Fiction: The Wedding

-Richa Shirish

Pihu and Mini were having their elaborate “tea party” in their makeshift house on the terrace. Mini poured the “hot tea,” which was only sugar water, from a little play kettle into tiny tea cups while Pihu arranged the snacks on the side, the pakoras and other yummy delicacies retrieved from Mini’s mother’s actual kitchen downstairs.

Pihu and Mini praised the tea and spoke of the weather just as their mummy and papa did. Pihu’s baby sister Chunmun, who happily tagged along with them was busy playing with her toy train track that her big sister had set up for her in the “house.” The schools had shut for summer holidays, and so, it was important to enjoy the happy days to the full by playing all day on Mini’s terrace, until Pihu’s mother returned from work in the evenings and took her girls back home.

While the sun burnt outside, it was nice and cool inside the “house,” the girls made from standing two charpois[1] facing each other and spreading an old red bedsheet above to make the roof. The long branches of the big neem tree outside Mini’s house provided cool shade in the hot summer afternoons. Inside their “house” they put many things—picture books, board games, and a little treasure box filled with old pieces of jewellery, bright reflecting buttons, seashells, bird feathers, stamps, old coins, and a pair of red-tinted glasses.

Sometimes, other neighbourhood kids also joined them in their play. Then it was always more fun because they all could enact complex stories and play different characters. Pihu loved enacting her super strict Math teacher who always asked everyone the times table of 13. Little Chunmun was fond of playing the doctor and gave shots and syrup to everyone who she believed had fallen ill. Mini loved playing her grumpy grandfather. She stole his thick glasses when he went to take a nap. When she made the gud-gud sound enacting her grandfather’s hukkah[2], everyone broke into peals of laughter.

Pihu’s beloved doll, Rani, which had sadly lost its one eye long ago, also played many different roles. They even had a pet—Kalu. Kalu was a stuffed toy camel about as tall as Chunmun. He was made of velvety soft black cloth, and was adorned with golden lace in places. Chunmun the doctor, rode the camel to visit her “patients.” Riddhi, who did not want too many dialogues, had to contend with playing “Papa” against her wishes. But she agreed to it only if she was allowed to ride the camel to her “office” and then there was always a tiff between her and Chunmun.

The role of the sabziwallah[3], was a tough one for many little children as they kept forgetting the names of the vegetables they were selling, and so Pihu had to help them with cues while also playing her own part.

But today, it was all very quiet with just Pihu, Mini, and little Chunmun and their tea party.

As they sipped their “tea,” Pihu told Mini about the wedding she had attended the previous day with her parents. She and Chunmun had even participated in the long wedding procession! She told her about the bride, how beautiful she had looked. And how the bride had smelled of flowers when Pihu and Chunmun sat with her for a photograph. And afterwards, there was such a grand feast for the guests!

“Let us also have a wedding feast then!” Mini said with excitement. “Rani can be our bride! We can all pool in some rupees from our piggy banks and buy a real feast for us.”

Pihu loved the idea and giggled.

Mini’s older brother, Rahul, who was loitering outside with his new bat and ball was asking Mini and Pihu to come out and play cricket with him—the game he thought was for the smarter children and was much better than their silly “House” game. The girls ignored his plea because a., everyone knew he wouldn’t really let anybody use his bat for long and b., it was just too much fun inside the “house!” He sulked and threatened to complain to mother. But in reality, he just continued to linger around the house since he could not resist watching the curious activities unfolding inside.

“But we would need one more doll for the wedding—the groom,” Pihu said to Mini.

“Oh! You are right!” Mini said and sighed.

“I don’t think my mother would buy me a new doll soon.” Pihu said.

“Mine neither,” Mini said sadly. “Wait! But my mother knows how to stitch dolls!” she suddenly remembered. “We could ask her?” she said with excitement.

They all went downstairs and sat in front of Mini’s mother waiting and praying for her to agree. She smiled and nodded. Pihu and Mini screamed with happiness.

“But, shouldn’t your groom doll be wearing some bright-coloured sherwani for his wedding?” Mini’s mother asked. “And all I can spare is an old white cloth.”

“Oh! What do we do now?” Mini wondered, “Where will we get bright-coloured clothes for the groom, mother?”

