We sent most of our things with Meher in her car a couple of weeks ago so we travel as light as we possibly could. After hearing me rant and rave about the haircut I got yesterday, Ammi* managed to get a hair appointment at 8.30am and got her hair put up for the day. She got back home around 9.30am and we were ready to leave an hour after that.
We arrived in London late afternoon and were collected by a stressed Meher from Heathrow. There was a buzz about her- she regaled us with tales of what she and Nina had done (the fun they had in Germany the week before) and how they were working non-stop to get everything ready for Nina's wedding. Being Nina's right hand woman, Meher was swept off her feet and was doing everything from organising minute details to making sandwiches, handling mood swings, scheduling hair and make-up, running never-ending errands, picking and dropping us from and to our Travelodge- and between all this, if she had time, she would see if Nina needed anything done…
The schedule for the four days we are in London goes as follows:
WEDNESDAY-
Late afternoon- Ammi and I reach London
Evening- go to Nina's house to get our Henna done for the Mehendi on Thursday night
THURSDAY-
Morning- Free time (for Ammi and I)
Evening- Mehendi
FRIDAY- More Free time
SATURDAY-
Morning- Nina and Paul's Wedding
Evening- Reception
Sunday-
We return to Bonnie Scotland
And so, we reach Heathrow, are collected by Meher and are taken to Nina's house to get out Henna done. Ammi already knows Nina's family- she met them at Nina's brother's wedding last year. (So many weddings, so little time…)
For me, it is a new experience for sure. In true Punjabi fashion, we are welcomed into their home with lots of hugs and food (consisting of 100% deep-fried carbs filled with deliciousness and delight- none of which I am allowed in my diet and so I politely declined all the goodies (sorry)
The bride- to- be was in the middle of having her Henna done- bridal Henna is freakishly intricate and therefore non-surprisingly time consuming. Nina, animated by being caught up in our conversations, kept being told off by the Henna artist ( a lovely lady, whose name escapes me ) and was asked to sit still on a few occasions- it's really hard work. I wouldn't be able to do either- putting the Henna on or sit still for that long a time…
By the time we got our Henna done and checked into the hotel, my legs were shaking. I never realised how tired I was until I lay down on one of those iconic, clinical, white beds of the Travelodge. I closed my eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep.
Sometime in the night, I was woken up by a rumbling sound close to my bed. Assuming it was coming from the nearby airport (we were staying quite close to Terminal 5) I expected the noise to fade away and leave me to visit dreamland again.
But I was wrong.
The noise continued. Steady and constant like someone breathing in and out. Loudly. And that's exactly what it was. Unfortunately, I stayed awake most of the night, unused to Mother Dear's snoring.
*Ammi- for those of you unfortunate souls who do not speak Urdru- Ammi means Mum. And for future reference, "Abbi"- Dad.
Wednesday 23rd April 2014
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