Scrapbook- Memorabilia of the Magical First Love

55. Blessings are prayers

Motherhood is emotional jazz.

Swarnima and Abhedya were escorted to a hall where the baby shower was organised. Aadya had been working on the decorations for days together and the result left everyone spellbound.
Pacifiers, rattles, bottles and diapers covered the walls with funny slogans and jingles. Pink and blue flowers of rare variety were aesthetically decorated on the main stage where the expecting parents were supposed to sit. The younger clan of the royals and their friends were dancing on the beats of dhol expressing their happiness. Soon the older clan joined them too. Swarnima was clapping and cheering her family.
"How could I blame them for something they did not even do? How did I ignore their love, Aby? I have hurt them a lot, haven't I?" Swarnima introspected watching her family expressing their happiness.

Abhedya tightened his grip on her hand and told her, "You didn't ignore or overlooked their love you just strengthened the bond between them and you."
Abhedya was pulled into the centre for dancing and he winked at Swarnima before leaving the stage. The moment Abhedya's body moved to the beats of the music Swarnima's heartbeats tuned their rhythm.
After a crazy session of dancing, Abhedya returned to the stage and sat next to Swarnima.

"You need to brush up your dancing skills, daddy dearest," Swarnima remarked.

"Sure I will if my dancing partner stops ogling at me, disturbing my concentration." Abhedya countered and Swarnima rolled her eyes at his comment. Abhedya side hugged her and they shared a good laugh.
They may have been sweethearts since they were young but the freshness of their love could still compete with a morning rose.

Aadya and Nivedya had organised fun games and the party hall was bursting with laughter. In one such game, the men were given feeding bottles with milk and the one who finishes first will be declared as the winner. Men from sixty years to Sixteen years were sipping milk from bottles and it was a hilarious sight. The sounds made when they left the nipple gave birth to jokes not meant for sober ears.
"That's how you suck!"
"He is too loud."
"He chewed the rubber nipple?"
"He finished in one go? Looks like he has practised a lot."
Were some of the comments from the players and audience.

The winner of the game was Maan but Tara hid her face in embarrassment. The couple was teased to no limits.

The blessing ceremony started and everyone gave presents and blessings to the soon to be parents, the King and Queen of Swarnbhoomi. When it was Abhedya's turn to give a present to Swarnima he gave her a file and a pen. Confused! Swarnima opened the file and read the page. Tears brimmed in her eyes and she looked at Abhedya with astonishment.
He gestured her to sign and she did. Abhedya helped her get up and took the mic to make an announcement that would make their state a better place to live in and set an example for the rest of the country that 'love knows no bounds.'

"I Abhedya Rajvanshi, King of Swarnbhoomi is proud to announce that it is now legal to marry of the same sex in Swarnbhoomi. Our citizens are free to love and if they wish to tie the holy knot of matrimony they don't need to think twice."

The hall roared with claps and praises. The guests, dignitaries welcomed the new law and appreciated the broad thinking of Swarnbhoomi.

The party was soon over and when it was just the royals in the hall and Swarnima returned after changing her dress, Taran made her sit on a chair excitedly.
"Nim chi, open gifts. So many." Swarnima gave him a thumbs up and he started the mission 'opening gifts'.

While everyone was talking about the function and sharing gossips, Swarnima's eyes were searching for her husband who left an hour before with some dignitaries but didn't return. It was the first time he left her for so long and she was missing him terribly. The gift he gave her made her extremely happy and she wanted to thank him properly.