Second Marriage

Only bachelor in our branch was Nafe Singh and he too was getting married soon. Nafe invited all staff members of the branch to his wedding. As marriage was to take place on Sunday noon so all of us proceeded to groom’s place in a village off Meerut - Roorkee Road.

The village was as good as any other in UP. Small zig zag lanes lined with red bricks with overflowing waste water here & there. In between pucca houses there were Kuchha houses as well. Some houses just over the edge of lane with their balconies hanging over your head. Why these lanes can’t be in straight line is beyond me.

If you blow horn to request the villager walking ahead of your vehicle in middle of the road to give side, he will slowly turn his head around, have a look on your face & then get to a side & let you pass. After you have passed him, he will continue to glare at your back for a while muttering - Why are you disturbing me? Perhaps he would like to understand your presence in the village first. Or he might have been an auditor in his earlier avtar!

Two dogs sprinted behind the cars barking all the way for approx 50 mtrs. Finding nothing unusual dropped back. Even otherwise we bankers are used to them because of late sittings in the branches. Buffaloes tethered to pegs were lazily munching grass & were not interested in banking matters & a standing cow looked at us with half-closed eyes.
 

Chasing the source of sound of music we reached Nafe Singh’s place. Large tent was pitched in a vacant plot & decorated with buntings. Local DJ with huge loudspeakers was blowing away filmy music to the delight of the small crowd of dancers. Lunch was getting ready in one corner. Lots of guests, kids & ladies in colourful dresses were scattered all over the place. Ladies had their heads covered & avoided elderly gentlemen.

Nafe Singh the groom, greeted us a bit shyly & took us to his father sitting with friends on cots, takhats & chairs. Practically all of them dressed up in white dhoti-kurta & Gandhi toupees. They were enjoying Gurguri (Hukka), mattha & liquor. His father greeted us & called for drinks. Besides desi liquor bottles like Santara & Malta, beer & rum was also available. He ordered for ‘english bottle’ specially kept for us Babu log from bank!

I congratulated him on the marriage of his son Nafe Singh & asked for further programme as to where the Barat was supposed to go. He gave a cryptic reply,

- Nowhere! Barat will not go anywhere. 

A bit puzzled I enquired again. He put a counter question,

- Nafe Singh has not informed you I suppose?

 

We waited for his explanation.

 - See Manager saab with your blessings & with blessings of God I have three sons & three daughters. All except Nafe are married. Unfortunately as per God’s will, elder brother of Nafe died in road accident thirteen months before this day. He was two years older to Nafe. He has left behind his wife & six month old son.

- See saab with your blessings & with blessings of God, I had four brothers & three sisters. There was family fight over land & then division took place & I was left with only two acres. And now I don't want to divide it further. If we go on dividing our land one day there shall be no land left. How will children survive tell me Manager saab?

- Understand Manager saab that this earth is like mother to us as she provides food, shelter & life. We are part of mother earth & we go back into it. So I decided no more division of my land. 

- Therefore saab I talked to all concerned in the family. Everyone agreed to marry Nafe to his Bhabhi.

- So Manager saab I am grateful to God that Barat is starting from this house & reaching this very house as both groom & bride are present in this house.

- With your blessings Manager saab & with blessings of God the assets of this house shall remain in this very house!

Towards a New Journey