She straightened the bindi on her friend’s forehead, kissed her and with
a bright smile, said ‘You make the most gorgeous bride!’.
She looked on as her last single friend walked onto the mantap, ready to marry her soulmate. She was truly happy for her friend. They had seen some good and bad times together. So many men had come and gone in her friend’s life, and she had always wondered who her ‘the one’ will be.
She thought about how this story was just like 'The Princess and the frog' - the princess finds prince charming after kissing a frog, or many frogs, in this case. She laughed... those silly fairytales they had heard as kids! How can frogs turn into princes??
She tried to avoid thinking about who her prince will be. But the thought persisted. She had had her share of broken hearts, stubborn guilt and lost loves....
She stood there, starring blankly at the crowded hall…..
As the marriage procession began to take its ride, the bride-to-be and the groom-to-be looked at each other, it was as if both were cast under a spell of excitement. Amidst all the positive stress, the bridesmaid, for a moment, felt clueless. Was it because her dear friend was going away from her, or was it because she had to face a similar time ahead?
The marriage ended and the joy of more photo sessions began. The newly wedded couple couldn’t do away the poses without the puerile gang signs – the ones with a ‘V’-sign, the ‘Yo-Yo’-sign, and more. The bridesmaid enjoyed for she was too happy for her friend that she was unable to think of her situation.
All done, everyone retired to their homes, except for our friend of the bride, who returned with a low spirit. That night, she wondered how life had suddenly changed for her and how she had met her Prince Charming in the marriage.
O yes, he was there, right there, standing next to the groom-to-be! The memory was so clear, unaltered or exaggerated, in her mind. Prince Charming hurried in conveying his wishes to wedded-couple-to-be and would leave immediately. Her heart skipped a beat for this man, and she ran through the crowd to just get a second glimpse of him. But then, it was more like a Cinderella’s story, only that it was the lady who saw the man disappear!
After several days had passed, the princess, still, couldn’t stop thinking about him and to her surprise there came an opportunity for her. The newly wedded couple had planned for a quick get-away from the city, only friends could accompany them. The many celebrations already seemed to have had begun in her heart and she only thought of meeting her prince. The travel would start a couple of days later, and she was already experiencing the resfeber.
A quiet get away for the couple and friends was just what the doctor ordered. The photos taken now were for pure fun and nostalgic memories in the days to come. The poses were emotional and whacky yet everyone had fun posing willingly as against posterity.
The couple flush with happiness of their martial bliss had the joy increased every moment with friends that mattered. She saw her friend in her blissful state and felt the pure happiness that only a friend could feel and believe.. Reality and fantasy were merging in the course of these chosen blessed moments.
The Prince charming was there too.. She found it interesting to see how this frog has turned into a prince in just a few moments.. Her memory went back to the day of the marriage.
The charming prince had just been a frog until the veil of posterity tapered out of the view. She was standing next to her friend while the long queue of people just came by and continued the actions of posing, congratulating and moving on...
The frog prince was lined up next to come onto the dias to meet the new couple. A few steps and the visible happiness on his face led him to drop the decoratively interesting bouquet.
She was wondering about this friend of the groom, looks apart, why would he be clumsy about the most important day of his friends life. But, the prince came forth and spoke in a choked emotional voice professing his happiness. A few sentences and that is all that took for her to peel of the posterity and realise the inner beauty of this frog. The happiness was just as much reflected in the faces of the couple from the mere presence of this frog! Or a prince! A frog prince!
Back from the reverie, she saw that the frog turned prince was also at the table with the couple at their list wedding retreat. The frog prince and the lady sat right in front of each other. The couple obligated as they were introduced each other and continued to get back to their marital frolicking.
The prince and the lady began to talk. Generally at first, but somewhere during the conversation, fantasy took over, and they connected. Finishing their sentences, understanding the latent power of the emotions they shared among themselves and yet the strong bond of emotion they had for their extended family- their friends.
The retreat replete with repetitive jokes continued to have a magical impact on everyone around. The couple while unwinding started narrating stories of their adventures. Adventures which resulted in a moving tale of the newly wed bride professing her immense pride in having a rock in her life until her wedding and beyond- the lady.
The lady buoyed with the nostalgic tales narrated stood up teary eyed and walked over to the newly wed bride, hugging her, placed a heartfelt kiss on her cheeks. Somewhere on the back of her mind, this was a culmination of years of friendship, she thought that it would be very congenial to have a picture/ memory of that moment. The journey ahead was wonderful too, but that moment was a really special one...
The moment passed, she came back to sit at her table and a few conversations later, the frog prince placed and pushed his smartphone on front of her...
An image flashed on it.. An image that was so desirous for the lady that she had not only re discovered her friend for life, but may just have found the right frog from the pond... Maybe.. Just maybe... A smile flashed through the lady and when she turned and saw beyond, a peacock was prancing with the full display of its feathers....
She looked on as her last single friend walked onto the mantap, ready to marry her soulmate. She was truly happy for her friend. They had seen some good and bad times together. So many men had come and gone in her friend’s life, and she had always wondered who her ‘the one’ will be.
