The dining room was now a glorious sea
of even more red and gold silks. On the tables, tiny red tea lights danced and towering floral decorations of ornate golden filigreed lanterns and red lilies complemented the tablecloths and cutlery, and every inch of every surface was scattered with a glitter of red and gold and silver sequins and tiny sparkling jewels. There were also tiny crystal Ganeshes as gifts for everyone.
‘Oh!’ Deena clasped her hands together. ‘Darlings! How wonderful! An Indian banquet!’
Yessss! Erin squeezed Jay’s hand really tightly as they all found their places.
Rose and Pete, beside Erin on the top table, looked round in total amazement. So did everyone else.
‘Fusion is clearly the way to go,’ Jay leaned towards her and whispered delightedly. ‘They all absolutely love it.’
‘So they should,’ Erin giggled, as the Swan’s waiters and waitresses glided round the room with the first course of pakoras and samosas and naan breads and dishes of dhal. ‘We
knew
it was going to be perfect, didn’t we?’
The banquet roared on, course after delicious Indian course, with the wine waiters replacing champagne bottles in the ice buckets the minute they became empty, and was clearly a huge success. Everyone chatted and ate and drank and ate some more, and laughed and ate and drank. On and on.
It was all absolutely wonderful.
And then it was the speeches, and Jay and Pete managed to get through theirs without hesitating, and Kam’s best-man speech, of course, was hilarious and quite rude, and everyone screamed with laughter and pretended to be shocked.
And the cake-cutting went without a hitch and even Deena couldn’t fault the perfect layers of chocolate confection from one of India’s top delicatessens.
The fusion wedding, exactly as they’d planned it, swept blissfully on.
And then Jay stood up and called for silence.
‘The bar will be open and free
until it’s been drunk dry.’
Screams and shouts of approval.
‘And in a moment, the ballroom, through the far archway will be up and running for those of you who want to demonstrate the moves that Nalisha’s taught you. We have a rock band, a bhangra band and a disco – so something in there for everyone.’
More shrieks and applause.
‘Later, there will be a fish and chip supper, with veggie options, of course – oh, and bacon rolls because Doug said we had to include them – for the evening reception.’
Doug looked a little shamefaced as there were loud declarations that no one would be able to eat anything again – ever.
‘And through here –’ Jay nodded towards two Swan-uniformed men who were standing in front of a black curtained-off area, ‘– just in case you get bored, we have …’
The dining room was filled with a sudden blast of Elvis growling ‘Viva Las Vegas!’
‘… a casino!’
Screams of delight and ear-splitting applause broke out as the Swan’s men drew back the curtains to display blackjack tables, roulette wheels and several fruit machines, all beneath another golden glittering canopy.
Erin and Jay looked at one another in absolute triumph. It had worked. All their plans had worked.
‘We’re so clever,’ Jay whispered, kissing her and pouring more champagne.
‘We are. Everyone is smiling. Even your mum.’
‘Erin –’ Uncle Doug had left his table ‘– who is that stunning lady over there? The one in the dark-blue uniform?’
Erin peered. ‘Oh, that’s Abbie, our wedding planner. Why?’
‘Because I may have to ask her for
a dance.’ Doug grinned. ‘She’s exactly my type of woman.’
Erin nudged Jay, and they watched as Doug smiled at Abbie, doing the pushing-his-hair-back-and-letting-it-flop-down-again thing, and she dimpled and went all girly, and laughed. Then they walked away together.
‘Blimey.’ Erin shook her head. ‘That didn’t take him long. Another one bites the dust.’
And then, even later, when Jay and Erin had had their first dance to Lonestar, locked in one another’s arms, aware only of each other, Kam appeared beside them.
‘It’s been bloody fantastic.’ Kam beamed. ‘Amazing. I never dreamed it would be anything like this, and now, I have another little surprise for you.’
‘Come on,’ Gina said as she joined them. ‘Follow us. Just you two for now. Kam’s sorting everyone else out.’
‘Any ideas?’ Erin whispered to Jay.
‘None at all. But as we’re
well and truly married now I don’t think we have too much to worry about.’
Erin, clutching Jay’s hand, sincerely hoped not.
Frowning, slightly doubtful, Jay and Erin left the dance floor and followed Gina out of the ballroom and along the cool stone corridors to the rear of the Swan.
Gina opened a pair of heavy doors, and the evening darkness flooded in across a stone terrace and down an ancient twisting wide stone staircase.
