Mirza Khan, Sanjay Khan's cousin, says Hrithik Roshan and Suzanne Khan will not have a nikaah, nor go through the seven pheras.

Sita Menon in Bangalore

For the locals around Nelamangala, just off Tumkur road in Bangalore, Hrithik Roshan's wedding is just another spectacle after Dr Rajakumar's abduction and subsequent release.

A casual eye could miss the unassuming Golden Palms Resort sign. Leading to Sanjay Khan's newly-built Golden Palms Resort is a tarred two-way road. The seven-star, 350-room capacity resort is set on a sprawling 20-acre estate. Freshly painted in white with brown awnings around it, all that is on view to the onlooker is the huge, rather gaudy, fountain in the driveway.

The Bandobast

The gates remain firmly closed. Members of the Nelamangala police force have been posted at a 25-yard radius all around the estate. "Three more platoons of around 51 policemen each of the Karnataka State Reserve Police will come in tomorrow," reveals Circle Inspector Krishnappa.

DSP Rajappa seconds his subordinate, "We have our men inside as well. The hotel security is also in place, besides personal bodyguards. We have not been invited for the wedding. We are just here to provide security."

Labourers working at the resort have been asked to stay away for the duration of the wedding. "For four days, we are not to go inside. On the 21st, all the guests will leave, and we can go back in on the 22nd," says one labourer who works at Golden Palms.

The Invitees

For what is touted as the wedding of the year, the guest list numbers a humble 100 to 150. Who are the guests? No one knows, fully, yet.

"Only four people from Karnataka have been invited," says Inspector Krishnappa, with barely concealed indignation in his voice. Two among those four are state Chief Minister S M Krishna and Home Minister Mallikarjun Kharge.

It is rumoured that Dr Rajakumar, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Shah Rukh Khan will attend the wedding too. Also present at the wedding will be Bob Christo, sometime Bollywood villain and the Australian who used to be in charge of Sanjay Khan's old resort facing Golden Palms, on the other side of the road.

Hrithik Roshan and Suzanne Khan will marry on Wednesday, December 20. Monday evening will witness a function in Suzanne's honour. The reception is scheduled for Tuesday, December 19.

The first of the invitees will fly in on Monday, and the resort's fleet of cars have left to pick them up. All the drivers have been told to go to Bangalore airport; they have no idea who they are picking up.

A member of the family is at the airport to receive the guests. He will alert the drivers, whose cars have been fitted with two-way radios to drive the guests to the resort.

Hrithik's whereabouts are unclear. The actor is said to shuttle between Feroz Khan's farmhouse, Akbar Khan's home and a city hotel. Akbar and Feroz Khan are, of course, Suzanne's uncles.

The Marriage

"No nikaah, no pheras" growls a harassed Mirza Khan, Sanjay and Feroz Khan's cousin.

"It will be a registered marriage!"

This kills all speculation if the couple will go in for a Muslim nikaah or the Hindu saat pheras. The bride is Muslim; the bridegroom Hindu.

The Preparations

The cuisine at the ceremonies will come from the resort's chefs. "The wedding will have food from around the world. Chinese, Indian, Mughlai, Continental… you name it, it will be there," vouches a member of the resort's staff.

"We have it all here. We have a huge waterwell. We don't need electricity from the government, we generate our own power. Flowers will be taken from here itself. The only thing we have asked from outside are the lights. They have been fitted all around the resort," says the staffer.

The ceremony will be conducted around the resort's swimming pool.

A harassed woman with a five-page list of names rushes out to the gate and asks for three policemen to be sent inside. When asked about the preparations, she says, shrugging her shoulders, "All you can see are the preparations. I just work here."

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