As I reached office and started to switch on my computer, I noticed a pretty wedding invitation card adorning my otherwise bare desk. It was a cream-colored card bordered with red and gold curlicue and having a small motif of the Lord Ganapathi engraved on the top right corner. The card looked beautiful and as I anticipatorily fingered the engraving; I was suddenly taken back to my school days.
It was in the sixth standard that I first got a wedding invitation card addressed just to me. It was my friend, Pearly’s sister’s wedding and I was one among the chosen 5-6 in the class she had given an invitation to. I remember feeling very ebullient and even a wee smug.
And then that led to a huge discussion amongst all of us as to how we would want our weddings and cards to be like.
I was part of a Three Musketeers’ gang (as we were called then) with Surya and Shaziya. Surya had clearly decided that she would choose her husband and also that her card would be a 5 page leaflet. Shaziya was the silent one amongst us and she just smiled; but instinctively we knew that she would be the first to tie the knot.
And as far as I was concerned, marriage was something I could hardly fathom let alone participate in a discussion that surrounded it. It seemed to me very unnecessary and a waste of time. Back then, I just couldn’t understand its cause for such amusement and excitement.
Days, months and years passed; and our bond grew stronger and stronger. All through school we three sat in the same bench, attended the same electives, tuition classes and entrance coaching classes. The final year farewell came and went; but we fervently prayed that we would all end up in the same college.
But fate had other plans in store for us. And we got separated as we joined different engineering colleges. But we promised to keep in touch by at least a call every two days. On the first day of my college, I missed both of them terribly and cried myself to sleep that day.
The first half-year went fine; we managed to keep in constant touch through calls and messages. But as time went on, new people and events became part of our lives. Our priorities slowly started changing.
Our daily calls dwindled, over the years, to just a birthday wish a year.
But then one day, out of the blue, Shaziya phoned me and I impulsively felt she was getting married.
I went for her engagement; I was seeing her after 4 long years. We hugged; a long sisterly hug.
And then, I knew I had not lost my friend.
We then.…
‘So you’ll definitely come for my wedding right? I had placed the card on your desk as I didn’t see you in the morning’ – Prasanth’s voice jolted my train of thought.
I snapped out of my reverie to see Prasanth’s questioning glance.
“Thanks a lot, Prasanth”, I beamed at him and rushed out of the room leaving him perplexed at the bizarre and discordant nature of my reply.
I looked out through the window to see a bright, dazzling rainbow formed between a timid sun and dark gray clouds.
Thereupon, Mother Nature and I shared a tiny conspiratorial smile.
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