Mummy was surprised. "Excuse me? I thought children matter the most to parents. I didn't know that a son matters over a daughter."

Daddy walked in with Abhijeet. He looked at everyone with surprise. All took their turns to explain to him what had happened. He explained, "Abhijeet said he was hungry. I took him down, at the dining hall, but the cooks were still cooking. So, I took him to a nearby shop to buy a chips packet."

The crowd dispersed slowly. While Mummy kept an angry look, I wandered around with Arun Mama. Many people tried to hold me but I would start crying. There were five people making sounds. They were sitting at a raised platform. One of them was blowing air into a long instrument. I know about this part because I have seen Mummy and Daddy blowing air into balloons.

Ammamma gathered everyone and proclaimed, "This is our only chance. We must go to the reception photo line queue now for the crowd is less. I got to know that dinner will start at nine o'clock. I guess we would be able to make it on time. If we go later for dinner, the dining hall will be way too crowded."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Around ten of us ran to the queue. I noticed other kids standing next to each other and calling names - Sahay, Sindhu and Kavin. Wonder what it meant!

As we approached, Ammamma pointed at Raghav and asked, "This fellow likes to stay next to the groom, isn't it?"

I nodded. Mummy nodded. Mummy likes to copy me!

"Raghav is like that only."

"How long is his father's posting in Assam?"

"Only God knows. I don't know how this Army posting works. He plans to get his last posting, before the service period is over, at Nashik."

"What's there over there?"

"Only God knows. I have heard they are planning to buy their own house there."

We moved to the platform at the snail's pace where two people were standing and just smiling. I mean it. They were standing and smiling, not talking to each other also. So boring! Finally, we reached them. Everyone was made to stand in a line. All of a sudden, a bright light shone on us. I closed my eyes.

Somebody screamed, "Next batch bani!"

Everybody started moving to the other side of the platform. There were some people waiting for us to descend. Of course, more talking for some more talk! I was fed up with this nonsense. It was when hunger pangs hit me, I started crying. I guess it was Sindhu who suggested to me, "Anu, next time cry a little early. These mosquitoes have sucked my blood!"

We descended another set of stairs. As we reached the dining hall, that's what everyone was shouting, I gasped. There were these shiny metal tables arranged in many rows. There were shiny chairs to sit on. I saw two ladies rolling a sheet of white paper on the table. That looks fun! As I was about to rush towards them, Mummy grabbed my upper arm and warned, "You'll let me eat peacefully."

Ammamma chided, "Don't talk to children like that."

We moved towards an empty row of tables. Sahay, Sindhu and Kavin rushed to grab the seats first. We sat next to them. Two ladies moved, rolling a sheet of white paper on the table. Swiftly, two men moved putting huge green leaves in front of every person seated.

I saw everyone taking a handful of water to sprinkle it on the leaf. Excitedly, when Mummy did the same, I banged my hands on the leaf. The water splashed on both of us. Before I could chuckle properly, Mummy started scolding. Ammamma, who was seated next to me, took me on her lap.

Then came people carrying food items in shiny metal buckets. They kept putting items on the leaf, on after the other. I looked at awe. But here's the thing Mummy did was weird. She was tasting every item. The ones for which she didn't make a face, were put into my mouth. When she was looking at the other side, I took some red colour looking stuff. She hadn't let me taste so I decided to take matters into my hand, literally.

No sooner did I put it in my mouth than I spit it out. Who eats such spicy food!

If that wasn't enough, Mummy screamed, "When I am tasting everything, it doesn't mean I wish to eat first. I was checking which ones aren't spicy."

I had to drink one whole glass of water to calm my tastebuds. Hence, I couldn't eat anything more. Later, we climbed the stairs to reach the big room. I realised it was only to speak to more people. When a two-and-half year old kid feels that it's past her bedtime, it means people have been talking for a very long time.

"Anu is sleep," I explained. Nobody, not even Ammamma listened to me. I felt irritated. After some time, I rubbed my eyes and started crying. Yet, Mummy had to speak for some more time. Then she took me to the room and put me to sleep.

