Unexpected

Jules had joined college in Lucknow and we would drive up every couple of months to meet her. It was on one of these trips that I was spotted by Dr SV, who thought I would make a good match for her son M. The lady contacted my parents to set up a meeting, and I promptly threw a hysterical fit when I heard this, as I was totally disinterested in any sort of alliance with anyone. Mother convinced me to at least meet the individual concerned without any strings attached, to which proposal I most reluctantly agreed.

I felt an instant disinterest bordering on dislike for  the young man when he and his mother came down from Lucknow to spend a morning with us, and told mother as much. I also noticed a flicker of interest spark between him and my sister, which I chose to ignore at that point of time. Jules went back to college and M returned to Lucknow where he promptly got in touch with her. A romance blossomed and within a few months she had accepted his proposal to spend a life time together.

The parents were quite happy with these developments, since the family was a decent one and M was studying to be a doctor, which was a plus in father's eyes. Jules was only eighteen and it was decided they could get engaged in October and then wait a couple of years before getting married. She would finish her graduation and he his internship at a Lucknow medical college.

M's relatives from all parts of the world  had gathered for another family wedding in Kanpur before they arrived in Saraya for the engagement ceremony. SV suddenly came up with the suggestion that the children should get married instead of engaged since they were so besotted with each other, all kith and kin were present and there seemed to be no point in waiting. Mum and Dad were completely taken aback since no arrangements had been made for a wedding, but when Gurpreet Majithia assured them she would handle everything, they agreed, albeit with some reservation. I found myself making frantic phone calls to everyone to inform them the engagement was off but a wedding was on!

M and Jules tied the knot at the local 'gurudwara' on 15th Oct 1982. She was wearing jewellery and a heavy 'dupatta' borrowed from Gurpreet, who had organised everything in a matter of hours. At the end of a surreal day my little sis was a married woman and we were left in a happy daze that she had found herself a good man and a loving family.
Unfortunately this union ended in bitter divorce nine years and a little girl later but that is not my story to tell.