Hello and welcome!
🙏 Namaste!

This story is set in Delhi, the capital of India and my protagonist is an Indian woman.

Apologies to my non-Indian readers that this comes a tad late! (🙈 pity you have to deal with a procrastinating author)

The dialogues are interspersed with Hindi words. There are also mention of certain rituals for which explanations and meanings can be found here in this chapter. 🙏

I shall keep updating this list as the chapter progresses. In case any clarification is required for non-Indian readers or non-Hindi speaking Indian readers please post your question here shall clarify your doubts.

English.        Hindi

Mother -      Ma, Maa ji

Father -     Baba, Babu ji, Pita ji

Brother -    Bhai, Dada

Sister -       Behen

Elder sister   - Didi

Sister-in-law
(Brother's wife) -  Bhabi (padmini to parul)

Father's sister -  Bua (Parul to Paarth& Aparna)

Grandfather  - dada ji (paternal)
Nana ji (maternal)

Grandmother - dadi ji (paternal)
Nani ji (maternal)

Maternal Uncle -   mama ji
(Kabeer to Abhi- Meera's son)

Bindi is decorative mark worn in the middle of the forehead by Indian women, especially Hindus.

The suffix "Ji" is added to the words as a mark of respect.

Rituals:

The Hindu wedding rituals vary based on the caste and community one belongs to. The few rituals mentioned here in the story is the generalised summary of the North Indian wedding.

I have added this information here based on my general understanding of various articles. In case of any errors kindly point them out.

😄😄 What can I say big, fat Indian weddings!

The Himdu wedding is the cornerstone of the weekend filled with traditions and rituals galore. It is presided over and performed by a Pandit (priest) in Sanskrit, the sacred language of the Hindu religion.

SANGEET: Sangeet is one of the several pre-wedding events which is commonly celebrated by North Indian families. A typical Sangeet ceremony involves a lot of singing and dancing where the families of both the bride and the groom join hands to make the evening more interesting.

The Mehendi ceremony a big party traditionally only attended by the bride's close female friends and family members kicks off the wedding itself. The event usually takes place one day before the nuptials (on the same day as the sangeet), as the process can take hours. Henna paste is applied in intricate designs of temporary decorative art to the bride's hands and feet. While the designs usually reflect floral motifs, it's also common to hide her partner's name within the artwork and watch as they try to find it later-a process believed to reflect the amount of patience that will be present in their marriage.

Haldi means 'turmeric' in Hindi.
The Haldi ceremony is held either the day before the wedding or the morning of the wedding. Known to possess anti-inflammatory, healing, antiseptic, and purification properties, Haldi is essentially a cleansing process for the bride and groom to be. Its beautiful, mustard yellow hue is auspicious in Indian tradition representing a life of prosperity for the couple about to begin their new life together. A common reason why Haldi is used for this ceremony is to rid the couple of "Buri Nazar", a Hindi term for the evil eye.

Baraat

The Baraat is when the groom is led to the wedding venue as part of a procession accompanied by family, friends, and his groomsmen. Back when cars weren't available, grooms would ride horses and elephants to the venue, a tradition that modern grooms often uphold. If you're on the groom's side, be prepared to join in on the dancing!

Varmala Ceremony takes place after the Baraat and also signifies the start of the wedding rituals. After the groom reaches the venue, he's greeted by the bride's family, specifically the bride's mom who will perform a short ritual to ward off the evil eye.

The actual ceremony takes place on a raised dais where a Holy fire is lit called the 'HAVAN'. Most of the Hindu rituals are based around the five elements of nature that we strongly believe is what everything is comprised of (including the human body).

Agni or fire is given more importance since we believe Fire cannot be polluted and hence use it as a medium to invoke the blessings of all the Gods.

Mangalsutra & sindoor

The Mangalsutra, a black and gold necklace with a gold or diamond pendant symbolizes good luck, love, and friendship. In Sanskrit, 'Mangala' translates to sacred and 'sutra' to thread. The groom also applies sindoor, red vermillion (also known as kumkum), to the centre of the bride's forehead. These two offerings signify the groom's devotion to his bride and the bride's new status as a married woman.

Saptapadi quite literally translates from Sanskrit to 'seven steps'. The couple takes seven full circles, walking clockwise around the fire, representing the seven principles and promises they make to each other. They are tied together with dupattas (scarves), which are used to keep the couple united as they make their rounds.

While the couple take their steps around the fire, family members that are present on the mandap bless the couple with flower petals and rice, celebrating a pivotal part of the ceremony. It is said that the couple has tied themselves together for seven lifetimes to come, once this part of the ceremony is completed.

*Image above sourced from internet.