A huge roar of approval.
‘So,’ Gina continued, ‘to keep everyone happy –’ she looked quickly at Deena ‘– Kam and I decided we’d put on a little fusion night of our own. Only our fusion is a hen and stag night mixture of all the Gujurato Hindu pre- and post-wedding rituals. As Kam and Jay and Nalisha – and probably Erin – know, these are not being held in the right order or on the right days, but we know you’re all going to love them.’
‘Clever,’ Erin
said admiringly. ‘Very clever. Everything your mum wanted and we refused to have added to our plans, all in one place at one time, and heavily disguised as a party.’
Jay nodded. ‘And very diplomatically done, too. No one can be offended, and honour is satisfied. Nice one.’
‘There will of course,’ Gina said with a laugh, ‘be plenty to eat as you can see, and also to drink, as I’ve set up a little free bar in the kitchen.’
A massive roar of rural approval.
‘And lots of dancing too, of course. Bhangra and Western. But the ceremonies which Kam has chosen for tonight, and which will also incorporate the
sagai
and
sanji
festivities which Jay and Erin can’t have on their secular wedding day, are the mehendi, which is henna tattooing – completely optional but a lot of fun – and the tilak, which means Jay’s stags get to do whatever they like to him – and a couple of poojas.’
There were a few snuffling giggles.
Gina smiled down
at Erin. ‘Apparently, you’re going to have the Ganesh pooja, which brings good luck and prosperity to the families, and the Griha Shanti, a pooja which is the blessing for a happy and peaceful married life.’
‘Thank you,’ Erin whispered, now completely overcome, ‘that sounds wonderful.’
‘Mmm.’ Gina looked across the hall at Tavish. ‘Kam says we should have a pandit for that one, but as this is strictly fusion, Tavish is going to do it. And as a finale, we’re having a Garba Raas.’
Nook Green looked blank. Kam laughed. Jay groaned.
‘What,’ Erin whispered, ‘is a Garba Raas?’
‘You’ll never know,’ Jay hissed, ‘because we won’t be here for it.’
Erin giggled. ‘It can’t be that bad, surely?’
‘Worse. It’s like mad Indian Morris dancing. Everyone gets into pairs and skip-dances with
dandiya
sticks. It’s the most embarrassing thing ever.’
‘Can’t wait,’ Erin chuckled. ‘And let’s face it, the Yee-Hawers will love it. They were mostly all members of the Maizey St Michael Morris before it disbanded. Anyway, hopefully by then we’ll all be too drunk to care.’
‘I will never, ever –’ Jay leaned down and kissed her ‘– be drunk enough for Garba Raas.’
‘Right!’ Gina clapped her hands again. ‘That’s more than enough from me. And can I just say a massive thank you again to you all for managing to keep your mouths shut! Let the festivities commence …’
The bhangra music flooded the hall again, and Nook Green prepared to party.
It was, Erin thought some time later, simply the best night of her life.
She had a very small henna tattoo on her thigh, applied carefully, if a bit shakily, by Rose, as was the custom. Deena and Nalisha had supervised and explained that Jay’s name had to be incorporated in the design and it was traditional that he had to discover it on their wedding night.
Rose had blushed
and Erin had giggled.
Then nearly all the women mehendi’d each other. It had all become a bit messy, but the results were impressive.
Bella and Sophie were extremely proud of having David and Aiden’s names hidden from view amongst peacock feathers and exotic blooms. Erin reckoned there was no chance they’d stay a secret for a week, or even until the end of the night.
Dora Wilberforce, Nalisha and Gina had some spectacular designs on their hands, and Deena and Rose had matching spirals and seashells on their arms.
While the mehendi was taking place in one part of the hall, Jay’s stags had thrown themselves into the tilak with howls of merriment. Erin was delighted that her dad and Tavish, who had instantly become firm friends, both had tears of laughter pouring down their cheeks.
And the poojas had been really moving and meaningful and Erin had cried, but her newly done mascara had miraculously stayed put so she didn’t look like a panda. Result!
And she and Jay had slow-danced to even the most raucous bhangra music, and everyone had eaten and drunk and hurled themselves into the fusion night with gusto.
‘You’re going to have to be going some to beat this at your wedding reception,’ Gina grinned, as she and the elderly Sam foxtrotted past Erin and Jay to some wild Punjabi folk tune.
‘Oh, I think we’ll manage it,’ Erin grinned. ‘Thank you for organising it. It’s amazing.’
‘You’re more than welcome. I’m just so glad you’re not cross.’
‘Cross? How could I be cross? It’s simply sensational.’
