Curious Case of Missing Pandit ji

An unforgettable could-have-been more fiery incident that happened during my wedding and how eventually it turned out to be All’s Well that Ends Well
The crazy mayhem that is a characteristic of any big fat Indian wedding, the arrangement of tens of thousands of things, and a dad from the Defence background obsessed with making detailed lists…still finds himself in a fiery situation where no amount of his equally sharp tongue could get him out of; only way out was the quick reaction and a bus ride in DTC.
Yes, this is a real incident that occurred some 15 years back on the night of my marriage; 14th February 1997. That was one day where half of Delhi was getting married and the other half busy attending them.
Cut to the scene of my wedding---the venue was decked up, solemn sounds of shehnais resounded in the air, a slight chill had set in and the baraat had arrived with the usual band bajaa. After the jaimala and other pre-wedding rituals the groom and I, the not-so-shy bride were having our dinner before moving down to the “vedi” where the wedding was to be solemnised amidst the vedic chantings.
Well so far so good, my parents stepped down to review the pooja samagri and started ticking off the items on the list when they suddenly realised that “Arre pandit ji ko kisne lana tha?” and Boom Thunder Lightening I am sure these were the sounds that would have played had this been a TV soap by the name of Meri Beti ki Vidai….
As soon as the situation was realised my brothers suited-booted in brand new attire were summoned and sent off to fetch Pandit ji from his home. They thought the misadventure was over but little did they think they were in the middle of another one. They left with the driver in a car and fetched pandit ji who was equally amused (as you are my friend!) and actually waiting for them. However the car on its way back got stuck at the “railway faatak” and anyone with a previous experience of having been stuck at such places know how harrowing it can be. Anyway the brothers along with pandit ji ran on foot and crossed the railway line and finally boarded an overcrowded DTC bus. Hanging on to their dear lives and new suits they finally managed to reach the venue just a couple of minutes before the groom came down for the rituals. phew! and guess what I was blissfully unaware of the drama and got to know about the “curious case of missing pandit ji” only much later.
Note: yes these were the times when mobile phones were rare and the cost of receiving a phone call was more than Rs 15…ya ya I am old !!