Bachelorhood Interrupted!!

It was a month of madding deadlines and nerve-numbing work that never seemed to cease. Working on a three or four-month project seemed like those gross daughter-in-law Vs mother-in-law mega serials (we love to watch on the idiot-box), which have irrational twists in plots and which threaten to continue for the next 20 years without an end in sight. Having put my head, heart, soul, time and everything else possible for the project, i finally found some time to pursue certain "extra-curricular activities" like purchasing a new two-wheeler and choosing a wife.Yes folks, finally i got hitched. The engagement ceremony took place at my place in Chennai on April 13 amidst lot of rituals and relatives. However, workload had not reduced and i did my bit for the day even though i had taken a compensatory-off for my engagement. My day began early with work at 6 a.m. from home. This was stuff i had not submitted the previous day. However, I finished work around 10 a.m. and sent them across. The next phase of work was at home; my early part of the afternoon was spent cleaning up the house and making it presentable for guests that were to assemble soon. Towards 2.30 p.m. I was reminded by my folks to get dressed for my D-Day.My lady came in a Saree, while i was dressed in a green Sherwani. The best compliment i could get for the day, i guess, was from an elderly family friend, who said "i looked decent" in my new clothes. Nevertheless, guests began streaming in at around 4 p.m. By 4.30 p.m. it was house-full. And by 5 p.m. the priest had begun the rituals. Having never been engaged before, except with work, I watched the proceedings with great interest. But the mid-summer heat and the undue attention from kids among the crowd, was quite disconcerting, often reminding me of the monkeys that i used to tease as a child, during my routine visits to the Vandalur Zoo. Food arrived at 5 p.m., sharp. But I couldn't lay my hands on them till 6 p.m. After the exchange of garlands, the crowd blessed us. Then, it was time to take the customary blessings from all the elders who had the assembled in my house. My would-be and I had planned to take-off to the beach by 6.30 p.m. However, some elderly folks seemed reluctant to budge from our place till 8.30 p.m., leaving us with little choice but to indulge in friendly banter with them about inconsequential issues that had no bearing on us, the community, the country or the world at large. Tired of waiting, we gave a broad hint and finally left for the beach and were back at 10.00 p.m. By then i was too tired and I hit the sack at 10.30 p.m. And that's what I term "quite an eventful day".