Malayali in London ~ Part-45

Chapter -13:

...Wedding...

The preparations for my weddings had begun long before I even came home. I always come home to Kerala at least once a year but every time I come home, it feels like it has been an eternity since my last visit. My Amama was really happy at the news that I had decided to have my wedding here in Thiruvananthapuram, close to her. The ceremonial bath called ‘Snana’ was done the day before yesterday and we’re having the mehendi function called ‘Eli Adipu’ today. Europeans called mehendi ‘henna tattoos’ and I find it weird.

        I am sitting peacefully, trying to stay still as the women are drawing designs on my hands and feet. I can’t help but smile looking at everything. The mandapam (a raised platform decorated with flowers on which the main wedding ceremony takes place) will be right where I’m sitting, in the open courtyard where we used to have dinner back when I lived here. There are flowers and lights all around the house. They’ll set the mandapam up tomorrow, a day before the wedding. I still can’t believe that this is actually happening! I’ve imagined a few times in the past what my wedding day would be like, and now my imagination is becoming a reality.

        Jennie threads through the people standing with a leaf with something white on it in her hand. She walks up to me and says, “It’s kheer, you want some?” I nod and open my mouth. Jennie feeds me some and it’s delicious. That’s Amama’s cooking for you. “Your grandmother is absolutely the best cook in the world,” Jennie had said when she ate Amama’s cooking for the first time when she arrived last week. Sawyer and his parents had come to Thiruvananthapuram with me and my parents. Theo had arrived on the day of the Snana.

        Later in the evening, I’m talking to Jennie on the terrace after I’ve washed the henna. Jennie looks down at the garden decorated with flowers and smiles, “Can you believe this? It’s your wedding, I had imagined what your wedding would be like many times, but this," She points at the house and the decoration, "this is better than anything I could have thought of. Your culture is so amazing, it makes me wish I was born in Kerala. You know now that you’re finally getting married it makes me want to get married, too. I am of age and I’m just waiting for that stupid boyfriend of mine to propose. Do you think Sawyer could give him some tips? I want a proposal as romantic as yours was.” I laugh and my laughter is interrupted by Theo’s voice coming from behind, “He already has given me some really good ones.” We turn around to see Theo standing behind us, smirking, and Sawyer leaning against the doorframe of what used to be my room. Jennie gasps, she’s getting excited. I smile, I’m so happy that I don’t know how to express it. I’m really glad Theo is proposing to Jennie, she’s technically been waiting for it to happen since Sawyer proposed to me. I guess that she was hoping that the two of them had planned to do it around the same time frame. Theo pulls a ring out of the pocket of his jeans and walks up to Jennie. He whispers something in her ear and she squeals. She throws her arms around his neck continuously saying “Yes.” I laugh at how excited and happy she is. Theo doesn’t look like he’s about to vomit, and that’s a good thing. It means that he’s completely moved on. In the past, whenever we were in the middle of anything that had to do with our relationships, he looked like he could throw up because he wanted out of it. I’m so happy for them, I could cry.