Pihu looked at Rani’s torn frock and said quietly, “Even Rani needs good clothes for her wedding. She is the bride! But aunty, I don’t think my mother would have any spare cloth of that kind…”

Mini’s mother thought for a while and said, “You could perhaps ask tailor Ramadeen for help. He stiches many wedding blouses and salwar kameez. He would have a lot of left-over pieces from such clothes. It should not be a problem for him. If he allows you, look for some nice pieces of bright-coloured fabric. Look for reds, pinks, yellows, and oranges. Look for the ones with gota (gold) border.”

“That would be great, mother! We can then also take out a wedding procession.”

“Yes, we can call other friends too. We can have a proper wedding for Rani.”

Mini’s mother smiled at all the excitement around her.

Rahul who was playing cricket by himself now, was intrigued. He had heard the whole conversation and didn’t want to be left out now. He asked if he could come along too, please? Mini rolled her eyes at him first, but then allowed him.

Pihu, Chunmun, Mini, Rahul, and a few more children reached the tailor’s shop and peeped inside from the big glass door. The old tailor Ramadeen looked very busy marking and cutting clothes with a huge scissor and ordering around his two young assistants. The children entered the shop and hesitatingly told him about the wedding. They told him about the scraps of bright coloured cloths they needed.

Ramadeen looked at them for a few seconds. He seemed irritable. It was too hot and he had too much work left to do. The children thrust forward their doll, Rani, to lend some weight to their words. “This,” the children said, “is our bride. It’s her wedding.” Rani looked at Ramadeen quietly with her one eye. But she shut her eye as the doll got tilted. Pihu quickly gave Rani a good shake so it opened its eye again. Busy Ramadeen had little time to engage with the party. He vaguely pointed them to the two small cardboard boxes outside his shop. “Those are filled with scrap cloths. Take what you need. But don’t spill them around. If you make a mess, I will have you clean it up,” he said looking very serious from behind his glasses. The children nodded and instantly turned toward the boxes outside. They started digging into the scraps full of beautiful cloths of different sizes, colours, patterns, and textures.

After some time, Rahul pulled out a shiny white piece of cloth with chequered golden design. “Look what I found! This could be made into the groom’s sherwani?” Pihu nodded. He then dug some more and found out a green velvet piece. “This could be used for pants! Or shoes!”

Chunmun found a pink muslin cloth with tiny stars sequined in it. She asked in her soft, shaky voice, “Pihu, can we make Rani’s dupatta from this?” “It’s lovely, Chunmun! That’s very nice!” Pihu said to her sister, “I’ll look for something matching to make Rani’s main outfit.”

Mini pulled out a golden lace that was loosely stitched on to another cloth. “This can be made into jewellery for the bride!” Riddhi found a silver lace. “We can make jewellery out of this for the groom,” she says.

Rahul found a large piece of very colourful printed cloth. “I don’t know what this can be used for, but I like it very much.” “May, be this can be used to make the stage and the tent?” Mini wondered.

Pihu had been searching for a long time but had not found anything suitable to make Rani’s outfit. The yellow silk was too small. It could either be made into the top or the skirt, but not both. The orange with red printed flowers looked too dull. She finally dug out a big piece of shimmering aqua blue with a little embroidery. “Ah! This is so pretty for the bride’s dress!” she exclaimed. But then she saw a small tear right in the middle of the cloth. “Oh no!” she cried. “I can’t seem to find anything good for Rani!” She put the piece back and started digging again.

Ramadeen stopped his work to watch the frenzy outside his shop. He came outside and looked at the boxes. By now, they had been emptied out of their contents and the cloth scraps were rolling all over the floor. At his sight, children suddenly began putting all the scraps back into the boxes. Pihu looked at him distraught with Rani in her hands. “Come with me,” he said to the children and stepped into the shop.

He took out a rectangular box from one of the drawers under his big table. The children gathered around him eyeing him curiously. He cleared the dust off of the box and opened it. Inside the box was a gleaming, neatly folded Benarasi[4] silk of radiant pink colour. Ramadeen held the piece in his hands reverentially. Tiny yellow paisleys woven in the cloth shone brightly when light fell on them. He continued to hold it silently for some time. Then, he took the scissors and cut out a big enough portion of the cloth. “Here, have this,” he said and gave it to Pihu. “I had been keeping this for a special occasion. I don’t think I would need it anymore.” Pihu wondered if Ramadeen looked a little sad. But he instantly changed his expressions. “Will this look good on your doll?” he asked with a smile. Pihu took the revered piece of fabric from him, unable to believe what he did. “It will look perfect!” she said and smiled.