‘Oh – wow!’
‘Ooh – it’s unbelievable!’
Erin and Jay laughed out loud.
Down across the sweeping laws at the rear
of the Swan, the golden
mandap
glowed, illuminated by thousands of little pinprick lights in the swathed silk ceiling and hidden in the folds of the silken walls, and the thrones and pillars and cushioned sofas, all gilded, gleamed and glinted in the flickering light from hundreds of tall golden candles.
And in front of the spectacular
mandap
, forming a guard of honour with nine on each side, were the Indian gods and goddesses.
Erin clapped her hands. ‘It’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen.’
‘Took us bloody ages to arrange and set up,’ Kam muttered, appearing behind them. ‘Ages.’
‘It must have done. I simply can’t believe it.’
Erin turned her head. Everyone was lined up behind Kam. Everyone completely in the dark as they had been, but now seeing the
mandap
for the first time, all laughing and pointing.
‘Darlings!’ Deena screamed with delight. ‘I knew you’d use it! Oh, this just makes this totally wonderful occasion absolutely perfect. And look at the statues! I’ve never seen anything like them outside the temple. Oh my word.’
‘You –’ Jay grinned at Kam ‘– are one devious sod. But you’re bloody brilliant.’
‘And that goes for you, too.’ Erin grinned at Gina. ‘I’ve no idea how you managed to organise it, but I’m so delighted that you did.’
‘It was fun, actually.’ Gina giggled. ‘In fact, I’ve never had so much fun in my life.’
‘All you have to do,’ Kam said to Jay, ‘is lead your bride in processional splendour down the steps, across the grass, through the guard of honour, and take up your places on the thrones.’
Laughing, Jay and Erin tried really hard
to manoeuvre her dress in some sort of dignified manner along the terrace and down the steps. It took ages, and together they eventually bunched up a side each, and staggered down the stone staircase.
‘Whoo, that’s better,’ Erin said, rearranging the layers of tulle and net and steadying herself on her heels. ‘OK, I think I’m ready. I can’t believe this, can you?’
‘No.’ Jay shook his head and hugged her. ‘I told you Kam was crafty, didn’t I? And he’s clearly been a very bad influence on Gina, getting her involved … but wow – though – it’s just amazing, isn’t it?’
‘Absolutely fantastic – oops,’ Erin agreed, stumbling and clinging on to Jay as her heels sank into the grass. ‘Oh, look at it. It’s sensational.’
They approached the statues, towering in their inscrutable imperious splendour, and walked slowly between them, towards the
mandap
’s fabulously exotic golden-lit interior.
They stepped up on to the glittering tiered floor.
‘Madam.’ Jay laughed, bowed, and held out his hand.
‘Sir.’ Erin giggled, managing a clumsy curtsey, and took his hand, as he led her towards the thrones.
‘Blimey, they’re high. You’ll probably have to lift me up,’ Erin chuckled. ‘This dress makes even the basics tricky – you do not want to know how I managed in the loo – ooh!’
Jay grabbed her round the waist, and swung her up and onto the throne, laughing as she temporarily vanished in a wave of taffeta and net.
‘Ooh, thank you.’ Erin struggled
into an upright position. ‘Ah, that’s better. It’s just like being an Indian Posh and Becks, isn’t it?’ She giggled, gazing round at the high-backed, heavily jewelled thrones, at the unimaginable glittering splendour of it all. ‘Oh, this is just like a dream … our own little golden palace. Here’s Kam, now – and everyone else – oh, and he’s giving them all little bags of something.’
First Deena and Tavish, and then Rose and Pete, gazing round them like children who’ve stumbled into a fantasy fairyland, handed them tiny delicate organza bags of sweets, and then everyone crowded into the
mandap
, squeezing on to the seats and the sofas and between the pillars, all of them with gifts of sweets and cakes and rose petals.
And then Nalisha and her parents, followed by the more senior members of Jay’s family, all the chattering, smiling sari-clad aunts, and the dignified, grey-haired uncles, handed them red and gold envelopes.
‘Money,’ Jay hissed at her. ‘Don’t open them now. Just say thank you.’
‘OK … of course.’
Erin smiled and said thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Over and over again.
‘Wow.’ Erin gazed at the pile of envelopes growing on the steps of the raised dais. ‘Well, just – wow.’
And there was more laughter and kissing, and Erin, sitting beside Jay, on her golden throne, thought again that the
mandap
was the most fabulous thing she’d ever seen.
