Life is a mixture of joys and sorrows. It is a natural cycle but there happen some incidents in life, which ever remain fresh in memory.
Akhilesh was my bosom friend. His marriage was to be celebrated on 11th May, 2009. The date was decided in a hurry as per wish of the father of the girl. The girl’s father lived in Kota. It was very far from Mathura. The journey was to be covered by a bus. It was a very busy date. We had to go to so many bus-owners. After a long search, one bus-owner agreed. The marriage party had to start at 2 a.m. A day before, we had been to every person who was to join the party. Even then it was with great difficulty that we were able to collect all by this time after so many rounds. Lunch packets were prepared in advance. Akhilesh’s younger brother was in-charge of this arrangement. Somehow the bus started at 5 a.m. We felt very happy and started singing joyfully.
We were nearing Bayana. All of a sudden the bus stopped. The engine had stopped to work. All of us got down from the bus. It took two hours to put the engine to order. We boarded the bus. The bus started. We decided to take our lunch wherever water facility could be available. We saw a ‘dharamshala’ on the outskirts of a village. We decided to take our lunch there. The bus stopped. All of us got down. To our utter confusion we saw lunch packets were not in the bus. Akhilesh’s brother had forgotten them in the store-room. All of us were very hungry and felt very much annoyed.
Akhilesh’s father went to a small shop and requested the shopkeeper to get something prepared. With great difficulty we could get something to eat. At last the bus started. Misfortune never comes alone. As we were nearing Kota, the tyre of one of the wheels burst. The driver and the bus cleaner fitted the stepney (spare wheel). It took one hour to do it. The bus started. We reached Kota at 7 p.m. We were eagerly awaited. We bathed and got dainty dishes to eat which were devoured soon.
Now it was time to send ornaments and other items for the bride. The ornaments box was not there in the box. Akhilesh’s father was very much confused. The matter was brought to the knowledge of the bride’s father. He was a wise man. He took it lightly. All the rites were performed without much trouble. The next morning we left for Mathura. The day is still fresh in my memory.
