The Color Of Henna
Eden was sitting among Lavanya’s cousin sisters, and aunts. Daksh noticed Lavanya was getting jealous, so he whispered in her ears, “Your husband is quite popular among girls.”
Lavanya glared at Eden with her face red in anger and jealousy as she made her way to the living room. Oblivious to her presence behind him, Eden was laughing with her cousins. She took a deep breath. “Eden.”
Eden stood up immediately, seeing her. He observed her carefully, finding himself lost in her beauty. She was wearing a yellow Anarkali suit (A famous Indian dress) with minimal make-up and yellow bangles in her hands. Her red face because of anger and jealousy was making her look more cute and beautiful.
She looked at everyone present in the room and smiled, walking near Eden. “The function is about to start. Go, and change your clothes.”
He nodded, walking out of the living room. He quickly changed into the clothes Lavanya had left for him on the bed and reached downstairs, only to find Daksh already sitting at the place where the function was going to take place, and all the relatives were standing around him.
He stood beside Lavanya, excited to see what was going to happen at this function. Sakshi applied the paste of turmeric on Daksh, later telling Lavanya to apply it. Lavanya moved forward with a smile on her face, took some paste in her hands, and applied it onto Daksh’s face.
Daksh was continuously looking at her. He placed his hand on her head, a tear rolling down his cheek. Lavanya didn’t understand why he was crying on such a happy occasion but didn’t ask him, and stepped away, wiping his tear, so the other relatives could apply the paste to him.
Lavanya’s cousins took her with them for dance. She started grooving to the beats of Indian music, and Eden was lost in admiring her beauty, totally unaware of his surroundings.
He came out of his trance when Sakshi called him. “Yes, mom.”
She took him near Daksh. “You should also apply the turmeric paste on him.”
Eden smiled. “Sure.” He took lots of paste in his hands and applied it onto Daksh’s body, coloring him all yellow. The relatives standing there laughed, looking at Daksh.
“Sakshi, your son-in-law is very good. He understands our culture so well.” Lavanya’s Aunt complimented Eden.
Sakshi smiled, looking at Eden, who was busy teasing Daksh, and Lavanya was stopping him. The function ended happily. Everyone went inside their rooms to take some rest.
Daksh was drying his hair in his room after taking a shower when he heard a knock on his door. He opened the door and saw Lavanya standing outside. He invited her in. “Do you want something from me?”
She sat on his bed. “Jab main aapko haldi laga rahi thi, tab aap ro kyu rahe the? (Why were you crying when I was applying turmeric paste on you?)
He sat beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “I knew you would come to ask me this question. It’s nothing much. I just thought that my little Lavanya is really grown up.”
She held his hand. “When I was going to London, you told me that I would always be your little Lavanya. I am not grown up. I am still your little Lavanya.”
She hugged him, wrapping her arms around him. Daksh kissed her forehead, feeling a little sad, thinking that Eden would take Lavanya back with him to London.
***
It was the day of the Mehndi (Henna) Function. Lavanya was sitting in front of the henna Artist, who was making beautiful designs on her hands. She was looking breathtakingly gorgeous in the parrot green dress. Eden was sitting right next to her, with a glass of juice in his hand for her, making her drink it in between.
He was enjoying the festive vibe around him, looking at everyone before stopping his eyes on Daksh. He furrowed his eyebrows, seeing the henna Artist making a design on Daksh’s hand. He tapped on Lavanya’s shoulder, and she turned to look at him. He pointed towards Daksh. “You said boys can’t get henna on their hands when I wanted it, then why your brother is getting it?”
She looked at Daksh before replying to him. “He is a groom. Only groom gets henna on his hands.”
He nodded his head in understanding. “If my mom should have been alive, she must have taught me about all this.”
She smiled. “She and Dad will always be with us.”
The artist finished her mehndi. Lavanya waited for her mehndi to dry and when she removed it from her hands, Sakshi was surprised to see the dark color of her henna. “The color of henna on your hands never got this dark before whenever you applied it. This time it’s too dark. Eden really loves you a lot.”
“I do love her a lot, mom but how it is connected to the color of henna?” Eden asked, looking at the henna on Lavanya’s hands.
“It is said that the darker the color of henna is on a girl’s hand, the more her husband loves her.” Sakshi explained to him.
“Okay.”This is property © of NôvelDrama.Org.
After the Mehndi function, they fully enjoyed the function of Sangeet night (Musical Night), where both Lavanya and Eden grooved together to the beats of Indian songs with Daksh and finally, the day of wedding came.
Lavanya was assisting Daksh in getting ready. She tied an emerald stone studded chain around his neck and a Sehra (Headgear) on the turban he was wearing, completing his look. Eden was silently watching everything.
Eden was surprised, seeing Daksh getting on a beautiful white mare. They all reached Niharika’s home, and her parents and relatives welcomed them in a grand manner.
Lavanya and Eden were sitting with Daksh on the platform decorated with flowers, where the wedding ceremony was going to take place.
Niharika arrived, and the priest asked Lavanya to tie the knot for the seven circumambulations. As they were taking the vows while circumambulating around the holy fire, Lavanya was thinking if this moment would ever come in her life where she will take vows around the holy fire with Eden, whereas Eden was thinking of making this moment come true in his and Lavanya’s life.