Shaadi ki Raat

Shaadi ki raat

Harry followed Parvati in a circle around the fire and the purohit for the seventh time, while various newly added members to his family blew on conch shells, and threw grains of rice towards them.

They came to a stop, and Harry registered that the wedding ceremony was over.

It was past midnight, but the hall was choc a bloc filled with people, chattering like as many magpies, showing no sign of tiredness or fatigue. The door on the far end revealed the dining room, even fuller than the main hall.

Parvati tugged on Harry's hand and led him to a raised platform at the other end of the room. It was carpeted in red and had two large chairs placed side by side, one each for the bride and the groom.

And then the flood started.

Generation after generation after generation of the Patil family seemed to be present, eeveryone intent on making Harry's acquaintance. Since many of them did not know English, and Harry did not know a scrap of Hindi, 'getting-to-know-the-groom' consisted mostly of sign-language and polite smiles, without having any idea of what one was responding to. Parvati, seated on Harry's right, was besieged herself, but at least she could answer, and sometimes managed to bestow a smile upon Harry, who steeled himself for another round of continuous smiles.

Harry had lost count of how many people he had shaken hands with and how many times he had had his picture taken when Ron and Hermione finally made their appearance.

Harry sighed with relief, earning a disapproving look from his new bride.

Hermione was clad in a blue salwar kameez, with a matching odna, and seemed perfectly composed with her hair up in an elegant bun, and wearing much more jewellery than usual. Ron, whose considerable height had distressed shopkeepers, had had to have his clothes tailored. He looked very ill at ease indeed in his cream-coloured kurta pajama as the two of them climbed onto the platform.

Ron was smiling.

'Harry, mate, don't take this the wrong way, really, but you ... you look... '

He was silenced by Hermione elbowing his in the ribs. As Ron doubled over with an 'Oof!' Hermione said, 'You look quite nice, Harry. Really.'

Harry did not need the 'Really' at the end to tell him that they both thought he looked comical. But then again, when he had surveyed himself in the mirror after being declared 'ready', he had thought pretty much the same himself.

Harry looked quickly towards his right and saw that Parvati was at the edge of the platform, posing for a round of pictures. He then shook his head morosely.

'It's all right 'Mione. I know I look stupid. I believe everyone here has had a not-so-sneak preview of my lower body tonight.'

Ron, still nursing his ribs, smiled wickedly and even Hermione suppressed a smile.

'Don't worry,' said Hermione soothingly. 'It's common custom to wear a dhoti on formal occasions. It's like dress robes.'

'Besides,' added Ron. 'You should see Dumbledore in this get up.'

Intrigued Harry scanned the crowd for the Headmaster. He did not have to search long.

Albus was standing in the middle of a crowd of people, chatting away merrily.

Harry frowned.

'I didn't know Albus knew Hindi.'

'It's probably a Polyglot potion,' said Hermione.

'I wish I could have had one of those... I had absolutely no idea what that darned priest was going on about. I might have pledged to wear these things for the rest of my life, for all I know.'

Ron coughed a bit, and with a lot of effort managed a straight face as he said, 'But really, what's with the weird hat? It looks like one of those woolly bladders that Hermione used to make.'

Hermione shot him a withering look.

'Haven't a clue,' said Harry. 'They just asked me to wear it, and I did. Or that is I think they asked me to wear it. Like I said, they say something, and I operate on the best guess. I just hope I wasn't supposed to put the trash in it. At least I don't have to wear it anymore,' he said, pointing at the said hat on the table beside him.

Ron cocked his head to one side and looked at Harry's ex-headgear with great interest. With a sudden expression of dawning comprehension he said, 'I know what these remind me of! Dunce caps!'

Hermione rolled her eyes. 'This is a custom that has been practised for hundreds of years. There were no dunce caps at that time!'

Ron was not one to give up. 'In that case, dunce caps must have developed from this ... this topor or whatever.'

Harry chuckled.

'Are you suggesting that men must be dunces to get hitched?'

Ron's reply was cut off when Hermione spun around and fixed him with an icy glare.

He faltered.

'Umm ... no, no, of course not. Why would you say something like that Harry? I for one think that getting married to 'Mione is among the best things I've ever done! If not the best!'

Hermione looked slightly mollified.

Harry smiled indulgently, then the smile disappeared.

'I just wish I didn't have all this ... this paint on my face. I feel like I'm wearing make-up!'

'Harry, You defeated the darkest wizard of all time, I'm sure you can get through a simple wedding,' said Hermione.

'In fact, I think you just about have. No more face-paint or dunce caps, Harry. Just the wedding night left,' added Ron. 'Ah, the wedding night ...' he said in a voice tinged with nostalgia.

Hermione looked scandalised and elbowed Ron in the ribs once again.

This time there was no effect.

