The marriage rituals are almost completed only remaining two three which will be happening after sunrise, in the morning.

Now the bride and the groom sit on their floral decorated chairs and we all congratulate them while a few persons give them gifts. The whole room fills with greetings and the light music of the boxes.

"Let's go eat dinner, Aditya!" Barun says to Dev almost sounding enthusiastic while a suspicious gaze scrutinise him. Kanachana comes behind him, her hands over hips.

"Did you drink?" She asks and Barun stiffens in his place, all of his euphoria drains through his legs to the ground.

"Err... No! How could I?" He shakes his head like a child is being questioned if he has stolen a cookie from the jar.

She looks him up and down then nods before going away to greet the couple.

He huffs, "God! I was almost caught!"

I give him tight grin, "You actually are already caught, my friend."

"Eh? Why?"

"Your glass is upside down and you were talking with Dev while calling him by my name."

A frown appears on his face then he gulps, "Oh shit!"

Chuckling I go to the table and secure a chair as Dev, Jatin and Amit joins. Barun, Kingshuk and Abhishek take the next table beside us.

When the caterers serve us our food which is Radha Ballavi, daal makhni* and salads for our first course, Agni enters with Sneha and Priya.

I glance at her and gives her a curt nod which she returns and the light music fades into a romantic song, 'Chura liya hai, Tune jo dil ko... Nazar nehi churana sanam.'¹ (you've already stolen my heart, don't trick me and go away, my love)

She takes her seat across our row and begins to chat with her companions while I turn my head, a small smile still tugs on my lips. However, when I find a series of narrow eyes are directed at me, it evaporates.

"What?"

"I thought you molested her but she's not offended. What did you do?" asks Amit tapping his feet under the table. His eyes narrow down to the slits as if he is Byomkesh Bakshi*.

"I thought you are already with Sneha."

"I am. I'm just curious." He shrugs.

"I didn't do anything." I begin to chew Radha Ballavi but my belly backflips a few times as I have made progress. A little, perhaps.

I bite my lower lip to stifle a grin.

Maybe a bit more than little...

The caterers serves us polao* and mutton and there are hardly any more place left on my plate. As I am busy with adjusting the polao, a tap diverts my concentration from my food.

I tilt my head to the side in annoyance and find a Golden orni. I groan inward. It is Shanaya. Now my annoyance reaches ten times higher to the dark sky above us.

"After dinner, can you hold the seats for us?" She asks, batting her fake eyelashes and voice as sweet as honey and I cringe my nose at her lavender scent. It wasn't that strong a few hours ago like now.

I look over her shoulders. There are another two girls with her, there faces brightens as our gazes fell on them and they start their usual -- which is as awkward as it seems as they are standing middle of the route and the caterers are waiting behind them in lines with big bowls on their shoulders -- flattering of their eyes and make their lips as if they are minions of Kim Kardashian.

"Okay." I nod stiffly.

Giving the sweetest smile of the year, she takes her leave, her derriere shaking in a lazy manner behind her. I'm sure she is doing that on purpose.

And I turn my head to devour on my polao and mutton. However, I feel another series of gazes direct at me. I look up and find their narrowed eyes.

"What?" I hiss with gritted teeth as now, I'm beginning to get irritated by their behaviours.

"You are becoming pretty famous with the ladies," Amit says.

"You can take her and all of them."

And I put a mutton into my mouth and put all of my attention to the food that is ready to be devoured.

"Even Agni?"

I pause and look at him.

A grin slowly crawls on his lips as he puts a piece of mutton in his mouth.

***

Never underestimate the winter of Maithan. That I've come to know after the hour hand of the clock hit twelve. Bitterly cold and dry - such an enchanting combination.

After our grand dinner, we decided to join the couple in Basor raat*. Barun with no power over the deadly glares of Kanchana, departed to join the vaarjatri(groom's guests) and Jatin, Abhishek, Kingshuk joined him as well. They have left for Kolkata one hour ago and we three have stayed to accompany Angshu in Basor ghor(bridal chamber).

All of the guests have already left and, Dev, Amit and I enter the big white room after bidding our parents and friends goodbye. The floor is covered with mattresses and the couple has already arrived, leaning against the wall while chatting in themselves. We sit on the mattress across them and after a while, Agni and Sneha join us for whole night chatting. The idea is to stay awake all night and entertain them.

However, Angshu's heavy lids and Bratati's yawns says they had enough for today. The whole day rituals and jagya* have made them exhausted.

After seeing them survived the customs, I feel like saluting them. And this is another reason why I don't want to entangle myself in marriages.

"Now, c'mon guys, give us your precious time too. You'll have the entire life for conversation," Amit teases grabbing the attention of the couple who turn red.

My eyes peek at Agni who is busy typing on her phone. She whispers something to her sister then begin to type on her phone while a smile tugs on her lips.

We start to tease the couple and reminisce their awkward past experiences, and Sneha joins us as well. All the while as we leg pull, Agni doesn't even paid any attention to us but occasionally whispers to Bratati. She has already changed her clothes to a long black skirt with a yellow top and ties her long hair into a pony. A pair of small rings replaces the big earrings she had worn since evening.

Half an hour later when Agni has no effect on my entertaining topics, I feel very offended.

I have thought there may be -  may be some kind of bonding we share - or have shared - a few hours ago, but she hasn't even taken a glance at me.

What is so intriguing on that phone?

A thought clicks and sores my mood immediately.

It can be her boyfriend...

'Hum jeeke kya karega, jab dil hi tut gaya...'² the song fills the room (which unfortunately matches my state of mind) and I slowly turn to Dev as it's coming from his phone. (What I'm gonna do when my heart has broken)

He brings out his phone and the display shows 'Mom' on it.

