Read Online An Enormously English Monsoon Wedding by Christina Jones - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Christina Jones
Ads: Link
touch of white or cream and heavily embroidered and gorgeously bejewelled. A ceremonial sari is always –’
‘What ceremonial sari?’ Erin giggled. ‘I’m not wearing a sari!’
Deena looked as if someone had just slapped her. ‘Notwearing-a-sari?’
‘Sheesh,’ Nalisha murmured. ‘Another wrong move …’
‘No.’ Erin shook her head. ‘Why would I wear a sari? For the umpteenth time, it’s a fusion wedding, which is why Jay is going to wear a Nehru suit and I’m wearing … well, a traditional Western wedding dress – and that’s all I’m going to say about it.’
‘But you haveto wear a sari,’ Deena insisted. ‘Jaimal’s bride
must
wear a sari.’
Here we go again, Erin thought.
‘Don’t call me Jaimal,’ Jay mumbled round a mouthful of honeycomb. ‘And whatever wedding dress Erin’s chosen I know it won’t be a sari. Why on earth would it be a sari?’
‘Because –’ Deena’s eyes flashed ‘– we will all be wearing saris or
lehengas
. Nalisha will be wearing a sari, won’t you, darling?’
‘Yes, probably. But that’s because I’m Indian. Erin isn’t. She’s bound to be wearing a Western wedding dress. It is a fusion wedding.’
Erin wanted to kiss Nalisha.
Deena sighed heavily. ‘But every woman on our side of the family will be wearing saris or
lehengas
and they’ll all expect Erin to do the same.’
Erin exhaled. ‘Then maybe you should tell them that I won’t be. That way they won’t be shocked on the day, will they?’
‘Cool,’ Nalisha whispered. ‘Well done.’
Deena merely frowned.
Jay laughed. ‘Look, Mum, Erin and I are delighted that all my aunts and cousins will be wearing saris or
lehengas
. Just as all the ladies on Erin’s side of the family, and our friends, will be wearing their best outfits. And, as Erin says, I’m wearing a Nehru suit, so you have no complaints there – oh, and before you ask, no there will be no ceremonial turban with it and –’
‘No
turban
?’ Deena’s voice travelled up several octaves. ‘Why on earth not?’
‘Because we’re not Sikhs, becauseturbans are not part of our heritage or religious dress code, because I am not wearing a Hindu wedding turban for anyone, because I’ve never worn a turban in my life, and because I’d look and feel a complete prat.’
Nalisha and Erin looked at one another and snorted with laughter.
‘Jaimal!’
Tavish put down his spoon. ‘Deena, you and your sisters and mine, and the other girls in the family will be splendid in your saris and what have you. But I think the children here have made it perfectly clear that their wedding outfits are already chosen, and they both sound ideal for this fusion wedding, so maybe we should leave it well alone.’
‘And you’ll look gorgeous in a sari,’ Erin put in quickly as it looked as if the elder Keskars were about to have a very public row. ‘I’ve never seen you in one. You’ve always worn Western clothes. You’re like a walking advert for Per Una and Phase Eight.’
‘Yes –’ Deena’s eyes were flinty ‘– but
not
on ceremonial occasions. As mother of the bridegroom, I shall definitely be adhering to the correct dress code, even if no one else is.’
Ouch, Erin thought, trying to clamp her lips together so that nothing unforgivable could escape. She did a quick eye-meet with Jay and was relieved to see that he was actually trying not to laugh.
Oh Lordy, I love him so much, Erin thought. She’d cope with Deena and the
sagai
and the saris and Nalisha and all the other stuff later. With Jay, she knew she’d cope with anything.
‘OK, so we know, very clearly, that Mum and Nalisha and the aunts and cousins will be wearing saris and
lehengas
and Erin won’t. What about you, Dad?’ Jay looked at his father. ‘Are you going to be wearing a Sherwani tunic and churidars to our wedding?’
