The wedding arrangements were grand without being ostentatious. A few women from royal backgrounds wandered about with the trademark pallus over their heads. Flowers, especially white chrysanthemums, were everywhere. Classical Hindustani music played in the hall. Alcohol did not flow. The food consisted of pasta and asli Kashmiri waazwaan dishes like gushtaba, rogan josh, dum aloo and haaq that the guests relished. Kashmiri kahwa tea [brewed from almonds, saffron and tea leaves], to end it all, was a runaway hit. What Vajpayee consumed, however, is anybody's guess. The PM remained closeted in a special room, far from the public eye.