Gina grinned, and then was whisked away into the crowd by Sam.
‘You know –’ Jay smiled down at her ‘– there is one thing that’s been bothering me all night.’
‘I know. It’s the Garba Raas.’
‘No, not just that. I can, and will, avoid that. It’s Kam.’
‘Why?’ Erin stopped dancing. ‘He’s still here, isn’t he? Is he OK?’
‘He’s on his own. He didn’t bring anyone. And he hasn’t even glanced at your old school friends or anything, has he?’
‘No, he hasn’t, and they all
look pretty sexy and they’ve been drooling over him and giving him the come-on all night.’ Erin shook her head. ‘Funny that. Sophie and Bella said that they thought he had someone, you know. That he was acting like he was madly in love.’
‘And they’d know.’ Jay laughed. ‘But, yes, now you come to mention it, he has been a bit distracted lately. Perhaps the miracle has happened and Kam’s really fallen in love.’
‘Then why isn’t she here with him? Why isn’t he writing her name all over his pencil case, or whatever equivalent vets have?’
‘She’s probably married.’ Jay shrugged. ‘A lot of them have been. He could hardly turn up here with someone else’s wife, could he?’
‘S’pose not. Maybe he’ll bring her to the wedding – we’ve left a space for his plus one, haven’t we? As long as there are no interruptions from furious cheated husbands. Ooh, and look, it’s so nice to see Uncle Doug being mostly ignored by Nalisha – she must have told him he has no hope there.’
‘Poor Doug.’
‘Not at all,’ Erin said. ‘It serves him right. He’s dished it out enough times – he needs to know what it feels like. He’ll find someone else by next week anyway. He always does. And clearly Gina doesn’t give a toss. I’ve never seen her look happier or more beautiful. She’s well over Doug, thank goodness. I just wish she could find the love of her life, too.’
‘Like you have?’
‘Like I have.’
They gazed at one another.
‘Shall we go
now?’ Jay whispered. ‘No one will miss us and …’
The music stopped.
Deena, looking slightly embarrassed, clapped her hands. ‘OK, everyone – now please put down your food and drink, and take your partners and get into your pairs for the Garba Raas. I’ll talk you through it while Kam’s handing out the
dandiya
sticks, but it really doesn’t matter if you get a bit lost. All you have to do is just follow everyone else and skip and enjoy it.’
‘Oh, bugger,’ Jay sighed. ‘Just a fraction too late.’
‘And you’re not going to dash off and hide in the loo, either.’ Erin giggled. ‘You’re going to do exactly as your mum says – you’re going to skip and enjoy it.’
‘Sometimes,’ Jay muttered, ‘I really don’t know why I’m marrying you.’
‘Yes, you do.’
‘Oh, yeah, maybe I do.’
‘Here we go, lovebirds,’ Kam said
cheerfully, handing them a pair of thin, glittering and madly embellished sticks. ‘Have fun, children.’
‘Kam –’ Jay nodded ‘– thanks a million for organising all this. Oh, not the bloody Garba Raas – we both know how grue-some that is – but the whole evening. It’s been brilliant. And you must have worked really hard.’
‘We aim to please.’ Kam grinned. ‘Gina and I have been like undercover agents ever since I suggested the idea. I’d been told I had to get you to toe the party line and Gina, being Erin’s friend, knew you didn’t want to, but neither did you, or we, want to upset the oldies, so this seemed like the perfect compromise.’
‘It is.’ Erin kissed his cheek. ‘It’s been totally wonderful. More than I could have ever dreamed of. And so, where’s your partner tonight then? You can’t dance this mad Garba thingy on your own, and we won’t allow you to sit it out.’
‘Oh,’ Kam said, ‘you know me. Why settle for one chocolate bar when you can have the whole sweet shop? But tonight I’m going to dance with Nalisha.’
Jay and Erin watched him go, handing out sticks, laughing and joking.
Jay frowned. ‘Do you think … Kam and Nalisha?’
‘No, actually I don’t. But he’s got someone,’ Erin said quickly, knowing that whoever it was, it certainly wasn’t Nalisha. ‘He’s on such a high. He’s definitely in love.’
‘In love … Kam? Blimey.’ Jay considered his cousin thoughtfully. ‘Kam has a secret lover?’
‘And I think we owe it to ourselves to find out who it is, don’t you?’ Erin grinned.
‘Absolutely. It would be rude not to.’
They laughed
together.
And then, following Deena’s instructions, and accompanied by some really loud music – like an Irish jig crossed with Bollywood – they threw themselves into the Garba Raas along with everyone else.
