Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

"What is it, Rama?" Raghav looked up from his work, and realized that Gorilla wasn't standing in a corner of the den and waiting for orders as he should have been; he was sitting cross-legged on the floor. Catching Raghav's eye, Harish sheepishly took Damayanti off his lap, set her on her feet, and stood upright.

"Sir, there are reporters outside the front door," Ramakrishna reported. "Security is telling them to leave, but they're saying that they want you to comment on a video of you and Pallavi Madam."

Raghav quickly checked the CCTV from his laptop. The reporters' loud voices came through the speakers: "Are you hiding from the public now, Raghav Rao?"

"The woman whom you hunted for your lust was faithful to another man's memory; didn't you feel any shame when you found out?"

"You stained a widow's reputation and banished her from her family; is this a game for you?"

"At your wedding reception, your wife Pallavi proclaimed that you rescued her from widowhood - did you tell her to lie?"

"Does your Amma know the truth of your marriage?"

"What answer do you have for the women who wear your jewelry?"

Starting to perspire, Raghav turned off the sound. The news media had the recording that incriminated Pallavi for bigamy! He should have handled Celli's friend Akshay in Raghav Rao style! Why had he allowed Celli to persuade him that she knew better? Raghav looked towards the whisky, which he hadn't touched since his promise to Amma. He would drink when he could enjoy it, or not at all. Now there was no hope of that - no, it was never too late! He would protect Pallavi, and Celli and Amma too.

"Gorilla, I have to go to Pallavi and keep the reporters away from her. I'll take Madan with me. You stay here and keep me updated. Make sure Amma stays inside until you get rid of the reporters. If she wants to go out, you guard her. Call Johnny and make sure he gets rid of any reporters at Celli's office. I'll call her right away." Even as Raghav spoke to Harish, he was headed out of the den, followed by Damayanti.

Shielded by Madan, Raghav pushed his way through the reporters without a word, got into the back seat of his car, and secured Damayanti in her seat. He called Kirti while Madan drove to Deshmukh Saree Emporium.

"Yes, Raghav, what is it?" Obviously, Kirti wasn't aware that the news media were devouring a scandal.

"Celli, your lowlife friend Akshay didn't listen to you!" Raghav snarled. "There are reporters at our house. I'm on my way to keep them away from Pallavi. Watch out for them at your office, and don't go anywhere without Johnny. At least today, appreciate that you have a bodyguard!"

"All right, Raghav, I'll be careful," Kirti sighed. "I won't say a word to any reporters, but I'll call Akshay and try to find out what happened."

Raghav's next call was to Pallavi. She didn't answer her phone. Then Raghav called Farhad.

"Anna, we're just entering Hyderabad. I have you on speaker phone because I'm driving. What is it?"

"Farhad, there are reporters at the house with that recording," Raghav began hurriedly, then caught himself, realizing that whatever he said through Farhad's phone's speaker, Mandar and Nikhil could hear. Raghav couldn't let anyone find out that he had known about the threat to Pallavi, and failed to deal with it. Celli was finally friends with Pallavi again, and Raghav couldn't spoil that. "I mean, the reporters have a video of me arguing with Pallavi at our wedding reception. Find out who is responsible."

"Jī, Anna." Farhad pulled into a gas station to refill the tank while he made some calls. Mandar and Nikhil got out of the car and stretched. Mandar called Pallavi, but she didn't answer. Nikhil called Bābā.

"Bola, Nikhil," Vijay answered. "Gharī poçalāsa kā?" Have you arrived at home?

"Bābā, āmhī azūna vāṭevara āhota." Bābā, we're still on the way. "Raghav-kaḍūna āmhālā kaḷale kī tyācyā āṇi Pallavi Dīcyā lagnānantara tyāñcyāta zhālelyā bhāṇḍaṇāçā dṛśya purāvā kāhī vārtāhārāṃnā miḷālā āhe." We heard from Raghav that some reporters have found video evidence of a quarrel that happened between him and Pallavi Dī after their wedding. "Tumhālā tyā vārtāhārāṃnī gāṭhale tara -" If those reporters accost you -

