The Bride's Father

He slowly retracted his footsteps from the place, after making sure that the last person had left fully satisfied and happy. With a smile on his lips right from the time the first guest came in, he had gone about the task of receiving the guests, imploring them to enjoy their meal and finally bidding them goodbye after checking whether they had indeed enjoyed themselves and have had their full. Not that everyone was happy. A few special ones made it a point to find faults and bring them to his notice. Whatever they said, he bore it all, with a smile, and a promise to see if it can be corrected. After all when the heart is heavy with grief, probably there is no room left for the heart to feel more pain. Beyond the point of saturation, its like a feeling of numbness and any further hurt doesn’t cause much reaction.

The footsteps were laboured, each one slower than the one before. Fatigue was beginning to overcome him, the toil of the whole day making his body ache and his old bones scream for rest. It had been a whole year of tension and toil. Of trying to strike a balance between the financial constraints and soaring aspirations! Of trying to plan the things taking cues from past experiences of so many years. Of noting down points that wouldn’t get resolved till the last moment and making sure that it is taken care of, even at the eleventh hour. Of choosing the list of invitees and then going from door to door, ensuring that every person was personally invited.

Or was it the feeling of heaviness in the heart that slowed down his footsteps? The railway institute where she had performed her first dance recital. The roads where she learnt to ride her first cycle! The shops from where she would insist on buying candies! Her school where she spent a good 12 years ! It would take many days for the memories to recede back into the inner recess of the mind. The house would seem so much empty without her presence! She wouldn’t be there to serve him his evening cup of tea. Or lend him a helping hand in the kitchen, when his wife would be indisposed due to her illness. The battles to keep the family running would have to be fought by him alone, minus any help from her side.

Suddenly he felt like crying out loud! On the empty streets, the stray dogs were startled to hear a sound they have not been accustomed to hear. A few came forward, wagging their tail to express their sympathy. Through tear strained eyes, he looked up, heavenwards, probably in a bid to prevent gravity from pulling out more teardrops from the eyes.

No, it does not help to cry! He tried to console his grieving heart. This is destiny, the rule of the society. Women have long been used as trophies, to be won by men. His daughter was a woman now. Her heart had been won by another man! She was his. It was an arrangement that the society has evolved over the years. His was not to question why! At least he had ensured that it would be wedding worth remembering. Her daughter would be able to tell her children with pride as to how Nana ji had arranged for a wonderful display of fireworks that lit up the whole sky. And the biriyani was so sumptuous that almost everyone couldn’t help but ask for a second helping! Not to mention the Rangoli and the stage decorations. And he was sure that her children will agree with him on the fact that their mother looked absolutely stunning on the day of her wedding!

As he neared the house, he noticed that the litter of pups were waiting eagerly for him to return back. His daughter had insisted on feeding them every night ever since they had strayed into the garden one day. In her absence there was no one to feed them.

Suddenly he felt a little cheerful. It would now be his responsibility to ensure that these little pups did not miss her daughter!