It was midnight. I was taken to the bridal chamber by eight priestesses.
It is the womb that gives birth to brides.
A sacred place.
The Bridal Chamber
I was dressed in a blue silk churidar kameez.
It was not casual. It was bridal.
My hair was done in a unique style by the priestesses.
My dupatta was neatly folded and placed on my left shoulder.
I kneeled at the entrance.
Kissed the door step.
Then walked in.
It was an architectural masterpiece.
Tiles of various kinds decorated the floor.
The walls and pillars had carvings with diverse symbolism.
The chamber was elemental Earth.
The first element in the bride's journey.
I got out of the churidar kameez.
Stood naked.
I laid my cloths on a slab.
Knelt before them. Gratefully thanked them for being my shield.
Then I applied various herbal pastes and essential oils all over my body.
After waiting a few minutes, I got down into the pool to meet the second element. Water.
After the cleansing, I stepped out.
Still undressed.
Water dripping down.
I knelt on the tile with the sacred geometry.
I crossed my legs to the lotus posture.
Closed my eyes.
I drowned into myself.
I became the flame. The third element.
The blazing flame.
The towering flame.
The water on my skin and hair vapourised.
The flame split into two.
One became a girl on the right.
The other on the left.
They are the bridal dressers.
The bride crafters.
Me, the bride opened my eyes.
I stood up ready to be dressed.
But now the confusion.
One dresser said saree.
The other said lehenga.
I spoke nothing.
I chose nothing.
The crafters danced.
A wild yet traditional dance.
They were the flow of creativity.
The choice was never made.
Hence they continued their dance.
The crafters danced and danced.
They blew as the wind.
They spread as the fire.
They stood as the earth.
Then flowed as the river.
They merged the elements.
From it one crafted the bridal saree.
The other crafted the bridal lehenga.
They dropped their craft on the slab with due reverence.
Spoke to me, the bride.
But I spoke nothing.
They each grabbed my hands.
They each pulled me in either direction.
I was split into two bodies.
One for each dress.
I had to take the lehenga.
But I could not leave the saree unexpressed.
I had to get my hair braided.
But I cannot have the hair bun unmanifest.
So, I had to carry both.
Hence I had to be two.
The vasthrams are from the elements.
I was with the elements.
Each one of me entered the petticoat.
Each one of them had the breasts covered in choli.
The lehenga tied.
The saree tucked.
The duppatta climbed a shoulder.
The saree pallu climbed the other.
One hair was braided.
The other was bunned.
One hair was jeweled from top to bottom.
The other was veiled all around.
The bride was dressed.
I blew the conch.
Air, the fourth element was awakened.
It was dawn by then.
I walked to the window.
I saw the fifth element. The sky. Ether.
I saw the sun that was masculine.
I saw Venus that was feminine.
It was time to meet my lord.
I was visited by three priestesses. They took me to the lord. The lord who will be my husband.