Happy with their collection, children returned home skipping and jumping, relating to each other tales about how they chanced upon their treasured pieces. They emptied all their collection in front of Mini’s mother. Mini’s mother smiled looking at all their hard work. She brought out her heavy Usha sewing machine and a long-nosed bottle of machine oil. She oiled the machine and stitched the body of the groom doll. Then, with a black thread she crafted his face: eyes, nose, and a mouth. She even made hair on the groom’s head with black wool.

Rahul stuffed cottonwool in the doll. He then tried to make the doll walk. But he could not balance it properly. “Mother, its one leg is smaller than the other!” he said in dismay. “You must not have filled the cotton properly.” But Mini already picked it up and adored it. “It is perfect!” she said. Mother agreed. “Once we dress him up with the sherwani[5] and shoes, he is going to look wonderful,” she tried to assure Rahul who sat with a long face.

By next evening, fully dressed up in the beautiful white and golden sherwani and green velvet shoes, the groom doll looked very charming. “Mummy, I’ll call him Raja,” Mini said. She put it next to Pihu’s doll. “This is Rani. This is my Raja,” she pointed at each doll as she said, and both the girls giggled.

The following day, Pihu brought out the pink Benarasi silk fabric to Mini’s mother, “Aunty, please make Rani’s lehenga and blouse with these?” Chunmun held out the soft yellow fabric. “Aunty, please make Rani’s chunni from this?” “Aunty, we have some silver and golden lace for jewellery too!” Riddhi said. Mini’s mother smiled. She loved the little children just as she loved her own. “Come, come, children, let’s make up your doll too.” She stitched a beautiful skirt and blouse from the pink Benarasi silk. After that she tied Rani’s hair in a tall bun, and draped the starry yellow dupatta around her. Then she taught children how to use fabric glue to make jewellery for forehead and arms.

Pihu couldn’t believe how lovely Rani looked! Rani blinked with her one eye and smiled back at Pihu. Pihu was over the moon!

Pihu and Mini decided to have the wedding day after the next, which was a Sunday. Children collected fifty rupees each from their piggy banks. Those who could not, were also happily invited. They gave all the collected money to Pihu’s mother to buy them nice wedding feast. Pihu’s mother smiled and kept it. It was hardly enough, given the huge number of guests the children had invited, but she congratulated them on their effort nevertheless.

***

The wedding procession was a cacophony of sounds. Children brought everything and anything that could make a sound. Sonu, a young boy was trying his best to lead the procession by beating his small plastic drum. Ira was next to him and was matching his rhythm by shaking her round tambourine disk in her hands. Rahul was blowing into the toy trumpet. A toddler held wooden rattles in both hands and rattled them without pause or rhythm. Another little child brought his toy frog that pushed its tongue out and made a squeak sound every time it was pressed. There were shakers, little dholaks, horns, and more such sound toys. Surrounded with loud and boisterous sounds, Mini was happily walking carrying Raja in her hands.

A feast was arranged at Pihu’s home. Her mother and father had made fluffy round pooris[6], potato curry, and kheer[7] for all the little wedding guests. There was cake, imarti[8], samosa, gulabjamun[9], and ice cream too waiting for the little guests!

The procession had to walk only a few minutes from Mini’s home to Pihu’s home. Pihu’s mother and father had spread out big dhurries[10] in the front veranda. The food and drinks were arranged on a big table on one side.

Pihu’s father and mother had already made a little stage fitted with a small shamiana from the bright coloured-cloth that Rahul had found. They had spread out fresh flowers and put up a swing in the centre of the stage for the dolls to sit on. The swing too was decorated with leaves and flowers. They asked Pihu to wait there with her Rani for the procession to reach their house and help them welcome her guests. But Pihu was getting restless from missing out on all the fun of the procession. The sounds of the procession were already reaching her through the air. She could bear no longer. She left Rani on the little swing and ran out to join the procession. The children were dancing, singing, and playing their musical toys. With much clamour, and some fighting and crying, the procession reached Pihu’s house.

Once back at her home, Pihu quickly jumped sides. She turned into a host and quickly helped her mother and father welcome the little guests by showering them with marigold petals.