It was total mayhem as people ran amok and clashed sticks and hit each other and themselves and got completely lost and then found their way again.
‘I don’t know why you don’t like this,’ Erin panted as they crossed couples with Deena and Pete, ‘it’s total fun.’ She laughed as Rose and Tavish went in totally the wrong direction, still skipping wildly.
‘It’s not as bad as I remembered,’ Jay admitted, puffing slightly then wincing as Dora Wilberforce’s
dandiya
stick caught him a blow on his shoulder, ‘and there is one saving grace.’
‘Is there?’
‘Oh, yes.’ He sucked in some air and ducked as Kam and Nalisha galloped past. ‘After all this tonight, there can be no hidden Hindu surprises thrown up at our wedding, can there?’
‘No, I don’t suppose there can be – ouch!’ Erin nodded, wincing as Renata and Julia, both waving their sticks like they were bullying off in a hockey match, hit her shins. ‘Which means …’
‘We’ll have the fusion wedding we planned all along.’
‘And nothing and no
one can change it. Oh, what a relief. Nothing to worry about at all any more. It’s just going to be fabulous. And I can’t wait.’
It’s my wedding day
…
The words ran merrily through Erin’s head.
Then she spoke them aloud for the first time. ‘It’s my wedding day … It’s really and truly my wedding day.’
At long last.
Oh, wow!
Florence, on the end
of the bed, looked up at her with dis-interest and then buried her head beneath her paws.
‘Thanks for your support, Flo,’ Erin chuckled, dropping a kiss on the silky grey head. ‘You’re going to be well looked after. And I’ll miss you so much while we’re on honeymoon, but you probably won’t even notice I’m gone, will you?’
Florence purred and snuggled in even more.
‘Breakfast for the bride-to-be.’ Rose, in her dressing gown, popped her head round the door. ‘How are you, sweetheart? Nervous?’
‘Not at all, I’m fine, Mum. Honestly. Oooh, lovely – a tray. Thank you so much. Toast and honey and coffee … and is that a Buck’s Fizz?’
‘A very weak one.’ Rose nodded. ‘I know you probably won’t want to eat anything, but just try a little bit.’
‘Actually, I’m starving.’ Erin looked sheepish, taking the tray and curling back on the bed. ‘Is that wrong?’
‘Not at all.’ Rose sat beside her. ‘And anyway I’m nervous enough for both of us. And as for your dad – well, he’s all fingers and thumbs. And practising his speech for the umpteenth time.’
Erin bit into the toast
and mumbled round the crumbs. ‘Tell him not to worry. He hasn’t got to do anything he doesn’t want to do. This is going to be a very relaxed wedding.’
‘Really?’ Rose broke off a corner of toast and nibbled it. ‘It’s all seemed a bit of a mad whirlwind to me. I think Deena and Tavish are lovely, but they have some very fixed ideas and –’
‘Mmm, they did have. Jay and I have more or less worked round them all. Everything’s perfect now, especially as Nanna and Colin are safely here and ensconced in their room at the Swan. Do you know what she’s wearing?’
Rose laughed. ‘No, but whatever it is she’ll look like the Queen Mum, you know she will. And Erin, honestly, you’re OK with me wearing the
lehenga
, aren’t you?’
‘Absolutely.’ Erin gave her mum a sticky honey hug. ‘You look totally fabulous in it. I don’t care what anyone wears, Indian or not, just as long as they’re there today.’
‘And your dress –’ Rose looked longingly at the fabulous Ian Stuart creation, hanging on the back of the door ‘– is the most astonishingly gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen. I still can’t quite believe how intricately beautiful it is. No wonder you’ve kept it a secret. You’ll look like a princess. And I’ll cry.’
‘So will I,’ Erin said. ‘But we’ll be fine because Deena’s Top Girls are doing our make-up later and that mascara will withstand a tidal wave.’
‘Thank goodness
for that –’ Rose kissed her ‘– because it’ll need to. Oh, I’m soooo excited … Now, do you want to use the bathroom first, or shall I nip in while you’re finishing your breakfast?’
‘What about Dad and Uncle Doug?’
‘Oh, they’ve both been in and out. They’re getting dressed.’
‘You go first then. I’ll just enjoy my breakfast in a leisurely bride-to-be fashion.’
Rose laughed. ‘You’re far too cool for your own good. I was a bag of nerves on my wedding day. Spilt everything, dropped everything, cried …’
Erin sighed. ‘Oh, we’ve been through all that. There were plenty of times in the last few weeks when I thought today – the day Jay and I had planned so carefully – would never happen. But now, with him, I can face anything. Anything at all.’