The next day I was woken up. My teeth were brushed to my irritation, I was given a quick bath and this time a different type of frock to wear. It was a green colour frock that was long. It actually reached my ankles. Shiny metal strings were tied around my foot. Those made small noises everytime I walked. Sitting on the bed, I was playing with them. There were some colourful things in between the strings. To have a better look, I brought my foot closer to my face. While doing this, I lost my balance and rolled on the bed.

"Anu, stop playing with your anklets. You will ruin your langa and blouse."

Grumpily, I roamed in the hall with Arun Mama. Near one of the pillars, I saw Abhijeet, Punit and some other girl, wearing a prickly frock like mine, throwing some yellowish white things on each other. To get a better look, I hugged the pillar. I know it sounds strange but that's my trick.

"Anu! Don't go and stick to the pillar as if you were a poster. Your frock will get dirty," Arun Mama chided. He held my armpits so that he could release my grip from the pillar. Oh yes! This trick never fails! Now, for the next part of this trick.

I used my might to push myself from the pillar using my legs. He was quite taken aback by my attack, for he tightened his grip. I tried to climb the pillar. Arun Mama understood this. He helped me climb it until I reached the ledge kind of thing which was situated around the middle of the pillar.

I got a better look of what those three were doing. I pointed at them to him. He exclaimed, "Such irresponsible people! Who lets kids play with akshatlu?"

"I also want," I insisted.

"No Anu. Only bad kids play with it. Are you a good kid or a bad one?"

Here we go again. I whispered, "Good girl."

"Good," he replied.

I saw them throwing those yellowish white rice grains on each other. Even I want to go. I started crying not caring for the fact that if I was termed a good girl or a bad girl. But Arun Mama peeled me off from the pillar and handed me over to Mummy.

Grumpily, I sat on her lap while she sat on a chair. There was a row of chairs in front of us. Noticing her fist was close, I tried to open it. With all my might. But I couldn't. Helplessly, I gave a cry. Irritatedly, She opened her fist. I gasped. The yellowish white thing! She had them all along! She never told me!

I took some of them in one of my fists. Then I poured those grains from one fist to another, while dropping a lot of them. I continued doing this until I was left with no grains. I tried opening her closed fist but she didn't let me. Instead, she reprimanded, "What will I shower as my blessing if I don't have enough grains?"

Turning to my other side, I saw Ammamma sitting and chit chatting with some black-and-white hair ladies. I pulled her closed palm on my lap and tried opening it. To my luck, it opened with less effort this time. This time, I made sure I took a handful of them.

Noticing my efforts to gather grains, Sahay, Sindhu and Kavin poured some more grains into my fists. There's one thing they should understand - I have small hands! How much grain can they even hold? That's when I decided to use my old trick. Yes, I have many tricks up in my sleeve.

I pulled one end of my long frock towards my chest. I poured all the grains into it. Pointing at my long frock pocket, I asked the trio to put my share of grains into it which they happily obliged. As I giggled, I saw Raghav coming towards us. He exclaimed, "Guests don't have enough akshatlu and this small girl has enough for ten people!"

As he pulled my long frock, I slapped his hand and screamed, "Go! Go!"

Mummy chided, "Anu! Is this how you speak to your elders? Tell him sorry."

Kavin came forward. "What she has is a part of our akshatlu. Just back off or else you won't even get a chance to respawn."

"Kavin! Do you've to be reminded too?" Mummy asked. He shook his head.

Raghav sniggered, "I know what your video gaming word means. Let me tell you this, I would rather die than have been respawned after being hit by a puny creature like you."

"Raghav! Please don't talk like that. Ask your mother to make some more akshatlu. Before that, tell her to check if some more are there in the groom's room. I had made for a kilo of rice," Mummy explained.

As Raghav went, Kavin asked, "Chaitra Akka, this is not done! You scolded me but you requested that person."

"What do you want me to do? You're my brother, I have all right to scold you if you're wrong. Anyways, wasn't it you who spoke when I was scolding Anu? WHy did you do that?"

"Akka, I got angry. He was trying to snatch grains with which Anu was playing."

"I know that. Anyways, let's forget this happened. The marriage seems to be getting over. They might ask us to put akshatlu. You guys be ready."

Ammamma added, "Chaitra, it wasn't anyone's fault. It was Raghav's fault. I saw him pouring a fistful of rice grains to his side of the family."

