Married to Weddings

The shaadi season is like global warming: all topsy turvy these days.

There used to be a time when you got invitations only towards the end of the year when the khaana-peena at the phera and the mithai at the bidhai were stuffed in between Diwali and Christmas and a few spoilsports spilled it over to the beginning of the year ufffd even before your hangover from New Year had a chance to dissipate.

But now? Now, there's a pile of gold and cream and red lying on your table right through the annum. Mr and Mrs inviting you to the wedding of their laadli beti seems to have no respite at all ufffd like the never-ending Bangalore heat. One finds oneself togging up at least twice a week to go wish another glowing couple on their stage.

And the only ones gleaming even more than the happy nuptialites are the wedding planners. They are raking it in, flying down orchids from Thailand, roses from Holland, and a new one this, importing jasmine from Australia ufffd because the blooms are more fragrant there, compared to the original Indian kind ufffd and Mr Bharwani can't boast to his daughter's new in-laws about procuring desi flowers from desi locales over his Johnny Walker, now can he?

So the jasmine gets imported from Australia. The tandoori chicken kebabs are brought in all the way by mausi from Toronto. The basmati can only come from mamaji's farms in Mauritius. And of course, the diamonds need to be flown in straight from DeBeers mines in South Africa ("We had to use so much influence with tauji's contacts in sugar farming, you know, but how else to get Guddi the best?)

With the boy now meeting girl online, it's becoming even more international. "So where did you meet her?" is now changing from "At the Taj Coffee Shop" to "On shaadi.com". Receptions are planned at the bride's hometown, the bridegroom's hometown ufffd and at reception.com.

And poetic e-invites that describe two swans in love are now as common as a corrupt politico in Karnataka. Of course it's now rather easy when the couple go their separate ways. E-divorces, they say, are getting coded
by a couple of Bangalore techies. And the ex-es just move their profiles on perfectpartner.com from "single" to "previously married".

And then begins the entire cycle of finding another partner. And yet another gold and cream invite lands up at your doorstep.