Scene 11

Scene - 11


Location: At the entrance of wedding hall
Sidd and Swetha were made to stand near oonjal and the traditional Pidi Suthal was about to start.
Aunt: Geetha, Is everything ready??? 3 brass vessels, 3 small brass pitchers, 3 brass diyas, one big brass plate, milk and aarthi...
Geetha: Everything is ready.
Aunt: OK... now you can start the pidi suthal
(Pidi suthal is a ritual in Brahmin weddings, where cooked rice in various colours, red, yellow, white, with milk and aarathi, was kept in a huge plate and 5 married women, take little in their hand and flick their hands in a wide orbit before the young couple, thrice to the left and thrice to the right and throw them down, this is done to ward off the evil. After this ritual, aarathi(red water - mixture of lime, haldi, and water) also is taken and they pour it in such a way that it stains the dhothi and sari of the bridal pair... Then start the unjaal - swinging of bride and the groom)
Steve: (Clicking photographs) Hey! what's happening? Looks like women cricket, I could see these elderly aunts, swinging multi coloured balls.... but one thing I don't understand, is how does this all connected to a wedding. It looks like they are all having fun at the expense of the newly weds.
Aunt: You don't understand anything, son... Everything is done for a reason...
Steve: Can you explain, aunty?
Aunt: There are evil spirits everywhere, just waiting to catch hold of us, just to ward them off, we are using these coloured rice..These are holy colours and the evil spirits is scared of all these holy colours and they will not come near us. It's like you people holding cross to save yourself from Satan...
(Now, Steve started to understand and he smiled shaking his head vigorously, aunty grinning turned to arrange for the next ritual. Sidd and Swetha were seated in a swing and 3 or 4 kids from both the family also sat next to them and they were seen gently swaying the swing and the elderly women and the young girls started to sing)

Chorus:

Kannoonjal Aadi yirundaal
Kaanchana Maalai Mana maghizndaal (Kannoonjal)

Ponnoonjalil Poorithu Bhooshanangal Tharithu
Eswara naaridathil Aasaigal Romba Vaithu (Kannoonjal)

Asaindhu Sangili Aada Isaindu Taalangal Poda
Ugandhu Oorvasiyaada pankaja valli Kondaada(Kannoonjal)

Utthami Petra kumari Nithyam Sarvalangaari
Padhmathala Oyyaari Padhma mukha Singaari (Kannoonjal)

Kitta mama: Sidd hold Swetha's hand

(As if waiting for that, Sidd held Swetha's hand tightly and slightly pinched her palm, Swetha her face warm, smiled and lowered her head... Sidd was falling more and more in love with Swetha... Kitta mama, swinged a coconut with a lit camphor on top of it and Steve was surprised at the way Kitta mama swinged the coconut with the camphor, flame intact and dashed it on the floor and in one go, it was smashed to pieces. Steve's mouth formed an :O)