Barish
One Rainy Day
by
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Ajay faced the mandap. It stood on four pillars made of bamboos and adorned with red and silver colours, while the top was a hemispherical roof giving it a palace-like look. Everything about a Hindu wedding has its meaning – as does the mandap. The four pillars represent the parents on both sides; parents who toiled hard to bring up their children. In the middle of the mandap, Ajay watched as the overweight panditji erected washed bricks in a square and later filled it with clean sand. He’d later build the holy-fire in the center of the brick square. No Hindu marriage was complete without the sacred-fire as the witness. Ajay envisioned Gangga and Subash walking around the fire seven times while pledging a lifetime of promises together and smiled to himself. Everything was happening according to how he’d wanted it, thought Ajay contently. He remembered for Kaveri’s wedding, nothing had happened according to the traditional Hindu custom, even the four pillars of the mandap had been built with iron-pipes instead of bamboos. Didn’t The Dhillons know it wasn’t auspicious to use iron-pipes for wedding mandaps? Ajay decided to check on Gangga one last time before she became a married woman. Why was it always so painful to see his daughters married? Even with Kaveri, Ajay had been overcome with emotion. But he’d never seen a happier bride than Kaveri. She had looked thrilled, as if it were some form of a victory. Ajay’s only qualm was that she was married to a philanderer. If not for their stars matching perfectly, Ajay would have done all that was in his power to stop Kaveri’s wedding. And if The Dhillons hadn’t approached him so humbly, he’d have even defied the stars. But, it was done; Ajay sighed and walked to the back of the wedding hall where the dressing rooms were located. When he came to the back-rooms, Ajay pushed the door of one of the rooms without pausing to knock. But it was the wrong room. He’d expected to see Gangga with Menaka or Mrs. Mehra by her side. Instead, he had interrupted a couple in....well, in what looked like an argument. He couldn’t quite see them, for which he was thankful, since the woman was facing the man and hence facing away from the door. Ajay was about to pull the door close gently when something made him pause – the sari the woman was wearing, it was strangely familiar. Why did he feel like he knew her? Then she spoke, and he knew.
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About the Book
Everything about an Indian wedding is significant—the mantras, the sacred fire in the middle of the altar, the seven rounds around the fire, and the colors of the bride’s sari. This day of an arranged marriage for the Sharma family is drenched in heavy rain, but far deeper problems lay within this particular Indian family, who has lived in Canada for the last thirty years.
For Gangga Sharma, marrying Subash has been her dream—until her wedding day, when her dream turns into a nightmare. For Jamuna Sharma, the wedding is sacred; she vows if she gets married, it’ll be an Indian wedding. She’s not certain, though, that it will be with an Indian man. For Kaveri Sharma, the sacredness of her marriage meant nothing.
For Menaka, her marriage destroyed the life she’d always dreamed of living. When she discovers Ajay’s affair, she believes she’s failed at being a good wife. For Ajay, his daughter’s wedding opens a can of worms that could potentially destroy his life and his relationship with his daughters.
The Sharma family must analyze what marriage means to each and reconcile their expectations with the old culture of India and the differing culture in Canada.
About the Author
Everything about an Indian wedding is significant—the mantras, the sacred fire in the middle of the altar, the seven rounds around the fire, and the colors of the bride’s sari. This day of an arranged marriage for the Sharma family is drenched in heavy rain, but far deeper problems lay within this particular Indian family, who has lived in Canada for the last thirty years.
For Gangga Sharma, marrying Subash has been her dream—until her wedding day, when her dream turns into a nightmare. For Jamuna Sharma, the wedding is sacred; she vows if she gets married, it’ll be an Indian wedding. She’s not certain, though, that it will be with an Indian man. For Kaveri Sharma, the sacredness of her marriage meant nothing.
For Menaka, her marriage destroyed the life she’d always dreamed of living. When she discovers Ajay’s affair, she believes she’s failed at being a good wife. For Ajay, his daughter’s wedding opens a can of worms that could potentially destroy his life and his relationship with his daughters.
The Sharma family must analyze what marriage means to each and reconcile their expectations with the old culture of India and the differing culture in Canada.
PUNITHA MUNIANDY was born and raised in Malaysia. She followed her Canadian husband home in the year 2000. Punitha now lives in Victoria, BC with her husband and two children. She has published non-fiction articles, short stories and ebooks. Punitha is now working on her second multicultural novel revolving around another Indian family in Canada. She’d love to hear from her readers about Barish. Punitha can be contacted at nita.muniandy@yahoo.ca