I am always averse to
attending marriage parties. My mom's relentless urge to accompany her to
marriage parties would always end up in she cursing me for being lazy and shy.
Yeah, I am a tad shy when it comes to attending marriage parties of not-so-closely-acquainted
people. Seriously, the only conversation topics you can expect are either
"What have you thought about your life" or "What are you doing
nowadays". To a 22 year old and a jobless jack(Techie) like me, these
questions are fairly embarrassing.
But oddly enough, there is a
unique thrill in crashing the marriage parties of strangers- without being
invited.
Mysore is quite famous for
its extravagant weddings. Its a treat to both our eyes and stomach.(If you know
what I mean ;) ). There are quite a many choultries(local term for
marriage halls) where the odds of
returning empty stomach and getting caught are very very less. During my
engineering days, when I was still a newbie to gatecrashing, one fine day my
friend called me up and talked about the adventure of gatecrashing. Thrilled as
I was, we left to crash the party.
There is only one rule to
survive at those parties- Don't be nervous.
Since that was my first
time, I was nervous and scared of the humiliation if caught. My friend cajoled
me and gave me some tips and one ground rule. After that advice, it took no
time for me to feel comfortable. It was only 7p.m and dinner was still an hour
later. Without much ado, we selected a spot which was kind of like a vantage
point for that surreptitious gaze- after all boys will be boys!. It was more or
less like the ethnic day of our college- saree clad girls and lots and lots of
make-up. Fortunately none recognized our faces and we continued the enjoy the
ambience. After having spent around 45 mins, we decided to call it quits to
avoid being spotted. Imagine our situation when sister of the bride complains
to her father about two guys who would not stop staring at her! It was now time
for the photoshoot. My friend had earlier advised me to wear a brand new
T-shirt. The reason now became clear. The stage was set ornately. I was
surprised at the enthusiasm of the relatives to get their photo click along
with the couple. Even we joined them, but decided to stand at the corner. This
was my most cherish-able experience in that wedding. That was how two strangers
became an unforgettable piece of one's wedding. No matter what, we will always
be talked about by everyone their family.
It was now time for the
food- it was delectable. From starters to desserts, everything was
mouth-watering.
But, seriously, How often do
you go to a stranger's wedding and find the most dreaded professor of your
college spotting you?
It happened with us!. Right
in front of us, right there! He recognized our faces(mischievous as we were) and
was surprised. My friend wittily took care of the situation and we escaped
narrowly.
The first time is always
exciting. When I look back now, the photoshoot is the first thing that comes to
my mind.
Imagine two persons from
their families looking at the wedding photos and suddenly we turn up...
This might be a closest
match to their conversation:
A (After looking at my face)
: Who the hell is that tall guy in Red Stripes?
B: Oh yeah!! and who the
hell is that guy in a round collared T-shirt? Doesn't even know how to get
dressed up for a marriage!
A: I pity them. They must be
some college students staying at a P.G who have come here in search of good
food.
B: Yeah! (Disgusted look)
Now even our children will ask about them when they look at these photos!
One thing was true- I stayed
in a P.G, but I never went there in search of good food. It was that thrill and
inexplicable pleasure of posing for a group photo, that excitement in staring
and that nervousness which made my gatecrashing experience memorable.