"Mī nāhī bhīta tyāṃnā!" I'm not afraid of them! Vijay declared. "Dona mahinyāṃpūrvī kāhī vārtāhārāṃnī malā gherale hote." Two months ago, some reporters had surrounded me. "Hiryāñcyā vyāpārātalyā paiśācyā gādīvara loḷaṇāryā Raghav Rao-çe sāsare rastyāvara sāḍyā vikāyalā basatāta hyāçā tamāśā karāvā, asā tyāṃçā hetu hotā." Raghav Rao reclines on a cushion of money from the diamond trade, and his father-in-law sits on the roadside to sell sarees - they planned to make a spectacle of this. "Tyā vyasanī lāzamoḍyāçā sāsarā aśī mājhī oḷakha asāvī, āṇi tyācyā pāpācyā śrīmantīsamora māzhe kaṣṭāçe cāra paise tuccha lekhale zāveta, hyāçe malā kitī duḥkha zhāle, he śabdāta sāṅgatā yeṇāra nāhī." To be known as the father-in-law of that profligate shame-stripper, and to have my hard-earned few coins regarded as worthless before his sinful wealth, how much pain that caused me, I couldn't find words to tell you. "Paraṃtu mī gāḍhavāṃpuḍhe Gītā vāçalī nāhī." However, I didn't read the Gītā to donkeys. "Raghav-cyā paiśācyā varaliyā raṅgā bhulaṇāryā lokāṃsamora to āpalā kuṇīça nāhī ase sāṅgaṇyāne, kiṃvā mājhyā svābhimānācī garjanā karaṇyāne pariṇāma hoṇāra hotā śūnya." In front of people who are fooled by Raghav's veneer of money, saying that he's no relation of ours or giving a roar for my self-esteem would have had zero effect. "Ulaṭa, āpalīça lāza jagabhara zāyacī." Rather, only our shame will go around the world. "Mhaṇūna mī mauna pāḷūna tyā vārtāhārāṃnā kaṇṭāḷūna nighūna zāyalā bhāga pāḍale." That's why I stayed silent and compelled those reporters to get tired and go away. "Zoṃvara Pallavi tyā mārakyā reḍyālā navarā mānata hotī, toṃvara āpaleça dāta āṇi āpaleça oṭha, aśī āpalī paristhiti hotī." As long as Pallavi considered that violent male water buffalo her husband, so long our situation was that the teeth are ours and the lips are also ours. "Ātā tine tyālā soḍāyaçā nirṇaya ghetalā āhe, maga tyāñcyā zunyā bhāṇḍaṇāçā āpalyāśī saṃbandhaça nāhī." Now that she has decided to leave him, their old quarrel is irrelevant to us. "Hattī gelā āṇi śepūṭa rāhile." The elephant has squeezed through and the tail's on its way. "Koṇī vārtāhāra malā bheṭale tara mī tyāṃnā Pallavi ātā Mandar-cī patnī āhe ase sāṅgūna uḍavūna ṭākato, āṇi tulā bheṭale tara tū suddhā taseça kara." If I meet any reporters, I'll tell them that Pallavi is now Mandar's wife, and send them flying, and if you meet them, you too do the same.

While Nikhil was listening to Bābā's speech, Mandar called Krishna. "Mandar Dādā? Where are you?" came Krishna's disturbed voice, with a jumble of voices shouting behind her.

"Krishna, I'm in Hyderabad, almost home. Is Pallavi with you at the shop?"

"Yes, Mandar Dādā. There are reporters here, asking about a video of Dīdī and Raghav Jījū - I mean, Raghav Rao." Krishna was still getting used to yesterday afternoon's news that Pallavi Dīdī and Mandar Dādā had decided to stay married, and Raghav was no longer family.

What could be so newsworthy about the argument on this video? Mandar wondered. "As soon as I drop my baggage at home, I'll come to the shop. Can you take care of each other until then?"

"Yes, Mandar Dādā. Here, Dīdī, please tell him you're all right." Krishna passed her phone to Pallavi, who did not feel all right at all.

"Pallavi, mī tithe yetaça āhe." Pallavi, I'm on my way there. "Yā vārtāhārāṃnā je kāhī sāṃpaḍale asela, tyālā āpaṇa ekatra toṇḍa deū." Whatever these reporters have discovered, we'll face it together. Mandar wondered if his voice sounded like a traitor's.

"Mandar, tumhī mājhī kāḷajī karū nakā." Mandar, don't worry about me. "Mī kuṇāhī vārtāhārāñcyā bhītine āpale dukāna soḍūna zāyacī nāhī." I wouldn't leave our shop out of fear of any reporters. "Paṇa yā tumhī." But do come. "Mī tumacī vāṭa pāhate." I'll wait for you. Pallavi ended the call, but she could not stop trembling as her thoughts raced.

