Eternity

"You see the aunt there, she is my second maasi (Mom's Sister). She has a kid, now in 8th grade." She told pointing to a woman in the group of people standing. 

"Wow! she looks too young da.". He replied, looking at her Aunt. 

"Yeah, she is just 32. She married at the age of 23". 

"Well, 23 is not a bad age for marriage, no?" He said with a twinkle in his eyes. "You are also 23 now gorgeous". 

"Ha ha...Yeah! Well, can we get married...say Now?"

"Yeah, why not...So we shall go to the church first, since you are a Christian...It doesn't matter much, but still the lady beau is preferred first...right?"

"Hmmm...Chalo then, we will go to the church first". 

And together they went to the church near by, hand in hand. 

"I want to see you in the white bridal dress... Please... you will look gorgeous in this"

"Hmm... let me see...Ok wait here, I will wear this and come" 

And there she comes, after a few minutes, with the white bridal dress. His heart beat drummed louder and faster on the first sight of her. She looked gorgeous as usual; in fact more gorgeous than before. The hair and face nap on her looked as if a leaf is covering the just blossomed flower in the lot from sun. Her hair curls in front danced in rhythm as she puts each step forward towards him. He couldn't took off his eyes from her even for a second. 

"So how am I", she asked him in his naughtiest of her ascent. 

"Oh god, I am awestruck!", he replied. 

She giggled and shy away in his shoulder. 

"Shall we proceed? I don't want to loose any more minutes here..." 

And together they walked to the hearth near the Church. An old bishop, with his checkered coat was standing there smiling. 

"Son and daughter of God! You have come here for the auspicious bondage and I shall bring you both together. So X, son of S and L and Y, daughter of P and T, do you accept this bondage of life between the two?"

They together replied, "Yes father! We do!!!"

"And so in the name of god, I proclaim Mr X and Ms Y as husband and wife! Mr X you  may now kiss the bride". 

"Isn't this a little filmy?" He murmured in her ears. 

"Shut up and kiss" she replied back...

They lip locked each other, and they got absolved in each other for they themselves don't know how long. Both looked happy and hope the love between them remains so forever...

They walked down the Church path lane amidst the whole crowd, who were admiring the beauty and charisma of the newly weds. They came to the same place where they were standing before. Tear drops were rolling as pearls from her eyes. 

"Now that we are married, why are you crying?" He asked. 

"I am not crying...that's every girls custom to do so after the ceremony"

"Oh is it so? " And they both laughed at each other. 

"Well now it's over from my part. I want to marry in Hindu rituals too...I will wear a Kanchivaram Embroidered Saari , and you should put up with a Sherwani!" She chirped with excitement again.

"OK, we shall meet at the temple there", pointing to a small temple just opposite to the Church building, " in 15 minutes" ?

"Not 15 minutes...It's hard to wear a Saari for me." you wait for me in the temple. 

"OK..."

They again departed way to dress...This time the groom dressed himself in a fabulous Sherwani. And he looked Charming and handsome as usual. The color of the Sherwani matched his skin tone and he looked the perfect groom for whomever he was going to tie the knot. 

He waited at the temple for more than 30 minutes. And there she comes again, with the Kanchivaram Silk striking bright on her, the Garlands on her hair and the pieces of jewelery shining on every part of her. 

The Agni-kund (Sacred Fire-place for Hindu rituals) was waiting for them . He was already sitting at the place of the groom, and the bride came after him, took a bow and with folding hands, sat at the bride's place. Shehnai began to ring in their ears. After some chants of the shlokas and mantras, the Hindu priest told the groom to tie the holy knot on the brides' neck. The Shehnai and the Nadaswarams pace grew faster and louder . The priest told them to do the pradikshanas (going round) of the Agni-kund, with the bride's hand in the groom's. They did the pradikshanas 7 times and sat at the same place where they were sitting. The people gathered around was again praising the beauty and charisma of the newly weds. 

The Hindu priest chanted some Shlokas and told the newly weds to take the blessings of their parents. The newly weds looked around but couldn't see their parents in the crowd standing there or sitting. 

They stood up in the Kalyana Mandapam, and slowly walked towards the church gate...While walking towards the church they saw some people  shouting and crying. On watching closely, they saw their own relatives crying and beating their chest...They saw their mothers lying down on the floor, unconscious. Their fathers crying bitterly...They walked slowly towards them, with a horrific terror growing in their hearts. On reaching the place, they saw two people lying on two separate stretchers and covered with white bed linens. A gush of wind passed through the place, and the faces of the dead people was revealed by the wind...

The terror passed through the newly weds heart like lightening bolts. They are seeing themselves lying without life on the wheel stretcher of the Hospital. Still smiling in their deep sleep, never to wake up again. They hoped they could console the relatives crying on their life less bodies, they hoped they could tell their relatives that they were still alive, but they felt as if something was pulling them away from speaking to them. 

She wept louder and asked him, "Are we dead?" He looked at her without an answer to her query.