Hiralious

I was always enchanted by the brides at weddings. I would steal glances at them through the keyhole of the powder room when they hadn't yet come on stage , sit close to them if I got a chance , play with their bangles , let their perfume rub off on me. I didn't know the price they had to pay for their moments of splendor.   I didn't know it was a thin line they had to walk. I didn't know about the effort that went into it. The fear, the emotional stress that came with starting something new , the fear of transition , the knowledge of living in a different place from then onwards , the uncertainty of  having no permanent place they could belong to freely . I didn't know being overwhelmed is not always a good feeling. The most unwelcome piece of knowledge that time gave me ;  I didn't know that beautiful was not just what gave you delight in the first look , whether or not someone was beautiful was a decision that was arrived at after intense scrutiny, i didnt know that just by being there , just by being present , they were primarily being judged for how beautiful they looked compared to the groom , to the previous brides , to the most beautiful girl in all the weddings of family. I didn't know they were being measured up every moment as they stood in the limelight.   To me they were all wonderful , and special. The kind of delightful that puts a full stop next to any thoughts.  I have never seen a bride who was not beautiful. I have never seen a bride who was not exotic.  I have never felt the need to pay heed to the variables of their appearance .
Can one day in someone's life be free from competition ? Can we let that stay between two people ?