"Wow, Gayu, that's wonderful news! Look's like you didn't waste any time at all!" Sanyukta gushed as her best friend Gayatri announced the news of her pregnancy. The girls had completed their internship recently and Sanyukta easily found a job in a large suburban hospital. Meanwhile Gayatri returned to Bangalore and soon realised she was pregnant.

"You know what Sanyu, Sujay and I, we just got careless! I wish we had been a little more cautious. I wanted to work for a while and enjoy my married life before starting a family. Now Sujay won't stop teasing me, even if it is as much his fault that I am in this state, the wicked fellow that he is!" Gayatri's blush was clearly visible in the video chat. 

Sanyukta grinned to hear her best friend complain about her husband. It was just an act, she knew Gayatri was excited about the idea of being his wife and settling down into domestic bliss in their huge bungalow in Bangalore. Besides, Gayatri could always opt to return to work in the future. Sanyukta recalled Gayatri's eventful wedding that she had thoroughly enjoyed and had fervently hoped that she could also be blessed with such a wedding with the man who had ruled her heart for nearly five years.

Gayatri had insisted that both Anju and Sanyukta attend her wedding but Anju had declined the invitation as she was busy with examinations in her school. Sanyukta joined some of her batchmates to travel for Gayatri's wedding. All of them had decided to wear traditional sarees for the occasion. Sanyukta was Gayatri's bridesmaid and stayed close to her all the time. A red veil called musuk was tied around Gayatri's head after she draped a rich brocaded red Kanjeevaram silk saree. She was dressed in the jewellery that had been purchased for her during her last trip to Coorg.

 The Mangala, the iconic Kodava wedding was a fun-filled affair conspicuous by the absence of a Brahmin priest and Vedic rituals like the sacred fire, pheras and chanting that typify a Hindu wedding. Instead the bridal couple offered prayers to their ancestors at the sacred lamp. They were guided by family elders who then blessed the bride and the groom. Sanyukta noticed that in another departure from Hindu convention the wedding necklace called pathak was tied around Gayatri's neck by her mother, not by the groom. 

In a martial inspired tradition when the groom's party arrived one of them slashed through several banana stems to symbolise the groom's victory over other potential suitors for his bride. They were received by the bride's side with great honour. The bride and the groom were blessed by all the relatives who gave them gifts and showered them with grains of rice. Sujay then stood before Gayatri, offered her a sip of milk and then gave her a silk bag containing gold, silver and copper coins to signify his sharing of his wealth with her. He joined his right palm with hers and they exchanged jasmine garlands. In a separate ritual the elders bestowed upon Gayatri the rights of relationship to solemnise the marriage. 

This was followed by feasting, dancing and merrymaking. Pandhi curry made of pork enjoyed a prominent place in the midst of a chicken and meat banquet. Drinks flowed generously at the open bar and the guests partook their fill irrespective of their genders. Sanyukta and her friends from college admired the liberal approach of the Kodavas who looked resplendent turned out in their traditional best. The dancing went on uninhibited fueled by the drinks but no one became inebriated or behaved inappropriately under the influence. 

Sanyukta's memory took her back to the Goan wedding of Violet. So much had happened at that time. Randhir had protected her from being molested by his cousin Vishad on the evening of the ros ceremony. And on the wedding day Sanyukta had gotten drunk and Randhir had carried her home, putting her to sleep in his own bed. Sanyukta smiled, although she was a bit embarrassed about her conduct it had given birth to their unusual bond, something that nobody could understand as well as they did. Sanyukta had to push Randhir's thoughts at the back of her mind as she tried to give the bride all her attention on her special day.

 In the evening Gayatri performed another ritual called the Ganga puja. She drew water from a well and carried two pots filled with it on her head. She was accompanied by two young girls from the groom's side carrying a water pot each. The procession then slowly marched back to the wedding venue, with people from the groom's side dancing energetically before the bride and slowing down her progress as if trying to test her stamina and patience. The water pots were then placed under the sacred lamp. At the end of the evening's revelry the groom was finally led to his bride's chamber and the wedding guests retired for the night. 

