Sunday, January 14, 2007

The Naked Bride

THE ANTICIPATION HAD REACHED A euphoric peak. Lost in the endless giggles and taunts she was being subjected to by her friends a weird sense of reluctance and fear was starting to envelope her nervous mind. She had known about this moment all her life, but never had she been able to prepare to face it without being so anxious. Maybe that was what made it so much exciting she thought and smiled unconsciously. All those months of interactions and back breaking work had finally culminated to bring down the barrier that stood between her and the new groom. Her wedding night seemed to have a tension built around it that could put any major Bollywood production house to shame.

In a culture that enjoyed the planning and processing a wedding more than anything else, she had found assistance and help in various quarters. Her entire family had gathered all their resources and ensured she got the best one in their history of grand and elaborate weddings. Given her middle class background and a simple lifestyle, her parents had been thrilled when they had heard about this well educated, well rounded and well earning engineer groom for their daughter. Being the only child, she had been brought up with a lot of affection and they hoped that the new man in her life would continue to give her that same attention.

The room for the first wedding night was decorated better than the bride herself. A carefully selected assortment of flowers was strung along the sides of the wooden bed that lay proudly in the middle of the vast room. The fragrance they were exuding was absolutely mesmerizing. Some of the younger kids would run in and out of the open room just to get a whiff of that aroma before being shooed away by elders who stood guard. A couple of shiny stainless steel bowls filled with apples, bananas and grapes were placed near the head stead. The dull and steady dance of think smoke went up to the ceiling from a bunch of incense sticks that were pierced into one of the apples. The stage for a comfortable and hopefully fun filled night was definitely set.

She was brought to the door a little before midnight with a glass of warm milk. A custom, she was told. Dressed in a simple yet elegant off white cotton sari and without the jeweled head dress she sure was looking like a treat to a sore eye. Her head was lowered in a mix of the evident shyness and the not so evident anxiety. Her mother whispered something in her ear and she was let into the room as her friends giggled behind her and closed the room. She turned around and bolted the latch from the inside.
A few heart beats later she turned around to find him sitting on the bed in a relaxing mode with his face decorated with a silly looking grin. He had the look of a man who probably had won a very high stake bet.

‘Come…come...’ he said slowly in a voice that was almost a whisper.

She started walking towards him with her eyes fixed on the floor beyond her and a smile she was trying hard to suppress. He got up as she neared the bed and held out his hand for the milk.

‘He must be thirsty,’ she said to herself. He drank from the long steel glass swallowing loudly and handed back the half empty glass to her.

‘This is for you. We are supposed to share this,’ he said winking back at her.

She sipped the remaining contents of the saffron laced milk slowly without taking her eyes off from the inside of the glass. He continued looking at her with the same grin waiting for her to finish drinking.

After she was done the empty glass was kept aside and the couple sat on the bed. Her mind was filled with images of this exact scene she had seen all her life in movies. She expected him to break into a romantic song anytime soon, but somehow she found that would be a far shot. She also realized she would never be able to sing and dance.

Without a word more, he began necking her immediately. She was a little taken aback at the first physical contact since she had expected them to talk for a little to break the ice. But apparently he was in no mood to discuss anything for the night. He smelt like strong cologne and it made her slightly nauseas but she knew this was not the time for that. She responded with a hug around him as she had seen in the movies. She even threw in a small laugh and a fake moan to add some effect to this strange version of intimacy.

The lone tube light that lit the room gazed on as the young lovers began their journey into the passionate folds of eternal bliss. She could faintly hear the voices from outside as he laid her on the bed and proceeded to remove his silk full arm shirt.

‘They must be getting ready to sleep. They’ve had such a busy month. I wish I could too. I am so tired. But if this is what he wants...’ she said to herself as he began showering her with kisses. She had always pictured this moment but she had no idea how to react to it since it was happening without a proper plan. Within the next few minutes she had revealed her self completely to her new husband. The look on his face resembled that of a child who had discovered an amazing toy by accident. It was as if a long time dream of his had suddenly been attached to reality.

‘I do not want to forget this moment,’ he whispered in her ear as she began her journey of overcoming her natural inhibition for the night.

She closed her eyes to start settling into that cloud of fantasy mixed with passion, but felt his body move away from hers. She initially thought he was going to join her in this state of pure exploration soon but when the seconds passed by silently, she realized that she was all alone on the wedding bed with nothing else but her naked self for company. She slowly opened her eyes to find her new husband standing a few feet away, still dressed in his silk lungi and looking into a cell phone that was pointed in her direction. She was unsure who he was trying to call at such an unearthly hour. She patiently waited for him to finish his business with the phone but he continued walking around the bed slowly with the phone pointed towards her and that silly grin still lingering on his lips.

'What are you doing?' she asked innocently trying to hide how annoying and uncomfortable she was feeling at that moment.

'Oh nothing,' he responded still focused on his phone 'just making some memories darling' he continued.

She did not quite understand what he was saying or doing but by pure instinct she pulled the sheets onto her chest and held it close. He laughed out loud at her reaction as if he had expected her to do so and finally closed the phone and put it away. He then returned to the bed with the look of a man on a mission. His grin had disappeared now and had transformed into a more serious and slightly scary grimace.

The night dragged on as he explored her and she allowed him to do so. Somewhere in her mind there was a girl who was becoming a woman. She was happy at the attention she was getting from her groom. Little did she know that the following day a hundred more men would give her the same attention as they’d watch her looking blankly back at their computer screens from her bed – unsure and naked. Little did she figure out that her new groom would get a lot more appreciative responses by complete strangers who’d thank him for posting another ‘hot’ thread on the MMS section of that website filled with men with an insatiable appetite for the perverse.

Some women are brides forever.

..ShaKri..

2 reflections:

Samba said...

amazing mix of emotion, mild sensuality and the shady side of sex.

ShaK said...

Thank you Samba. Took a while to respond so sorry about that, brother. :)


ShaKri

 
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