Wedding Bells for AVZ

By Lunminthang Haokip *

C. Lalhmingmawii - Mizo-English bilingual Gospel crooner

Toll-y Marriage: Marriage means different things to different people. Among the orthodox folks in mainland India, it means a convenient opportunity to upgrade one's social status or strike gold in the calculative dowry bargains. The educated and modern girls of this liberated country do not get sold on this primitive notion anymore. They abhor the very idea of assessing the worth of a daughter on the basis of material items her family is capable of seeing her off with.

A courageous lady IAS officer of 1987 batch, took her fiancé, another IAS cadre officer of the same batch, to court because the latter had the audacity to illegally ask for dowry goodies from his own batch-mate. The singular act of defiance on the part of a hurt fiancée rocked the premier service circles like a tsunami shake.

Sorry Match-making: Eric Segal might have struck a chord with the youthful readers of his best-seller, Love Story, through his famous quote, "Love is never having to say you are sorry". The reverse is sadly true in our region of the 1960s. Country guys who could not win the lady-after-his-heart on merit, often, employed weird ways of demerit to get what the badly smitten heart desired.

Some duped gullible damsels-in-distress into elopement by stage-managed display of a bunch of keys that was meant to make one appear rich in locked-in assets. Others ran away with 'brides of pride' who were, in actuality, taken for a ride under the mistaken impression of borrowed cars or dresses only to feel terribly sorry later when reality surfaced, sooner or later. The harm that was done through unfair tricks could not be undone but the bitter memory of treachery lingered on.

Jolly Tie-Ups: Compatibility and convenience are the key words that tie up life-time partnerships among professional Executives. Two salaries are always better than one, the saying goes. Age and caste aren't much of a consideration in this up-market knot-tying deals which are clinched under the dictat of future financial security. Likes and dislikes matter here. So are tastes and level of intellect.

A Bollywood engagement was called off just for the flimsy reason that the fiancée could not get the pronunciation of the word "champagne" right in public. But when the apparent factors like class of apparels or value of newly acquired property are mutually appreciated, contract papers of togetherness-till-it-lasts are signed. For such footloose and fancy-free couples, kids are an extra baggage. They make DINK – double-income-no-kid-culture a fashion statement.

Folly Marriage: Many a spouse silently feels that the oft-mentioned hackneyed expression of marital grouse, "Marry in haste and repent at leisure" is very true in his or her own case too. But societal decorum constraints one to hold back impulses to go beyond one's imagined romantic brinkmanship. Man's idea of folly marriage, however, does not gel well with God's view on the same.

The Creator gave a one-line whip on the issue and on the way as to how a man and a woman would become a husband and a wife in Hebrews 13:4, "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled". In the same manner "all the perfumes of Arabia could not sweeten the blood-stained hands of Macbeth" in Shakespearian drama, a departure from the heavenly whip of holy marriage is a serious blot of dishonour that cannot be wiped away by any act that comes short of total repentance.

Holy Marriage: "And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man (Genesis 2:21 and 22)". In the divine operation, Adam lost a rib but he did not crib; for he gained a wife. The first man in this planet did nothing on his own to get his help meet. He just lay supine and let God do things as He planned out. Adam's silence, obedience and patience paid off in the form of Eve.

A holy marriage is one that comes out of total reliance on the will of God on the part of two repenting converted souls in the choice of one's life-partner. Wannabe brides and grooms, before jumping into the risk-ridden marital fray, must wait in God's presence. The match-making had been done in heaven. On earth, our job is to find out through prayer who God has in store for one. Guidance and revelation may come in several forms. Tripartite agreement of the groom and the bride-to-be, the parents and the Creator matters most in a holy wedding-alliance of two individuals.

Lost Rib Found: There is joy when a lost thing like a purse or a misplaced vehicle- key is found. Locating the lost rib of a one-rib-short man in the rib-made-whole woman he is all set to marry ought to generate much greater joy. Take for example the Luangmual-settled Aizawl-born and bred entrepreneur, Brother Robert Hauhnar of downtown Aizawl's Capital Hardware and Machinery fame who also teaches Economics and English in NIOS when he is not engaged in his religious activities as the Secretary of his local KTP Pastorate. An EPL football match aficionado, Robert, in tune with the magic key-word "Tlawmngaihna", pursued his business goals passionately while serving the Lord in the shade of moments with equal zeal. Balancing hardware-business with soft writings is an art Robert mastered.

Co-incidental Rendezvous: It's said "love has no reason, it only has a season". Unseen forces work on a positive note to make things and situations click, out of nowhere, for individuals destined to meet and peak in mutual admiration. When the time became ripe, the good Lord who "rules over the affairs of men (Daniel 5:21)" underlined His presence in Robert Hauhnar's social life.

The single run of the part-time pusher of cement-concrete mixer came to a grinding halt at the sight of the lady he had sub-consciously yearned to wed full-time and begin couple-hood together with. When one's ways are pleasing to God, one co-incidence leads to another to favour the gradual emotional bonding of two erstwhile strangers who now get increasingly endeared to each other.

The Bride-To-Be: C. Lalhmingmawii needs no fresh introduction in Mizoram and major parts of NE India and NW Myanmar. Gifted with a vocal talent which had not been fully exploited by the recording Studios of the music capital of India, Aizawl, Mami, as she's widely known, was given the prestigious Rimawi Khawvel "Best New Artist award" way back in the year 2001.