She thought about how this story was just like 'The Princess and the frog' - the princess finds prince charming after kissing a frog, or many frogs, in this case. She laughed... those silly fairytales they had heard as kids! How can frogs turn into princes??
She tried to avoid thinking about who her prince will be. But the thought persisted. She had had her share of broken hearts, stubborn guilt and lost loves....
She stood there, starring blankly at the crowded hall…..
As the marriage procession began to take its ride, the bride-to-be and the groom-to-be looked at each other, it was as if both were cast under a spell of excitement. Amidst all the positive stress, the bridesmaid, for a moment, felt clueless. Was it because her dear friend was going away from her, or was it because she had to face a similar time ahead?
The marriage ended and the joy of more photo sessions began. The newly wedded couple couldn’t do away the poses without the puerile gang signs – the ones with a ‘V’-sign, the ‘Yo-Yo’-sign, and more. The bridesmaid enjoyed for she was too happy for her friend that she was unable to think of her situation.
All done, everyone retired to their homes, except for our friend of the bride, who returned with a low spirit. That night, she wondered how life had suddenly changed for her and how she had met her Prince Charming in the marriage.
O yes, he was there, right there, standing next to the groom-to-be! The memory was so clear, unaltered or exaggerated, in her mind. Prince Charming hurried in conveying his wishes to wedded-couple-to-be and would leave immediately. Her heart skipped a beat for this man, and she ran through the crowd to just get a second glimpse of him. But then, it was more like a Cinderella’s story, only that it was the lady who saw the man disappear!
After several days had passed, the princess, still, couldn’t stop thinking about him and to her surprise there came an opportunity for her. The newly wedded couple had planned for a quick get-away from the city, only friends could accompany them. The many celebrations already seemed to have had begun in her heart and she only thought of meeting her prince. The travel would start a couple of days later, and she was already experiencing the resfeber.
A quiet get away for the couple and friends was just what the doctor ordered. The photos taken now were for pure fun and nostalgic memories in the days to come. The poses were emotional and whacky yet everyone had fun posing willingly as against posterity.
The couple flush with happiness of their martial bliss had the joy increased every moment with friends that mattered. She saw her friend in her blissful state and felt the pure happiness that only a friend could feel and believe.. Reality and fantasy were merging in the course of these chosen blessed moments.
The Prince charming was there too.. She found it interesting to see how this frog has turned into a prince in just a few moments.. Her memory went back to the day of the marriage.
The charming prince had just been a frog until the veil of posterity tapered out of the view. She was standing next to her friend while the long queue of people just came by and continued the actions of posing, congratulating and moving on...
The frog prince was lined up next to come onto the dias to meet the new couple. A few steps and the visible happiness on his face led him to drop the decoratively interesting bouquet.
She was wondering about this friend of the groom, looks apart, why would he be clumsy about the most important day of his friends life. But, the prince came forth and spoke in a choked emotional voice professing his happiness. A few sentences and that is all that took for her to peel of the posterity and realise the inner beauty of this frog. The happiness was just as much reflected in the faces of the couple from the mere presence of this frog! Or a prince! A frog prince!
Back from the reverie, she saw that the frog turned prince was also at the table with the couple at their list wedding retreat. The frog prince and the lady sat right in front of each other. The couple obligated as they were introduced each other and continued to get back to their marital frolicking.
The prince and the lady began to talk. Generally at first, but somewhere during the conversation, fantasy took over, and they connected. Finishing their sentences, understanding the latent power of the emotions they shared among themselves and yet the strong bond of emotion they had for their extended family- their friends.
The retreat replete with repetitive jokes continued to have a magical impact on everyone around. The couple while unwinding started narrating stories of their adventures. Adventures which resulted in a moving tale of the newly wed bride professing her immense pride in having a rock in her life until her wedding and beyond- the lady.
The lady buoyed with the nostalgic tales narrated stood up teary eyed and walked over to the newly wed bride, hugging her, placed a heartfelt kiss on her cheeks. Somewhere on the back of her mind, this was a culmination of years of friendship, she thought that it would be very congenial to have a picture/ memory of that moment. The journey ahead was wonderful too, but that moment was a really special one...
The moment passed, she came back to sit at her table and a few conversations later, the frog prince placed and pushed his smartphone on front of her...
An image flashed on it.. An image that was so desirous for the lady that she had not only re discovered her friend for life, but may just have found the right frog from the pond... Maybe.. Just maybe... A smile flashed through the lady and when she turned and saw beyond, a peacock was prancing with the full display of its feathers....
Joint work by:
Sumasree a.k.a. Suyogin
Chandrashekar a.k.a. Dexter
Suhasini a.k.a. Panda
wooow its really a wonderful story, I always wonder how will the collaborative work, as thoughts of individuals differ despite the resemblances in some parts and ways. Good one.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for reading through the story Sir! The difficulty comes in when the other writers have to add to the already existing piece of story and create a new story (in their own ways) altogether!
DeleteNamaskar! Peace!! Nice work. Keep enriching the digital realm with your good thought, put in words and expressed in stories.. Fabian Pinto
ReplyDeleteNamaskar! Thank you for the kind words Fabian Pinto.
Delete