The engagement party I'm going to describe was for my close friend Sabina and her fiancé Dipesh. It happened last winter in Pokhara, in Nepal, in the banquet hall of a small hotel with a view of the lake.
Sabina's family is quite traditional, so the party was partly a ceremony and partly a celebration. First, the two families exchanged gifts on trays, such as fruit, sweets and clothes, and there was a moment when the couple exchanged rings while an elderly priest said a few blessings. After that, the formal part was over, and things got much livelier. There was a buffet with momos and curries, and later a DJ played a mixture of Nepali folk songs and Bollywood hits. Sabina's younger brother made a hilariously embarrassing speech about how she used to boss him around as a child, and even her strict father was laughing.
Personally, I felt incredibly happy for her, but also a little emotional. Sabina and I met on our first day at college, and for years we'd talked late into the night about what our futures might be like. Seeing her stand there so confidently made me realise how much we'd both grown up. Dipesh is a kind, gentle person, and I could see that he really listens to her, which made me feel reassured. At the same time, there was a slightly bittersweet feeling, because I knew she'd soon be moving to Kathmandu. I think engagements are like that: a happy beginning that also marks the end of a chapter.