The children fixed Raja on the swing next to Rani. Then they put tiny garlands on the dolls, showered flowers on them, and clapped with joy! Happy and over with the little wedding, they immediately turned their attention to the big table where delicious food was waiting for them. Pihu, Chunmun, Mini, Riddhi, Rahul, Sonu, Ira, and everyone else surrounded the food table at once.

Pihu’s mother and father served all children with love and asked them to wait for their turn. But the children did not heed to their calls. Little Chunmun was angry that she was served two pooris less than her big sister. She wanted the same number—four—whether or not she could finish them! Riddhi asked for yet more gulabjamun after eating six already. She wouldn’t even look at any other food item that wasn’t the gulabjamun. Pihu’s mother worried if Riddhi would upset her stomach. Just then, Ira spilled her ice cream on her new velvet dress and cried from fear of her mother’s scolding. She had to be pacified immediately. A child came asking for a third serving of the curry when, in fact, there was no more curry left! Soon a fight erupted between a little girl who wanted to pluck all the flowers from the dolls’ swing and Pihu who then pushed her greatly. Pihu’s mother and father pulled the two girls apart.

Running around the children left Pihu’s parents tired. Mini’s mother came to their rescue. “Come now, all of you,” she said. “The wedding will be complete only when you all take both the bride and the groom dolls back. And there is yummy churma[11] waiting for all of you. Keep some space for that too!”

The children once again gathered and continued their procession back to Mini’s house with the same clamour they had begun with. Mini’s mother gave every child one churma laddu. They were Pihu’s favourite and only Mini’s mother knew how to make them!

Mini, Pihu, Chunmun, and Rahul sat looking at the dolls when the rest of their friends had gone back home. They put the dolls in a beautiful cardboard house Mini had made from shoe box. Raja, the groom, kept falling and Rani kept blinking with her one blue eye. Yet, they both looked spectacular, the children all thought. Their new clothes shone and sparkled. Both Mini and Pihu kept looking at the dolls awestruck and giggled.

When Pihu’s mother came to call on her, Pihu asked Mini to give back her doll.

“But don’t you know? Rani will now stay here. With us,” said Mini. “With her groom doll.

Pihu looked at her in surprise.

“That’s why we made that house for both the dolls,” said Mini.

Pihu looked at her mother. Both the mothers were smiling as they watched the two girls.

“No. I want my doll back,” Pihu said.

Mini’s mother laughed and said, “Pihu, Rani is the bride. Should she not stay with her groom? Will you not leave your home one day when you get married?” Then turning to Pihu’s mother, she asked “Isn’t it so with every girl?” and laughed.

Pihu’s mother put an arm around Pihu and said, “Pihu, my love, did you not want Rani’s wedding? Let her live here for a few days, my dear. You can come here and play with her every day.”

“No. Rani is mine!” Pihu said. Her cheeks were flushed red and her eyes had welled up. 

“Come, come, Pihu, my dear, I’ll get you a new doll. It will be much more beautiful than Rani. It will even have two proper eyes,” Pihu’s mother said and hugged Pihu.

“I don’t want any other doll! I want Rani!” Pihu was raging. Big drops of tears were sliding down her cheeks. She looked at Rani standing in the shoe box. Rani blinked at her with her one eye. It looked like it was calling to Pihu. Pihu freed herself from her mother’s embrace and grabbed Rani in both her hands. “My doll will stay with me!” she said and dashed out of Mini’s house. She ran to her own terrace and sat in a corner holding her doll tightly. 

Pihu and Mini did not play with each other for the next few days. Pihu and her sister Chunmun played on their own terrace for a few days. But it was not much fun for the terrace had no spare things to be made use of in the play. Also, it was not much fun without her for Mini.

One day, when Pihu came down from her terrace, she saw mother chatting and drinking tea with Mini’s mother. Pihu hid behind the curtain. But Mini’s mother called on Pihu and Chunmun lovingly and asked them why they had stopped coming to her house to play. Pihu felt shy and confused, but she was also scared that her doll would be taken away from her. She remained quiet but Chunmun went ahead and happily sat in Mini’s mother’s lap. And then she even went off with aunty to play with Mini! Pihu felt utterly defeated watching her sister walk away to Mini. How about some loyalty to your own sister! She wanted to ask Chunmun.  Angrily, she decided to play with her doll alone, by herself!

