Our Engagement

Our engagement day day dawned bright and clear. My aunt and cousins had come the previous day and that night we had decorated our little home with streamers and balloons. That morning Mom and I went to church. I thanked God for the love I’d found and prayed for it to grow stronger with each passing day.

As I dressed in my maroon almost bridal looking salwar kameez, I recalled my life with all it’s share of sorrows and joys. Today was the day I was putting aside one part of my life and starting another. We were to be married in the registry because Kennedy needed the papers for my visa to join him as his wife later. I realized that today was probably the last time I was a D’souza - in another two hours I’d be a Doss.

Time passed in a blur as we arrived at the registry - papers signed, garlands exchanged (with me finding it totally ridiculous), sweets eaten and we were heading back for the engagement ceremony (strange isn't it?) On our way back we stopped at a church and Kenny put the mangalsutra on me, that was the day our souls were married and bound forever.

Back home we came to a house was full of people, my mom and aunt with tears in their eyes looking at me as if in two hours I’d changed from a little girl to a woman. The priest said the prayer and as we exchanged rings I looked at my mother and mother-in-law, two people probably the happiest and saddest in the room. Happy for our happiness and sad cos they were giving their treasures to someone else.