How am I going to tell Mandar that I could go to prison? Twice I've promised him to start our married life; will we be twice separated by accidents? No, a prison sentence is only for intentional offenders; either I'll have to pay a fine, or nobody will even bother to prosecute me, but if anyone who knows the law listens to this video and speaks up, it will embarrass Mandar and our family. Already I looked guilty for remarrying with the man who stained my reputation, who had his own scandal before that. Mandar knew that people will say he took back an unfaithful wife, and still Mandar asked me to return to him, even before I told him that I neither loved Raghav nor gave Raghav a husband's privilege. We can't hide from gossip, but this is worse; this is a crime. I didn't want to remarry, so it never occurred to me that the law required me to tell Raghav about Mandar. When did I have time to think? Nikhil was in jail, Bābā was in the hospital, and Raghav had defeated me. If I had one thought, it was that I must punish Raghav; that would be my reason to go on living. And now, Raghav has beaten me at that; I'm disgraced for his crime against me, just as I was when Raghav bragged to everyone that I was spending nights with him. Raghav has won again; he has ruined my life again!

Pallavi was roused from her thoughts by the repeated sound of a car's horn. It was Madan, scattering the reporters so that he could park the car right in front of Deshmukh Saree Emporium. Raghav waited for Madan to open the door for him, and then got out of the back seat, holding Damayanti. Raghav sprang up the steps and faced the reporters.

"Any video taken by my CCTV system - I hold the copyright!" Raghav warned the crowd. "Anyone who publishes it will be sued for violating my and my wife's right to privacy."

"Can you call her your wife, Raghav Rao?" a woman shouted. "Mrs. Pallavi says her first husband is living! Did you know this truth when you married her?"

"Men who mistreat women don't deserve privacy!" a man pointed out. "Mrs. Pallavi made a public statement at your wedding reception, that you gallantly chose to marry a widow, and this video contradicts your chivalry. Your customers and business partners have a right to know: Raghav Rao, did you tell Mrs. Pallavi to lie?"

"In the video, Pallavi jī says that she lost her family's respect because of you. Now she says that she no longer lives with you. Raghav Rao, what is the truth of your marriage?" Another man joined in.

Raghav wanted to punch every one of the reporters, but Damayanti was squirming on his arm, trying to look behind him, where Pallavi was. He had warned the reporters; now he had to talk to Pallavi before they got another word out of him. Raghav stepped into the shop and pulled down the shutter. Only Pallavi, Krishna, Raghav, and Damayanti were inside the shop.

From outside, they heard a woman's angry cry: "It's women who wear your jewelry, Raghav Rao! You took a woman who had a husband, against her will. You told her you didn't know that she was a widow, and yet you kept the car from the hit-and-run while her living husband was declared dead. Answer our questions, or we will make Pallavi jī's threat come true: the world will look down on you and turn its face away from you!"

"Raghav, you have no right!" Pallavi began, furiously. "Do you even know what your video could do to me?"

"Shut up!" Raghav snapped at her. "I already told you I won't let it happen, so keep your mouth shut until your lawyer gets here." He turned to Krishna. "Sārī kā Assistant, you go into the storeroom, close the door, and let us talk in private!"

Krishna looked at Pallavi. Did Raghav still have the privilege to take charge?

"It's all right, Krishna," Pallavi reassured her. "You can pack the orders that came in online. I'll say what I have to say to Raghav, he'll leave, and then we'll see if we get any customers today." Krishna nodded and went into the storeroom, closing the door.

By then, Raghav was placing a phone call and looking tenderly at Pallavi. He was already sorry that he had spoken harshly when she needed comfort - but she didn't want comfort from him. Pallavi had said that she had nightmares about Raghav restraining her; how could he pull her into a hug after that?

"Dhananjay, I've arrived at the shop, Deshmukh Saree Emporium. When you two get here, knock on the shutter and I'll let you in." Raghav ended the call and turned to Pallavi.

"Raghav, why do you want my lawyer to come here?" Pallavi demanded, trying not to accuse him of leaking the video on purpose to intimidate her. He wouldn't do that anymore, would he? "Do you really know why this video worries me?"

"I already called Subhadra," Raghav replied gently. "She's on her way, and she'll tell us what to do. And yes, I know that to be exonerated of bigamy, you had to tell me you were a widow before our wedding. It's my mistake that you never had time to do that."

Pallavi heard Raghav's tone, but she was still suspicious of his intentions. "Subhadra told me that whatever we discussed was confidential. Then how do you know all of this?"

"I know because I talked to my own lawyer, Dhananjay. He's on his way too," Raghav said. "Pallavi, I promise, I will go to prison myself, if I have to, before I let you be convicted of any stupid crime that you would never imagine."

Pallavi remembered what Raghav had said a moment ago. "But when did you tell me, you won't let it happen?"

"The day before yesterday, when I came here to introduce Damayanti to you."

Pallavi thought back to that afternoon. Raghav had said, "I know what's on your mind, and believe me, I won't let it happen."

