There are a million things that people love about desi weddings, the extravagance, the party environment, the traditions, the food and the open bar (Oh! The open bar!) But there’s one thing that is just a fun-filled and crazy rollercoaster ride, especially for the saalis. Yup, you know what I’m talking about- Joote lo, paise do!
The juta chuppai has the bride tribe in a complete frenzy during the wedding day. There’s planning, plotting, and grand schemes being hatched all around the dulhan’s camp. And on the other side of the border, the groomsmen are prepping on how to keep the dulha’s precious jutas safe. But I’m from the ladkiwalas side, so listen up sisters of the bride, here are some tips and tricks to steal those shoes and win your hard-earned money.
1. Delegate work to each other and act as a team
For this mission to be successful, the team always has to work together. Two people need to go distract the dulha, one person needs to sneakily steal the shoes and some people need to go hide it. Girls, just before you embark on this very important mission, do the Chak De! huddle cause you know, teamwork!
2. Get your behena’s to be mother-in-law on your side
No mother can resist the innocent faces of the bride’s sisters. Go with the sweetest, doe-eyed look and ask her to help you out. Either she can steal the shoes from her own son for you or she can at least tell you the location of the shoes if the ‘shoe guards’ have already kept it with themselves.
3. Get your flirt on
At every wedding ever, romances are sure to brew. The bride’s friend and the groom’s brother were dancing with full enthusiasm during the sangeet? Well, that’s your key. Gurls, twirl your hair and smile, you’ll definitely make some headway with the boys then.
4. Get a spy
Nope, not like Alia Bhatt in Raazi, a low-key spy, you know. There are always those guests you don’t really know how they know the happy couple, but they’re there to partake in the celebrations! The bride’s brother’s friend from college, ya you know who I’m talking about. Make her pretend to be from the boy’s side, hang around with the youngsters and voila, you’ve got yourself all the secret codes of the enemy camp.
5. Bring on the traditions
Ask the pandit ji to make up some traditional ceremony for which the groom has to take off his shoe and that’s your chance to get your thief mode on even before the pheras. If convincing the pandit ji to lie is proving to be a task, ask an elder member of your family for help. The dulha bechara won’t be able to say no if the bride’s dada is asking him to go barefoot for a ceremony.
6. Tug-of-war
Oh yes, if the sneaking around didn’t work, challenge the guy’s side for a match of tug-of-war. And if you can’t find ropes you can always use chunnis to play the game. It’ll look fun, elegant and in keeping with the festivities too. Rope in the strapping men from your side too, and woohoo, you can definitely win the shoes and the prize.
7. Emotional melodrama
Bring out all those “Jiju pleaseeee” or “Jijaji please” or even “Jiju, you’re taking our sister away from us forever, you can’t even do this much?!” Drama? I’m talking more melodrama than in an Ekta Kapoor serial. And if the shoes are with his friends, then emotionally blackmail them too, use glycerin for those crocodile tears and tell them how much you’ve looked forward to this day and you want to do it for your sister. Melt them, embarrass them, do whatever it takes, after all, all’s fair in love and war!
And the final step, be hard negotiators for the money! You know how it is- paise ke liye saalaa kuch bhi karega. Well in this case, paise ke liye saalis kuch bhi karengi!
GIFs: Giphy
Featured Image: Pinterest