"Yet he had the audacity to take grains from us, that too from a child!"

"This is what happens when a mother goes for a job leaving her children behind. What will the kids learn? Leave that, even for them to learn anything, at least the mother should be there at home. This is the reason why I was telling you not to do a job after a child is born."

Mummy nodded. Then everybody raised their fists to gently throw the rice grains. I opened my long frock to collect as many as I could. After the grain shower ended, I looked down at the collection in my pocket. As I bent, The grains that were entangled in my hair, due to the grain shower, fell into my pocket.

Looking at this, Sahay and Kavin shook their head vehemently, near my frock, to drop grains off their heads.

"What a sight! I just witnessed two of you's miniscule wisdom dropping into Anu's langa," Sindhu commented.

While the three of them got into a verbal fight, I threw some of the grains at them. Daddy just came and lifted me, dropping all the grains I had collected, after a lot of hard work. Not caring that I was crying, he took me near the two people who were wearing white clothes. Prathap uncle had a funny thing on her head. Both the people had a thread tied around their forehead.

Each of their one hand was holding a cone-shaped leaf. Next to them was a bucket of milk. People were taking their turn to take some of it into a small glass, pour milk into the cone-shaped leaf. Out of one of the people, the lady had a lot of rice grains on her head.

When our turn came, Daddy was standing next to that lady. Mummy, standing next to her, held my hand to touch his outstretched arm holding the small glass of milk. As they bent down, I stretched my arm to grab some rice grains. In that process, I pulled a few hair strands. As she screamed, I understood I had kind of gotten into trouble because Mummy was glaring at me. Mummy and Daddy kept mumbling sorry to both of them, the lady looked at me and said, "It's completely okay, Akka and Bava. Anu is a child and which child isn't naughty. I am not at all angry."

Another lady got some hairpins and poked it on her hair. I know hairpins were being poked because she screamed even louder. I am a smart girl. I can feel your pain!

We again descended the stairs to reach the dining hall. I learnt about it when Sahay and Sindhu were fighting to reach the 'dining hall' first. Only if I could explain it to Ammamma, she would appreciate my observing skills.

There, we sat on chairs, in a line. Again, many people came, in a line to serve us food while carrying them in buckets. Since Ammamma was not sitting next to me, I had no option but to quietly eat whatever food Mummy was stuffing.

Later, we ascended the stairs and I saw the ladies were getting a small bag with things in it. This time, to Sindhu's surprise, I took her to the table. There a few ladies giggled as I asked, "I want that bag."

"Devuda! Look at this girl! She's not even two years old and she wants tambulam and coconut," one of them said.

Sindhu defended, "But she's two-years old! Aren't you, Anu?"

To support her, I replied, "Yes, Anu is two-years-old."

When they continued to snigger, I stood on my toes and grabbed a bag. It was very heavy. Though I felt like keeping it back, fearing that those ladies might laugh at me, I held to it. Sindhu whispered, "Anu, why do you want a bag? Only aunties get a bag. Are you an aunty?"

I stopped on my tracks. I noticed that Sindhu didn't take a bag. "Where your bag?"

"See, I told you, only aunties take those bags. I am not an aunty, neither are you. Now, like a good girl, go and keep the bag back."

What she told made sense, so I kept the bag back on the table. I heard someone crying. I saw it was that same lady whose hair I had pulled. I can understand. Those hairpins can hurt a lot. But she stepped into the car with Prathap uncle and left.

***

We stayed for another few days with Prathap uncle, Avva, Thatha and that lady-whose-hair-I-had-pulled. Then we went to Ammamma's house where along with Arun Mama, some boys like him, had come to sing songs with me.

We sat in the train again. This time I guess I saw Mummy crying as she hugged Ammamma. I didn't know that once I reached Mumbai, I would be doing the same. Everyday.

***

Reference:

Attached below is the representational picture of langa blouse.

Hope you guys are safe! Was just caught up with some personal stuff yesterday so couldn't post the next chapter. Better late than never *failed attempt to sympathize myself*

Phew! The wedding chapters are so much fun yet long to write. Yet Anika just narrates a part of the wedding. Because when she will narrate again, I promise it won't be only two chapters!

Why do you think Anika might end up crying everyday?

Thank you for reading!