My future husband’s grandma gave me a tiny bottle of a green liquid before the wedding and told me to drink it before the wedding night, but after the wedding, I had an odd circumstance 
Prior to the wedding, the grandmother of my future husband handed me a tiny vial containing a green liquid and remarked, looking perplexed:
Before your first wedding night, have a drink. You will never have a pleasant day in your life if you don’t.
I couldn’t tell if she was kidding or taking it seriously, so I was perplexed. My fiancé warned his grandma not to frighten the bride with her “old family customs,” laughed, and gave her a hug.
However, there was a warning-like quality in the elderly woman’s gaze that made me uneasy.
I was content and didn’t think about the vial till I was by myself in the bedroom that evening after the wedding went off without a hitch. That same bottle was on the nightstand next to the bouquet. A thick green liquid shimmered inside the slightly open cap, almost as if it were alive.
My curiosity overcame me. Recalling the grandmother’s remarks, I reasoned that perhaps it was merely symbolic, like to a glass of champagne for good fortune.
I cautiously tasted a few drops after opening the bottle. The liquid had a terrible, metallic taste and was extremely cold—almost freezing.
After a while, I started experiencing odd things.
I was appalled when I finally realized what was actually in the bottle.
My body felt like it had turned to stone after a minute. I was immobile, yet I could feel everything: the cold air, the sheets against my skin, and even my heartbeat. I wanted to phone my husband, but my mouth was frozen in a panic.
I attempted to scream, but my voice was gone, like though my throat were being held by unseen fingers. Before my eyes, flashes of light danced, and then everything was dark.
I can’t recall how the evening went. I only recall being able to move my fingers once more and, with considerable effort, getting out of bed in the morning when the room was filled with sunlight.
I asked the grandma why she had given me that medicine when I went to see her. Calmly, as though discussing something wholly unremarkable, she responded:
It’s customary in our family. The bride is required to consume this herbal concoction to guarantee a smooth first wedding night. It stops the body from feeling anything for a while. It’s crucial.
Her words struck me like a chilly gust of wind. I was at a loss for words. When I learned that this family followed peculiar, antiquated, and maybe harmful rules, I became genuinely afraid.
And now I was supposed to join them.