"Raghav, when you said it, what was on my mind was that I had to tell you I accepted Mandar's proposal. I thought you were saying that you wouldn't let me go back to him."

Raghav smiled in spite of himself. What had happened to the Raghav Rao who would have forced Pallavi to stay with him and driven Mandar out of Hyderabad? "Come on, Pallavi! What about yesterday morning, on the terrace? I promised you that I would never accuse you of taking advantage of me. I meant that you never hid the truth that you were a widow. What did you think I meant?"

Pallavi recalled the rest of what Raghav had said. "The misunderstanding was all in my imagination. Only you and I and Farhad know what was said between us that night at the house where we got married, and none of us will tell."

"You meant the night of our wedding reception? I thought you were talking about the night I moved out, when you padlocked the house where we got married. That night, you said that if I lived there, I could claim it in a settlement, and you would lose the house with your memories. That was a misunderstanding in your imagination, and only Farhad was with us when you said that to me."

"No, Pallavi!" Raghav raised his voice, exasperated with himself. He must have said those distrustful, cynical words to Pallavi, and they must have hurt her, but he didn't remember because he had been drunk when he said them. Why hadn't he just told Pallavi to find a hotel, and kept his insecurities to himself? Amma was right; being drunk brought out his pain in hurtful words and actions that he could never take back. "I meant, I imagined that you were your Āī-Bābā's daughter, and so I misunderstood what your Bindī Vālā Aunty and Dādā-Vahinī said about you."

"All right, Raghav, you gave me hints that I didn't catch. But I still don't understand one thing. You just said that the reporters got the video from your CCTV system. But yesterday morning, you told me that only you and I and Farhad knew what was said between us, and none of us would tell. Did you forget that there was CCTV system footage?" Pallavi questioned.

Raghav felt even more exasperated with himself. Why had he lied to Pallavi? He had known that Kirti was blackmailing him with this recording. Perhaps his desperation to believe that he could get through to Kirti and destroy the recording had come out of his mouth in a lie. He couldn't tell Pallavi about that, nor could he pretend that he hadn't known the risk to Pallavi from the CCTV system footage.

Pallavi saw Raghav's hesitation, and asked, "So, you called our lawyers on your way over here; that means you knew that there would be reporters asking me about this video?"

"Yes, some reporters came for me at home, but I ignored them; I got right into the car with Madan and came to you."

"Well, you must have waited long enough for them to show you the video!" Pallavi remarked, and Raghav shook his head. "No, Raghav? If you didn't watch the video at home, and I know no one showed it to you here, why did you claim copyright of it? How do you know it's from your CCTV, and not recorded by one of the guests at the wedding reception?"

Again, Raghav couldn't answer; he couldn't tell Pallavi that his order to Farhad to edit the footage had provoked Kirti to preserve the recording. Fortunately, at that moment, there was a knock on the shutter.

"Mr. Raghav, I am Dhananjay, with Subhadra." Raghav quickly opened the shutter and let them in.

"You took long enough!" Raghav snapped. "I don't pay you lovebirds to stop for street food!"

Pallavi shot him an annoyed look. "Subhadra jī, how can I protect myself from this recording?" she asked.

"I already claimed copyright, and threatened to sue for violation of privacy, just as you advised," Raghav added.

"Good," Subhadra said, "but it's still unavoidable that the video or its transcript will be published somewhere, thousands of people will see it, and some of those people will know the law."

"I have an idea," Raghav jumped in. "I'll tell the reporters that I didn't mean whatever I said in the video. I'll say, I got mad because Pallavi wore the white saree, and I pretended that her widowhood had slipped my mind. I was being insensitive, sarcastic, but I always knew that I had married a widow."

"I don't want you to lie for me, Raghav!" Pallavi exclaimed. "It's just as wrong as when you took the blame for the hit-and-run to protect Kirti. Whatever I do to get out of trouble has to be truthful."

Picci Ammāyi, Raghav thought, if I had been truthful when Vedant had you arrested for that explosive car, you would be preaching your jñāna from jail right now!

"It won't work, Mr. Raghav," Dhananjay said calmly. "The letter of the law is that Mrs. Pallavi herself had to tell you that she was a widow, no matter who else told you first, and she had to tell you before marrying you. Any judge who hears her telling you after your wedding in this video will believe that she didn't tell you before."

"Also, in the video, Raghav asked Farhad if he knew that I was a widow," Pallavi added.

"All right, Sārī kā Dukāna," Raghav snapped, "if you don't like my idea, what's yours? Why did you feel the need to tell the reporters that Mandar is living and you don't live with me anymore? Now they'll focus on your so-called bigamy, instead of sympathy for you as my victim."