‘Deena.’ She leaned towards Jay’s parents. ‘Thank you both for this. You were right and I was wrong. It’s wonderful. I absolutely love it.’
‘Of course you do, darling. I told you you would, didn’t I? I’m never wrong.’
‘OK.’ Kam clapped his hands. ‘We’ll
leave the happy couple to enjoy the privacy of their very own wedding
mandap
for – oh – all of fifteen minutes. We’ll go back and carry on the dancing – and the gambling.’
Everyone cheered.
‘And –’ Kam looked sternly at Jay and Erin ‘– you do seriously only have fifteen minutes. There’s still an awful lot of dancing and eating and drinking to do. Any longer, and I’ll come and get you.’
Everyone laughed and clapped again and started to make their way back to the Swan.
And then, eventually, they were alone. Even if it was for a very short time.
Erin, practically swamped by sweets and flowers, giggled. ‘I still think I’m dreaming. This … this
mandap
was my biggest nightmare, and now it’s just the most wonderful thing ever, isn’t it?’
Jay leaned over from his throne and pulled her towards him and kissed her.
‘It is. It’s the perfect finale to our very clever enormously English Monsoon Wedding.’
‘Which –’ Erin glanced towards the Swan, with lights spilling from every window, and the splintered sounds of laughter and loud music floating on the warm night air, ‘looks like it might be carrying on until breakfast time.’
‘Mmmm, it does. I suppose we ought to go and join them again before Kam appears and turns into a nagging Best Man. Anyway, your nanna says I’ve got to dance with her.’
‘Then, much as I don’t want
to leave the
mandap
, we’ll have to go.’ Erin giggled, gathering up the dress to make the return journey. ‘No one dares to cross my nanna.’
Jay, having collected up all the lovely red and gold envelopes, helped her to her feet. ‘This really is just the best wedding day anyone’s ever had in the entire history of wedding days, isn’t it?’
‘It is.’ Erin nodded happily. ‘And we’ve still got the rest of our lives to look forward to yet.’
Two hours later, Erin and Jay stood alone on the Swan’s beautiful back terrace in the darkness. The trapped heat from the ancient veranda’s sun-warmed stones rose upwards, pleasant now, as the night set in with a slight early-September chill.
Somewhere in the distance, the River Maizey lapped lazily against its banks, and from inside the solid walls, the shrieks and yells and laughter and music of the still-ongoing wedding reception echoed.
Jay’s arm was tightly round her waist and her head rested on his shoulder. Erin felt blissfully happy and completely exhausted.
‘It’s been such a totally
perfect day, the most wonderful day of my life, and this time tomorrow we’ll be up there. Miles up there.’ She stared up into the velvet black sky studded with diamonds. ‘On our way. Does anyone else know where we’re going, yet?’
‘No.’ Jay’s voice was low and slightly husky from the nonstop laughing and talking. ‘No one at all. Just you and me, Mrs Keskar.’
‘Mrs Keskar.’ Erin savoured the words. ‘I really do like that.’
Jay laughed and kissed the top of her head. ‘That’s just as well. Oh, it’s great to be out here, just us, together, for a little while, isn’t it?’
Erin nodded. ‘Although no doubt we’ll be missed soon, and someone will be sent to drag us back in to do “The Birdy Song” or “Agadoo”.’
‘I think we can count on it. Despite having jitterbugged me off my feet, your nanna’s now got me earmarked as her partner for “YMCA”. She says Colin gets the moves wrong.’
‘Well, I hope you won’t. Nanna’s a stickler for getting all the party dances spot on.’
‘I know. I’ve noticed.’ Jay laughed. ‘It couldn’t have been more perfect today, could it? All the things we planned just fell into place, and all the problems we thought we’d have simply didn’t materialise. And, against all odds, the
mandap
was just the cherry on the top of it all. And everyone’s had the best time ever. A perfect day.’
‘Even the weather was beautiful.’ Erin turned her head and kissed his cheek. ‘Honestly, it’s been the best day of my life. Thank you. I’m the happiest girl in the whole wide world.’
‘And I’m the happiest man,’ Jay said. ‘And does that make us sound slightly smug?’
Erin laughed. ‘A bit. But who cares. No
one’s listening. See?’ She cast her arms wide over the shadowy darkness. ‘There’s nothing but silence out there. No one but us and the night and the moon and the stars.’
They leaned together, not needing to speak.