Tavish glanced down at histrademark neat chinos and white sports shirt, and chuckled. ‘No, I’m not. Like you, I’ll
‘What ceremonial sari?’ Erin giggled. ‘I’m not wearing a sari!’
Deena looked as if someone had just slapped her. ‘Notwearing-a-sari?’
‘Sheesh,’ Nalisha murmured. ‘Another wrong move …’
‘No.’ Erin shook her head. ‘Why would I wear a sari? For the umpteenth time, it’s a fusion wedding, which is why Jay is going to wear a Nehru suit and I’m wearing … well, a traditional Western wedding dress – and that’s all I’m going to say about it.’
‘But you haveto wear a sari,’ Deena insisted. ‘Jaimal’s bride
must
wear a sari.’
Here we go again, Erin thought.
‘Don’t call me Jaimal,’ Jay mumbled round a mouthful of honeycomb. ‘And whatever wedding dress Erin’s chosen I know it won’t be a sari. Why on earth would it be a sari?’
‘Because –’ Deena’s eyes flashed ‘– we will all be wearing saris or
lehengas
. Nalisha will be wearing a sari, won’t you, darling?’
‘Yes, probably. But that’s because I’m Indian. Erin isn’t. She’s bound to be wearing a Western wedding dress. It is a fusion wedding.’
Erin wanted to kiss Nalisha.
Deena sighed heavily. ‘But every woman on our side of the family will be wearing saris or
lehengas
and they’ll all expect Erin to do the same.’
Erin exhaled. ‘Then maybe you should tell them that I won’t be. That way they won’t be shocked on the day, will they?’
‘Cool,’ Nalisha whispered. ‘Well done.’
Deena merely frowned.
Jay laughed. ‘Look, Mum, Erin and I are delighted that all my aunts and cousins will be wearing saris or
lehengas
. Just as all the ladies on Erin’s side of the family, and our friends, will be wearing their best outfits. And, as Erin says, I’m wearing a Nehru suit, so you have no complaints there – oh, and before you ask, no there will be no ceremonial turban with it and –’
‘No
turban
?’ Deena’s voice travelled up several octaves. ‘Why on earth not?’
‘Because we’re not Sikhs, becauseturbans are not part of our heritage or religious dress code, because I am not wearing a Hindu wedding turban for anyone, because I’ve never worn a turban in my life, and because I’d look and feel a complete prat.’
Nalisha and Erin looked at one another and snorted with laughter.
‘Jaimal!’
Tavish put down his spoon. ‘Deena, you and your sisters and mine, and the other girls in the family will be splendid in your saris and what have you. But I think the children here have made it perfectly clear that their wedding outfits are already chosen, and they both sound ideal for this fusion wedding, so maybe we should leave it well alone.’
‘And you’ll look gorgeous in a sari,’ Erin put in quickly as it looked as if the elder Keskars were about to have a very public row. ‘I’ve never seen you in one. You’ve always worn Western clothes. You’re like a walking advert for Per Una and Phase Eight.’
‘Yes –’ Deena’s eyes were flinty ‘– but
not
on ceremonial occasions. As mother of the bridegroom, I shall definitely be adhering to the correct dress code, even if no one else is.’
Ouch, Erin thought, trying to clamp her lips together so that nothing unforgivable could escape. She did a quick eye-meet with Jay and was relieved to see that he was actually trying not to laugh.
Oh Lordy, I love him so much, Erin thought. She’d cope with Deena and the
sagai
and the saris and Nalisha and all the other stuff later. With Jay, she knew she’d cope with anything.
‘OK, so we know, very clearly, that Mum and Nalisha and the aunts and cousins will be wearing saris and
lehengas
and Erin won’t. What about you, Dad?’ Jay looked at his father. ‘Are you going to be wearing a Sherwani tunic and churidars to our wedding?’
Tavish glanced down at histrademark neat chinos and white sports shirt, and chuckled. ‘No, I’m not. Like you, I’ll
Similar Books