The Lalduhawmi-clone Mizo-English bilingual Gospel crooner never looked back ever since. She built up her hard-earned name and fame cassette by cassette with her mesmerizing vocal renditions in all-time chart-rocking Mizo albums like "Kumsang Bithar", "Remna Palai" and "Kachakna Lalpa". Her two year stint in the western coast of the US of A as a children's choir leader added new coloured feathers to the cap of her phenomenal singing career.

The icing on the cake, of course, came in 2007 and 2010 in the form of GGMI's English albums, Go Gospel and Gospel Goes Global. Mami proved her musical calibre in song-vids like kut Song, AIDS and Gospel Goes Global. Often invited to present her own softly composed numbers in Christian bashes across NE India, C. Lalhmingmawii, true to her reputation as a well-poised youth style-icon to reckon with, left her audience spellbound wherever she performed live.

Mami The Game Changer: Hats off to Pu C. Lalrinkima of Aizawl's ITI Veng, the father of C. Lalhmingmawii, a School Teacher by profession, who single-handedly brought up Mami, his eldest daughter, under the scanner of strict spiritual discipline. Daddy's timely corrective measures made Mami an organized lass of character. Success never went to her head nor failure to her heart.

The level-headed vocalist never exhibited starry airs. Other Gospel singers of Mizoram thought many times before they hesitatingly accepted an event invitation from troubled Manipur. But the humane Piscean that she is, Mami dared to perform several times where her colleagues feared to tread once. Occasionally, the fish would jump out of water.

Artist fee was never an issue with this devout reader of Psalm 37. The Lord God was and is her "exceeding reward (Genesis 15:1)". Always in demand among her burgeoning fan-following, and demanding nothing in return, outside her state, C. Lalhmingmawii is aptly nick-named AVZ – Amazing Voice of Zoram.

Parental Bidding of Adieu: Plans are afoot in the premises of Pu C. Lalrinkima's ITI Veng residence, Aizawl. God willing, on the 23rd November, 2011, Mami will be flaunting her Latino looks with matching Mizo Puan as usual in front of a crowd. But for a change, AVZ will hold the mike, not to sing but to bid adieu to her dear family members in a moving speech she is capable of delivering. Fans and relatives are most likely to mill in, in hordes.

Preparations are underway for a slot in the programme to showcase AVZ's husky vocal prowess in visual clips on screen through LCD Projector. Other popular Gospel singers like Nancy and Zoramchhani will do the crooning. It's going to be the event of the year.

Tear-jerking Send-off: The "Manlhanni" will take place two days ahead of the wedding day. Close friends, relatives and well-wishers eagerly await to attend the see-off bash to cheer and gift their best wishes to Miss Mami who would become Mrs Mami a couple of days hence.

Emotions run riot on this type of occasion when the daughter of the house goes hyper-sentimental over the startling truth that she has to leave her father's house she grew up in and move on to marry a new family system and way of life. Tears flow freely as the bride-to-be is taken away for the D-day by the groom's party. VWAM –Voice with a mission – Miss Hluteii, Mami's best friend, will play the role of the bridesmaid.

The D-day: The official wedding ceremony will be conducted in Luangmual Presbyterian Church on 25th November, 2011. The memorable occasion shall be followed by a reception in the said Church's premises. The fans of C. Lalhmingmawii will be delighted if the iconic AVZ be made to sing, in her wedding reception, the song Holy Marriage that she recorded and shot for GGMI's video album, Gospel Goes Global in 2010: here goes the wording of Blessed Holy Marriage written by this author.

BLESSED HOLY MARRIAGE:

1. Are marriages made in high heaven?
Why are they at sixes and seven?
Coz we drop heaven and prop the heart,
We crib and teardrops are shed on the earth;
Prayer-fed shires build up truth society;
Spirit-led pairs spill good family;
If new home's to be filled with goodwill,
It's due that couples first seek God's will.

We seek self-will and manage to shock,
Soon in sad grill, marriage's on the rock;
We choose, fetch and clinch solely in haste,
Such a match will be folly-marriage,
That the strain of past-age be shut off,
And sin-chain of lineage be cut off;
It's God's bidding that you don't elope
But with godly- wedding you take off.

2. Mod guys are pros to make flings an art,
Hep girls are prone to think with their heart;
If they sin and marry sans Maker,
They'll not be happy ever after;
Lovers think they best know their future,
But sink down as they in tests venture;
That you mayn't fail in life's foxy lanes
Woo Him who will foretell what's in hand.

3. Bone was not taken from Adam's head,
So, Madam her Adam shouldn't look down;
Neither was it cut from the foot-edge,
A wife's not to be trampled upon;
The rib-bone was removed from his side,
Eve and her man were same in His sight;
Ripped 'part was flesh closer to male's heart,
Partners must love much and never part.

Lunminthang Haokip

* Lunminthang Haokip, a resident of Old Lambulane, Imphal and posted at Moreh, Manipur is a regular contributor to e-pao.net. He can be contacted at lunminthang(dot)haokip(at)gmail(dot)com or his blog here
This article was webcasted on November 02, 2011.