After she showered and changed into her sleepwear Sanyukta had tossed around in her bed that night. Her best friend was enjoying the pleasure of her bridal night with the love of her life and sleep evaded Sanyukta. Gayatri had sent a bottle of rum and chilled cola to her room as Sanyukta had refrained from touching drinks all day. 

"Drink as much as you wish to in the privacy of your room. No one will bother you tonight. And try not to miss me, because I won't!" Gayatri told her with a wink before bracing herself to spend her first night as Sujay's wife.

Sanyukta Sanyukta found the mini fridge in her room well stocked. She dropped a generous amount of ice in a tall glass, poured the dark rum in the glass and topped it with some cola and a dash of lemon. A quick stir and she was ready to celebrate her solitude on that clement summer night. Rum had been her favourite drink because it reminded her of the heady days of her infatuation for Randhir. After her second drink she was emboldened enough to reach out to Randhir on video chat.

"Wow, you've been drinking!" Randhir grinned at her through her phone. It was Saturday afternoon in the US and he fortunately he was home that weekend as it was raining heavily there.

"Only because I was lonely! Funny how this house is full of happy people and all I want to do is reach out to you!" Sanyukta leaned back against the fluffy pillow in her temporary bed. Her locks fell untidily on one of her shoulders while the other lay exposed due to her oversized T Shirt. Randhir tried to stay focused on the conversation though he could not help but notice how her body had filled out in the years that he had been away from her.

"A sensible young girl would have taken her pick from among the many young men who attended the wedding. I know the Kodavas fellows are ruggedly handsome!" Randhir knew she was so fixated on him she would have avoided any eligible male at the venue, but he needed to hear it from her.

"Your cousin Vishad is a ruggedly handsome guy too! And a perfect swine at the same time! I don't need to tell you that I have trust issues with guys. Parth and you are exceptions though!" Sanyukta had never brought up Vishad in her conversation with Randhir and he was mildly surprised.

"You find Vishad handsome?" He wondered why she had mentioned his cousin. There was no love lost between Vishad and him.

"I know you don't get along with him. But you have to admit, the Shekhawat men are quite good-looking!" Sanyukta slurred before taking a generous swig from her glass.

"I suggest you put that glass away. The drink has addled your brain sufficiently enough to make you forget what stunt he tried to pull off with you! If it were not for that girl Tanya I would have harmed the guy bodily. Having him out of my hair is a perk I enjoy being away from India. Dad is generous to Tanya because he knows she alone can keep Vishad in a civilised state. Anyway, I don't want to discuss him!" Uttering Vishad's name left a bad taste in Randhir's mouth.

"I can never forget that night, Randhir! Because you had showed up as my knight in shining armour and saved me from his evil!" Her eyes grew misty.

"Did you enjoy the wedding?" He asked her. The distraction was necessary.

"Absolutely! I think people should emulate the Kodavas as far as weddings are concerned. They are pure fun!" She smiled happily as she shared a few pictures with him.

"Let's meet up during Parth's wedding. I could use some neck massage from someone who is trained. Let us see if they taught you anything in college!" He laughed.

"I don't mind, but it will come at a price! I am good at what I do, you see!" She winked at him.

"Stop drinking before you start sounding more suggestive!" He warned her.

"Why, do I make you nervous? I'm a big girl now, I can handle things!" She teased.

"Will you be in Goa during the wedding?" He asked. He knew she was unlikely to be there.

"You have to come to Mumbai to look me up. I don't think I can manage to get leave in a new job!" She wish she could be in Goa for Parth's wedding. But meeting Randhir there would not be easy.

"Let's cross the bridge when we get there! Now go ahead and get some sleep. You don't want to look like a panda tomorrow!" He knew she would be tired and had to go to bed.

"I miss you, Randhir!" She could not help but say that. It was the absolute truth.

"I know. I miss you too, Mowgli! Looking forward. You take care, ok?" He signed off with a sigh.

Sanyukta emptied the rest of her drink in the sink, rinsed the glass and brushed her teeth.

"Counting down already!" She blushed to herself as she made a note of how many days before she was likely to meet her significant other.