All the people arrive- the women in red and orange Sari's. The hired band let their presence be powerfully known periodically. There were drums, trumpets and other whiny tootly things. Everything was played frenetically at bagpipe volume. The brides family comes with the clothes that the Groom has to wear. Rafi was able to enter the fray shortly after, accompanied by the band going off and an entourage of male friends and family. I got whisked into this on account of my special headwear. Rafi then sat on a decorated stage on a little raised board Henry had painted the day before- and everyone there from the most important family down to friends, proceeds to paste freshly ground tumeric all over his face. Many also feed him a bit of fruit after pasting him. Each is called out before they come out and their relation to the groom acknowledged. I was not forgotten though I had first met Rafi two or three days before.
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