Out on the platform
Jeevani found herself standing next to the tall man who was the groom. Her head ached from all the crying and the
commotion around her. She did not even
try to look at his face. Just as her
mother had drilled into her, Jeevani kept her head lowered without making a
sound. Back at the house another
ceremony awaited the new bride. It was
past midnight by the time each visitor had seen the bride’s face and paid the
bride viewing price as was custom.
Finally, the time came
for Janki, no longer Jeevani, to meet her husband. She was left alone in a room decorated with
flowers where she sat in the middle of the bed.
Her mother had tried to explain about this moment, her voice echoing in
Janki’s ears, sit quietly with your head
covered keeping the chunni hanging
down low enough to cover your face. Keep
your head bent and fix your gaze on to your feet. Act reticent and humble.
Janki suddenly felt a
cool breeze, even though it was stifling hot in the room under her heavy
adornments. Ram Lal entered the room
without a sound, closing the door behind him.
Janki’s heart skipped a beat as she heard him walk toward her. The bed creaked under his weight when he sat
down on the edge. Janki could not stop
shaking. Ram Lal put a hand on her
shoulder to steady her and articulated his first words. His voice was kind. “There’s nothing to be
afraid of. I am your husband now and I
will take care of you.”
Janki did not move but
relaxed a little. Ram Lal moved up
closer and gently lifted the veil to see her face.
“Beautiful. Just like my sister said you were.”
Janki kept her gaze
focused down as he stroked her hand lightly with his forefinger. She slowly raised her eyelids and for the
first time looked at her husband. His
geometric features with a square face, a large triangular nose, and a flat chin
gave him a stern look. The thick, dark
mustache extending out to his cheeks added nobility while the large, round eyes
below his bushy eyebrows could be scary to a little girl. He was a grown man, in his twenties, at least
ten years older her. Janki was shocked
at first, but then remembering his kind voice and gentle manner, she
relaxed. She took comfort in the warmth
of his eyes and the easy smile to match the gentle voice.
When the initial shock of
discovering her husband’s presumed age wore off, Janki smiled in her timid
way. Ram Lal smiled back and continued
to stare at her. He was admiring this
fair-skinned, shy girl who had just become his wife. He admired her perfect round face with
pronounced rotund cheeks and timid, genuine smile. White, even teeth shone between thick,
shapely lips for a fleeting moment until his hand moved from her slight chin to
her arm and further down. He noted the
ampleness of the face did not reflect the slenderness of her undeveloped
figure. He admired the way her big brown
eyes looked at him with the curiosity of a child and quickly looking down, as if
remembering her manners. She was so
young and innocent, and so beautiful.
He helped her shed the
heavy, golden load from her person, carefully wrapping the jewelry in a
cloth. Still wearing their silken garb,
he held her. His touch was gentle but
curious and the sensation she felt was unlike any other. He combed his fingers through the length of
her hair, tickling the back of her neck, sparking a giggle out of her. At this he left her and turned out the
light. In the dark, he gently pulled her
down on the bed next to him. With his
strong arms encircled around her, she felt safe. Her heavy eyelids could stay open no longer
and Janki fell into a peaceful slumber.
The END
Like gold, a soft stream of yellow 
Haze of mist takes to air
