could not stop our tears to pass by.  Then was a real fun of both of them dancing on multiple stanzas of different songs and musical night was on its high.  I kept interacting in between and introducing the performers as this is the way we connect two families together.  In a traditional wedding there is an event wherein we get introduced to each others, but we used this as a tool to do so.  One after the other, beautiful, intimate and eye catching performances were happening and the crowd was equally cheering up all of them and the event was at its all time high.  Though there was a separate place for both the celebrities created to watch the event – but they danced almost on all the bits that were running of the stage – I salute to these guys for their energy, enthusiasm and enjoying every moment. In parallel the most beautiful dinner buffet was also catching our eyes but with a mixed feelings – where to have food or to enjoy the performances – the performances won and we could not go there till the event concluded by we all dancing together on ‘ZINGAAGT’ – without which no musical event ends up.  We all kept of dancing on the live band out there at the stage and we were over 50 dancers moving our rhythmically dosed bodies up and down and enjoying every bit of it…. After a lot of sweat around we all walked to the food stalls and grabbed almost three times the calories that we burnt by dancing.

Next day we all woke for up the traditional wedding rituals again in another traditional outfit.  All shining, cheerful faces again went in photography – this time FETA was an add-on by the organizers and we added that tomb in our attire and enjoyed the photography to the fullest.  Needless to mention beautiful tea, coffee and cookies on the wake up in the chilling weather of Indore and followed by a varied itemized breakfast.  An exquisitely, gorgeously and charmingly pandal was another site of attraction to click the pics wherein all the rituals were happening.   We all were also on all time high in terms of the attire and looks and some with goggles and some without it.  In all possible bearings, we posed for the clicks and by the time all our GBs data was about to die with the loads of pictures we were adding to it.  Then the barat, dance, Mangalashtak – the actual wedding ritual. I always get very emotional at this whether its my own daughter or any other, but I could see the feelings of all the responsible people out there and imagine what they must be thinking at this moment in time and soon a set of drops started flowing over the face and out and a big applaud of claps with music woked me up and finally Tejashree and Tejas were officially tied together. I  must not repeat about the food…. As in every event the number of dishes and variety was increasing and the stalls were many that I could not  catch them in all even in a Panorama view in the photo. 

Now it was a last episode of the whole event – Reception.  We were out for some time for a local site seeing but with the chilling winter could not sustain more and soon we entered the venue…  another REAL PALACE like stage was lit up with extra ordinary lighting arrangements and it almost looked the palace.. we were zapped with the kind of décor it had.  We again changed up to new attire and though everybody was in suites and formal attire, I still preferred the traditional kurta only.  I need not repeat about the photos again as it was just the same or rather more of it as the events started passing by.  Our beautiful life partners also dressed so well and we again fall in deep love over their almost the bridal make up.  We enjoyed it as if its our own wedding. The last food buffet was so long that we could not even walk to all the stalls and after having loads of sweets, pastas, salads, Punjabi, Chinese, traditional our bodies were not allowing us to walk – so we found out a corner at the stage and kept of chatting like the we used to chat in our Kattas for an hour or so and then went of to the rooms. 

Next day was the check out and with heavy hearts we all walked to the rooms… I started getting fever as was tired by continuous journey and exertion.  Next day again hot tea, coffee, kachori, poha and bus boarding…. Both the celebrities with smaller faces bid all of us good bye and we started our return journey to Pune….. a delicious lunch break at one of the relatives resort who also arranged Khandeshi “Mande” for all of us  clubbed with a traditional maharashtrial food.  I missed it due to health but enjoyed butter milk and boarded the bus again…. Night again one more stop at Shivneri Misal which was the last halt of the journey and we all headed to Pune reaching there midnight. 

In all it was an awesome, fantastic, fantabulous, mindblowing event arranged by all Khairnar’s the heads of families Bhabiji, Narendra and Neelima….and their close family members – I may miss few names, please forgive me but I should not miss few key members who were kind enough to take care of the entire arrangements including Tejas'  loving father and mother and juniors lead by Meenu, Sunny, Abhi, Sanju dada alongwith their better halfs who contributed equally like better halfs…Aadi and Aaryan were also part of the crew... hats off to you guys for closing our 2022 with big bang fond memories to cherish for longer times…

Sharad Puranik