30 May,2015 07:20 AM IST | | Delaveen Cherag Tarapore
Three weeks after the South Mumbai building blaze destroyed her wedding finery and her house, Priyanka Pol, who will tie the knot today, has managed to have her pre-wedding ceremonies as planned
Three weeks since the Kalbadevi fire gutted her entire house, Priyanka Pol is all set to begin a new life. Priyanka, who will tie the knot today, has managed to have her pre-wedding ceremonies as planned.
In the middle of pre-wedding rituals, Priyanka said she missed her home in Gokul Niwas. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar
The Pols had lost all the wedding finery that they had been collecting for almost six months prior to the fire, and were distraught when they saw their house at Gokul Niwas come crumbling down. However, with only three weeks in hand, Priyanka decided to have her wedding as planned.
The pre-wedding festivities started with the mehendi ceremony on May 28 in the presence of close relatives and family friends. "As it was the wedding season, I had booked the artist for my mehendi ceremony almost a month ago. However, just a few days back I got a call from another person offering to do my mehendi for free.
Priyanka Pol is getting married to Swapnil Surve. Pic/Bipin Kokate
But I had already made arrangements and did not want to cancel them," said a beaming Priyanka yesterday, after her haldi ceremony. Priyanka said she was thankful to people who have been coming forward and offering help in various ways since the fire.
She recently resigned from her job and was supposed to get only a month's salary as the final settlement, but because of the fire, they gave her salary for two months. "Anup Shah, a friend from my village in Satara, gifted me many kitchen items like a dinner set, spoons, a cooker and so on.
They will help me in my new life," said Priyanka, adding that she received some amount from the Chief Minister's Fund, helped by Guardian Minister of Raigad district, Prakash Mehta, 10 days back. However, she has been saving that for use in settling down post-marriage.
The past few weeks have been spent shopping for the wedding. "Though we couldn't afford too much gold jewellery, I managed to buy some costume jewellery for the main ceremony. My brother bought a small gold mangalsutra for me that needs to be given from the girl's side during the wedding".
The wedding, which is to be held at a hall in Chira Bazar, is going to be attended by quite a few people from Kalbadevi. Some of them are her neighbours and merchants who worked from her building. "Though the wedding rituals and preparations are on, I miss my home back in Kalbadevi.
Though this house in Prabhadevi now feels like home, I lived in Kalbadevi for 24 years," said Priyanka. "I am so overwhelmed by the way people have helped us in this crucial time. I still can't believe that all is well and that my daughter is getting married after all," said Manda, Priyanka's mother.
