A Day of yellow touch of Sister in low, A Colorful night in Memories.
When the wedding season arrives, a different excitement works in the mind. However, this time the joy was a little different, because it was my beloved Shalikar Gae's Halud day. Since morning, decorations have been in every house. Busyness all around, smiles and sparkles of joy on everyone's faces.
I woke up in the morning and saw the house full of people. Preparations for Halud on Shalikar Gae are going on at a brisk pace. Some are decorating the stage, some are tying flower garlands, and some are busy in the kitchen. The smell of weddings seems to be floating in the air. I myself was busy with everyone, sometimes with a camera in hand, sometimes entertaining the guests.
When Shalikar was dressed up after noon, she was like a princess from a fairy tale. A yellow-colored saree, flower jewelry, henna on her hands – honestly, it was difficult to take my eyes off her! She was placed on the stage in the courtyard of the house, decorated with flowers all around. Everyone started the Halud on Shalikar Gae ritual together.
One by one, everyone was applying turmeric on Shalika's body, with smiles on her face and tears in her eyes. It was like a mixture of joy and sorrow. The little girl whom I loved and adored was now taking her final steps – I felt a little sad to think about it.
The singing, dancing, laughing and taking pictures continued till night. Just as the children were engrossed in playing, the adults were equally engrossed in stories and reminiscing. There was a sumptuous feast on the dining table – polao, roast, kebab, phirni and many more! All the guests were happy, and their faces were filled with praise.
The most fun part was the group dance after applying turmeric – the men were not left out either. I also did a few steps in sync, although the rhythm was not in tune! But the joy was 100% real and heartfelt.
That day was like a whole movie. The joy, the noise, the moments captured together remained an eternal memory in my heart. The day of Halud on Shalika's body was an emotional joyous journey not only for her, but for all of us.
To be honest, such days don't come again and again in life. So I enjoyed every moment from the bottom of my heart - with a smile on my face, in a festival filled with love.
I am Emdad Hossain Nevlu from Bangladesh
