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Anand Mohan Sahay in Patna
The mellifluous sound of shehnai pervades the air around the official residence of Chief Minister Rabri Devi.
With just hours to go before the chief minister's daughter takes the marriage vows with a US-based software engineer, Patna's VVIP enclave is buzzing with activity.
The blistering summer heat has, after a couple of light showers last night, given way to a cooler breeze in Bihar's capital.
At the main gate of 1 Anne Marg, Rabri Devi's residence, there are over a dozen police vehicles stationed. The entire administrative machinery of the state, it seems, has taken guard for the marriage in CM's family.
The guards stiffen up as a cavalcade of cars arrives at the gate. It's Union Railway Minister Nitish Kumar. He is here to greet Laloo Yadav, the chief minister's husband. The local press often refers to him as the uncrowned king of Bihar.
Both husband and wife are dressed in traditional yellow -- Rabri Devi in a sari and Laloo in a dhoti.
"It is just the beginning...many more VVIPs will visit saheb today," says a Rashtriya Janata Dal leader.
If the number of times this leader has been in and out of the bungalow in the past one hour any indication, he is an important man and probably also very close to the Yadavs.
Eight huge water-proof pandals have been erected for the marriage ceremony, scheduled for later tonight.
One pandal, Laloo's aides reveal, is exclusively for "Union ministers, former prime ministers, chief ministers and Bollywood stars."
There are separate pandals for party workers and women.
Though the main ceremony will have only the family members in attendance, five large TV screens have been installed in four pandals for the invitees to witness the rituals.
The list of VVIPs expected to attend the marriage is endless -- Vice-president Krishan Kant, former prime ministers H D Deve Gowda and Chandra Shekhar, Union ministers Shahnawaz Hussain, Yashwant Sinha and Digvijay Singh...
All luxury hotels in Patna are booked.
If anyone of you, by any chance, have a business engagement or holiday planned in Patna in a day or two, please reschedule.
And did we mention the names of the bride and the groom? Rohini Acharya and Samresh Singh.
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