"Is it your ringtone?" I ask.

He gives me a straight look and answers, "Currently? Yes." He nods and I turn my head slowly to Agni, who - unfortunately - is still busy. A few muscles in my jaw twitch.

It is not that shocking as she is famous, beautiful, cool, sexy...and so many adjectives currently my mind is unable to form. Any guy would want her if they aren't as foolish as Suresh was.

The more time goes, the more I feel restless and soon, it doesn't take long for the hour hand to reach one, and the cold to reach mount Everest.

Bratati's father has already arranged us some blankets which are abandoned at a corner of the room, and I notice there are many jumbled clothes that are cluttered under the doors.

"Are these for cold?" I ask. If those are then it's not helping at all.

Agni looks up, now there is fatigue around her eyes. She looks at the clothes and answers, "No. The clothes are for snakes."

Angshu, Dev and Amit's heads snap at her at speed that I wonder how come their heads haven't toppled down from their shoulders. I can't snap my head as I'm already looking at her with a gap in my mouth.

"Don't worry. There's no snake. It's just a saying that if the bride falls asleep at her wedding night, her husband may have a tasty bite from the snake."

I burrow my brows, "What?"

She gives me a look that says, 'are you serious?' then asks, "You don't know the tale of Manasa and Chand Saodagar?"

We shake our heads. I've heard of a goddess of snakes, Manasa but I know there are like many gods and goddesses in India.

Agni begins, "Manasa, the goddess of snakes, wanted that her worship as a goddess should be introduced on Earth by Chand Saodagar."

"Who's that?" Amit asks which earns him a glare from Agni. She definitely doesn't like to be interrupted.

He grins sheepishly and says, "Carry on."

"He was a marchant and a worshiper of Lord Shiva*. But he was Manasa's enemy. He did not consider Manasa as a deity to be worshipped at all. Rather he tried to resist the introduction of the worship of Manasa.

"Without getting worship from Chand, Manasa killed his six sons and drowned his mercantile fleet in the sea successively."

"She seems dangerous!" Amit notes.

However, Agni ignores it and continues, "Although Chand's wife became a devotee of Manasa to save the life of their youngest son Lakhindar, Chand still declined to bow down to Manasa. As a result, Manasa formed a plan to kill Lakhindar.

"Chand had already warned about this to his daughter in law, Behula, before marriage and she promised to stay awake on their wedding night. However, she fell asleep and Lakhindar died in the iron made bridal chamber(basor ghor) by snake bite. That's how it all started."

"If Bratati doesn't sleep, the snakes won't come then?" Dev asks.

"Perhaps. I don't know," Agni answers.

No wonder Behula fallen asleep. The whole marriage thing is tiring. My gaze fell on Bratati who seems like she would have liked the comfort of the pillows now.

"What happened next?" I ask. The story catches my attention and I like to hear it from Agni's mouth.

She looks at me for a moment before telling it, "Lakhindar's wife Behula reached the heaven with the corpse of her husband on a raft of banana tree to get back his life. There, she pleased gods with her unique performance of dance and they promised to return the lives of all seven sons of Chand and his property if he introduce the worship of Manasa on Earth."

Agni shrugs, "After many conflicting events and climax Chand agreed to offer Manasa's worship as the goddess of snake. The End."

I blink at her.

"I thought there would be some fighting or battles like *Mahabharata." I say.

"There was but I don't remember all of the story."

I nod, "Still it's a good one."

Agni's sleepy eyes tells, she's all beat up. She has already brought a blanket and wraps it around her while leans on the wall. Her eye lids are almost closing. Angshu and Bratati wrap themselves too in a big blanket and I get up to bring myself one.

Each one of us take one blanket and lay down on the mattress while the light is still on. We can't switch it off because of the Manasa tale and after hearing it, there is a strange feelings settles inside my belly. I know these are all superstitions but right now, I'd like sleeping while the lights are on rather than the snake bite in the dark.

I unfold the blanket and immediately get offended as the blanket is a bit small to wrap me whole in its embrace. I look at Dev who shares the same thought and there aren't any extra blanket either.

With a sigh, I ball inside the thick fabric and my gaze fell on Dev who places his blanket over him but it fails to reach his toes. He sits up and wraps it from his toes to neck. I've seen him since childhood, he can't fall asleep without covering his head however, he seems to find a solution, and an amazing one, if I add.

He brings out his handkerchief and places over it on the remaining exposed skin - that is his face - like it's another mini blanket.

I let out a chuckle and embracing the cold night, drift off to sleep.

___________

- Glossary -

Radha Ballavi and Daal makhni- Another famous dish (search the google)

Byomkesh Bakshi- a famous Indian- bengali fictional detective written by Saradindu Chattopaadhyaay. Now, there are hindi, english and bengali movies and series on them.

Polao- is a rice dish.

Jagya- (yagya) means "sacrifice, devotion, worship, offering", and refers in Hinduism to any ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras.

Lord Shiva- 'the auspicious one', also known as Mahadeva (lit. 'the great god'), is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Shaivism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism

Mahabharata- is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Rāmāyaṇa.

- Rituals -

Basor raat- It's like a custom to stay awake while everyone teases the couples. And the Manasa Tale is actually true (people still believe that) and don't sleep however, nowadays, many people don't carry out it like before and fell asleep.

- Songs -

1- Chura liya hai tune jo dil ko(1973)- sung by Asha Bhosle and Mohammad Rafi & composed by R. D. Barman

2- Hum ji ke kya karenge, jab dil hi tut gaya(1946)- sung by Kundan Lal Saigal & composed by Naushaad Ali

__________

7th October, 2020