For the next few days, Pihu played alone on her own terrace with her doll Rani. On one especially hot day, Pihu felt dizzy. When her mother returned from work in the evening, Pihu went and fell in her mother’s lap and lay motionless for a while. Mother hugged her with love. But she found Pihu’s arms and legs especially hot. She checked her forehead. Pihu had a very high fever! Pihu’s mother quickly left Chunmun in the care of Mini’s mother and rushed Pihu to the doctor. Pihu had become dehydrated, doctor aunty said. She would need to be injected with some fluids and would be alright in 24 hours.

Pihu lay in bed sleepily at the nursing home getting intravenous fluids, while her mother sat by her side holding her hand. Next day, Pihu woke in the afternoon. Doctor aunty was in the room talking to her mother. Doctor aunty smiled at Pihu and checked her eyes, tongue, and tummy. Pihu saw Chunmun and Mini sitting next to her bed watching her intently. “They have been here since morning! Waiting for you to wake up. You have been sleeping since last evening!” Pihu’s mother said. All three broke into a silly laughter.

Pihu’s mother left the room to settle the bills at the reception.

All three girls sat silently in the room waiting for mother to return.

Mini looked at Pihu with worried eyes. “When will you come to my home to play?” she asked.

“I want to come home now.”

“…”

Chunmun and Mini handed a cloth bag to Pihu. Pihu opened the bag and in it was Rani.

Pihu was surprised to see Rani. She held her close to her chest and smiled.

“It was a good wedding,” said Pihu.

“The best!” Mini said.

“We had so much fun collecting pieces at Ramadeen’s shop.”

“And aunty’s churma laddu were yum!” said Chunmun.

“So were poori-sabzi-kheer!” said Mini.

“It burned my tongue!”

“Ira spilled ice cream!”

“Riddhi ate only the gulabjamuns!”

“Ten gulabjamuns!”

“No, twenty!”

“Sonu brought his school drum!”

“We danced in the procession.”

“I sang so poorly—aa-aha-ha-ah!”

All three girls laughed heartily.

“Will you play with me again?” Mini asked hesitantly. “I will not ask you to leave Rani at our house.”

“I want to play with you,” Pihu said. Her eyes welled up.

“Me too,” Mini said. They smiled and held each other’s hands.

Pihu’s mother walked in. “Come, come, children, pack things, we are all going home now.” Mini helped Pihu’s mother pack all things.

“Mummy, can I go to Mini’s home to play?” Pihu asked excitedly.

“Yes, in a day or two, when you are well, my dear.”

“Don’t worry, Mummy, I am the doctor from now,” Chunmun said. “I will make her just fine. See, I can give her injection also—just like doctor aunty!” With her finger, Chunmun gave a shot in Pihu’s arm. Pihu winced with pretend pain. Mother smiled.

In the autorickshaw bound homeward, Mini and Pihu sat holding hands. Chunmun sat in mother’s lap. Mini said to Pihu, “I will come to play with you, at your home. Till you recover. And I will bring my Raja too.”

“I missed playing with you,” Pihu said.

“And I missed you!” Mini said. The girls hugged and giggled. They were over the moon, and could not wait to resume their play.

***

Author Bio: Richa Shirish is a freelance content writer and editor based in Delhi NCR.

***

1.   Charpoi: A bed made of a wooden frame and woven rope
2.   Hukkah: A type of pipe that brings smoke through a container of water before it is breathed in
3.   Sabziwallah: Vegetable vendor
4.   Benarasi: A sari made in Varanasi, an ancient city which is also called Benares (Banaras)
5.   Shervani: A long-sleeved close-fitting knee-length coat with a stand-up collar worn by men of India and Pakistan
6.   Poori: A round wheat bread that is deep fried until it puffs up and turns brown
7.   Kheer: A sweet rice pudding
8.   Imarti: A sweetmeat made from deep frying lentil flour into flower shapes and soaked in sugar syrup
9.   Gulabjamun: Sweetmeat from Indian subcontinent; deep fried milk and flour balls soaked in sugar syrup 
10.   Dhurrie: A thin hand-woven rug from northern India
11.   Churma: A kind of sweetmeat made of crumbled bread or bread-crumbs (chur) mixed with butter and sugar.

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Setu, November 2024

Special Edition: The Dying City :: Setu, November 2024