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Harry entered their room to find Parvati in front of the dresser, removing her jewellery. Her hair was in a long plait down her back, and she was still wearing the red saree she had worn for the ceremony.

Harry caught her eye in the mirror, and she smiled at him.

Harry closed the door behind him and walked up to stand behind her, dimly noting that the room was lit with candles and the bed in the middle was adorned with flowers.

Parvati removed the last of her earrings and stood up to face Harry. She was still wearing the mangal sutra with its black beads that he had given her during the wedding.

'I thought you might want to take the saree off yourself.'

Harry was unsure of what to do, but in a split second more the decision was taken out of his hands.

Parvati placed the aanchal of the saree in Harry's hands, and turned around once. One fold of the garment was undone.

Catching on, Harry tugged at the long piece of cloth, and Parvati moved around slowly on the same spot, each tug undressing her some more.

Harry found himself thinking that perhaps there was something to this saree business after all.

One last tug left her in her blouse and petticoat. As Harry fumbled a bit with the clasps on the blouse, Parvati herself undid the strings of the petticoat, so that it fell to a pool around her feet.

Within moments she was clad only in her underwear.

Harry reached for her bra but she stopped him.

She met his gaze and smiled a bit, then said huskily, 'Your turn now.'

Harry quickly pulled the kurta over his head, revealing his bare chest. He then proceeded to work on the dhoti, but where to start?

Parvati giggled at her husband's discomfiture.

'Let me.'

She dropped to her knees and carefully removed the offending piece of clothing.

Harry found himself in his boxers with his pretty wife on her knees, semi-nude, in front of him.

Interesting.

Parvati stood up, and Harry turned her around so that they were both facing the mirror on the dresser.

He placed his hands on her waist and kissed the side of her neck, before whispering, 'Oh god, Parvati, I wish I could tell you how much I love you.'

Parvati's eyelids fluttered closed as she savoured the feel of Harry's mouth on her skin. A moment later, their eyes met in the mirror.

'Why don't you show me instead...?'

Harry's unclasped her bra while teasing the skin of her neck with his mouth. The brassiere dropped to the floor and he placed his hands on her stomach; with gentle strokes he reached her breasts, and cupped them in his hands. His mouth continued its ministrations as he kneaded her breasts, gently at first, but then with mounting insistence. Parvati writhed in his arms, arching her back, revelling in the sensation, watching herself in the mirror.

With an unspoken charm he unplaited her long hair, and used his hands to move it in front of Parvati, revealing her back. He trailed kisses on her bronzed skin and his hands rested on her hips. His left hand edged into her panties, across the soft triangle of hair, discovering her most intimate places.

Parvati arched her body once more, wordlessly pleading for more. Harry chuckled deeply against her skin, sending delicious shivers down her back. He lifted his wife bodily from the ground, carried her to the adorned bed in the centre of the room, and placed her on it gently. He proceeded to remove her panties, tossed them aside, and beheld his wife before him, love and lust intermixed in his gaze.

He leant it to kiss her deeply on the mouth, then moved across her neck, taking one of her nipples in his mouth and the other in his hand. He trailed his lips down her stomach towards her hips; he stroked her clitoris with his tongue and she moved her hips to meet him.

It was all she could do to contain herself while her husband pleasured her body, causing sensations she had never felt before. When it became too much, she stilled herself with an effort; when Harry looked up questioningly, she said, 'Please...'

Harry pulled himself up to kiss her again. This time she felt his hardness against her thigh. She kissed him back greedily, and he hastened to remove his boxers.

She was ready for him. He entered her quickly, then pulled back almost completely. He pushed again, and then started a rhythmic motion. Parvati bucked her hips in sync with his movements. The motion intensified as they both strained towards release, murmuring soft words of endearment, revelling in the sensation of togetherness, and the exquisite pleasure coursing through every vein, every fibre of their beings. They came within a moment of each other, calling out each other's names as they did.

They lay together in the sweet afterglow of their lovemaking, Harry lying on his back, and Parvati on her side next to him, her arm around him, her head on his shoulder.

'It's been quite the day, hasn't it?'

'Quite memorable,' replied Parvati

'I'll never be able to forget Hagrid in a dhoti ...'

Parvati giggled.

There was silence for a few seconds before Parvati spoke.

'Thanks for being so great today, Harry. I'm sure our family can be quite harrowing in their full strength.'

Harry did not reply for a while.

'I don't mind. It's nice being part of a big family.'

'It was a nice ceremony, don't you think?'

Harry turned to his wife.

'Oh I don't know, I think what followed was better...' he said, his eyes twinkling.

Parvati smiled warmly. 'It was great Harry.'

'The night's still young, you know.'

Parvati's eyes widened.

'You mean there's more?'

Harry grinned broadly.

'You ain't seen nothing yet...'

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