A typical Indian wedding

"Darn it! Does May always have to be so hot?? of course it does... this is Chennai after all!"1

Maya wiped a stream of sweat from her face as she hiked up the skirt of her davani in the most un-lady like fashion and  took the stairs 2 at a time. When she still had the last 6 or so steps to go she bellowed,2

"Maaa, the flower guy has arrived, where do I put the roses?"3

A very hassled and distracted Mrs. Kumar seemingly appearing out of no where emerged with a cordless phone in hand and gestured to her wildly,4

"It is your uncle on the line he wants to know where exactly the marriage hall is...."5

"how many times do I have to tell you...?"she hissed,6

"where is your bindhi?" her mother hissed back in pretty much the same tone. Grabbing the phone from her mother's hand she took up the conversation with patient relative with a tone of the most innocent sweetness. Just as she was preparing to bound down the stairs making mental notes to get a matching bindhi as well as return the phone to the cradle, again a definitely irate voice demanded,7

"Are you girls planning to go to the parlour or not???"8

Deciding that it was always better to stay away from the eye of the storm Maya mumbling some excuse about the rest of them not being ready and going to call them, descended the stairs with far more decorum than with with what she had ascended.9

Faint strain ts of "warning" by green day reached her ears as she passed the bride's room... another half an hour at least she thought shaking her head... 10

There was still  something she had missed she thought as she strode to grab the water bottle... as her mind strained to thinking the background, she crossed the front door and suddenly noticed the delivery boy still standing where she had left him clutching his bouquet of flowers. Maya stared at him stupidly for a moment and then  took a deep breath,11

"Ah yes... the flowers", she said wrestling with the old rusted lock... with flushed cheeks she finally managed to get it free. summoning up her remaining dignity she asked how much they cost. The florist with the faintest smirk on his face handed over the flowers to her and said that they had already been paid for. 12

"These things had to just happen when the cute florists happen to turn up, and when I'm wearing the worst contrasting davani and when exactly I was thinking of something else..." she grumbled within her head as she tried to straighten her hair with the flowers in her hand which lead to a greater disastrous effect.13

"'Ola mademoiselle, sil vous plait get this into la voiture... and stop fidgeting with your hair it only makes it look  than it is."14

Still grumbling under her breath about stupid cousin brothers and their pathetic attempts at french she quickly dumped the flowers to the nearest flat surface, and with a strong heft lifted the amplifier and staggered crab like to the van.15

"...mm what did I miss.... what did I miss..." the thought kept running over and over in the background of her mind as she slid the amplifier into the back of the van. 16

"Ah yes the bindhi! if I don't put on the darn thing a hundred and one people will ask a hundred and one things about it... and still something else..."   still mumbling she made her way up the stairs again and then suddenly realised the phone was balancing precariously at the edge of the banister,and the water bottle lying open on the floor...17

Snatching up the phone she returned it to its cradle before she could think of anything else. When she was half way through filling the bottle she suddenly realised it was just 2 hoursor so since dawn outside. She starred dumb-founded at the clock that announced that it was finnaly 8 a.m. 18

"Can't even imagine being up so early eh?" a small voice asked her.Maya turned around to grin at her cousin sister and as she turned her mouth couldn't help falling open as she saw her decked up in a designer Saree. She moved back to take in the full impact...19

"Anyone might confuse her for the bride" an old, cackle, proud voice announced. Maya watched with amusement the blush climbing up her cousins' cheeks.20

"And papa get my hearing aid also...it is on my bed." With an easy smile she moved away transferring the bottle to her cousin's hands and set of on the quest to find the hearing aid. 21

Quickly sorting through the rubble on the bed and digging out the elusive hearing aid, she created a quick check list in her head, on which the bindhi ranked first, then feeding the dog before they left or atleast trying to feed it before it licked and pulled out half your davani, then  22

to leave the flowers in the fridge... and...23

"Where is every else? Why is every one just staniding around instead of getting into the car, and where is your bindhi?" an all to familiar voice asked.24

"Errr.... right... we were just stepping out the door dad... I'll just go see if the bride is ready..."25

"what? you girls are supposed to be in the first trip, she'll come later... and feed that stupid thingI'll bark the place down"26