"I had no choice," Pallavi shot back. "If I hadn't told the reporters myself just now, they would find out somewhere else and report that I tried to hide the truth! And speaking of the truth, you didn't answer my question. Why were you sure that this video came from your CCTV system?"

"Excuse me, Pallavi jī," Subhadra interposed. "Allow me to explain the law before you discuss anything else. Any charge of bigamy would be given to a prosecutor by a judge, and a judge would only take action based on a matter before the court, such as your marriage to Mr. Mandar Deshmukh being deemed valid upon expunction of his death certificate. Mr. Mandar Deshmukh's application to invalidate his death certificate is still waiting for the Records Committee at Alanka Institute of Medical Sciences, after which it will have to go through the city health office to reach the court. If by that time we have petitioned the court to annul your marriage to Mr. Raghav Rao, it is unlikely that the judge will opt for prosecution."

Listening to Subhadra, Raghav realized that his order to Farhad this morning, to lean on that hospital, meant that Pallavi could run out of time sooner than Subhadra expected.

Subhadra continued, "Whenever you are ready to petition the court for an annulment, let me know. Now, please excuse us; we'll get rid of these reporters and leave you two alone to talk."

When Subhadra and Dhananjay had stepped outside, Raghav said to Pallavi, "I tried to destroy the CCTV footage, Pallavi. It got out anyway. Farhad will find out who is responsible, and I'll punish whoever it is. You don't worry about that."

The thought of Raghav punishing someone didn't comfort Pallavi. The thoughts that had agitated her since yesterday came to her tongue. "You are why I have to worry, Raghav! Everything that you do is suspicious. You hugged Mandar to give him the idea that you got close to me, just to make him uncomfortable with me. Why should that surprise me? You've lied about my character before! Last night, you told Dādā and Vahinī that you will always think of me as your wife, and I should ask you for anything. My asking you for favours was my mistake that allowed you to convince Bābā that I was bad. Shouldn't I suspect that you want me to repeat that mistake and appear unfaithful to Mandar? Now you show up to reassure and protect me, but this video came from your CCTV and you've been hinting about how bad it looks for me! How can I be sure you didn't create this problem on purpose?"

Raghav's fists were itching to punch something. It hurt him to hear distrust and cynicism in that voice he loved. He hadn't done anything wrong! Why was Pallavi being so unreasonable?

"She's terrified," he heard Luṅgīvālā Raghav say. And there he was, perched on a step-ladder next to the shelves of sarees, rubbing his fingers between Damayanti's ears with a sad and serious expression on his face. "She could finally be happy, but she thinks you'll ruin it for her. Again. You can't reason with her, but you can reassure her, if you're honest with her."

"Yes, I'm desperate to stay in your life," Raghav began. "I will listen to anybody who can tell me what you need: your Dādā-Vahinī who only pretended to like me, or your Sanakī Bābā who thinks I breathe to embarrass him, or even your hero Mandar who will talk to Farhad but not to me. I know I can't have you, but I won't let anyone hurt you."

"Excuse me, Mr. Raghav, Mrs. Pallavi." Dhananjay was standing at the foot of the steps in front of the shop. "The reporters have dispersed. Now we'll take your leave."

Raghav nodded, and Pallavi watched as Dhananjay put his arm around Subhadra and held open the door to the driver's seat for her.

"They're married to each other, aren't they?" Pallavi guessed. "You chose Subhadra to be my lawyer because Dhananjay will tell you everything that she does for me. Your lawyer is 'lovebirds,' as you put it, with the person I'm trusting to end my marriage to you."

Luṅgīvālā Raghav grimaced, then hid his face in his hands. Damayanti came to Pallavi and rubbed against her legs.

Raghav considered denying that he did it on purpose, but Pallavi knew his ways, so he only said, "Subhadra is an excellent lawyer and she won't give you any reason to complain. But it's your expense account, so you can pay whichever lawyer you choose."

Pallavi knew that Raghav was right. Without a word to Raghav, she marched to the storeroom door and opened it. "Krishna, Raghav and I are finished talking, and the reporters are gone. Customers will start to come in. Mandar and Nikhil will be here soon, but I need you in front until then."

Krishna came out of the storeroom and began to work at the front of the shop. Pallavi was about to follow, but Raghav came in front of her.

"Please, Pallavi, believe that I didn't give anyone the video," Raghav said. "You're not wrong to feel suspicious of me, but I've changed. I didn't try to give Mandar the wrong idea about us. I love you and I would never turn anyone against you."

"Raghav, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings." Pallavi hoped that he would leave it at that.

"I can't erase anything that I did to you in the past," Raghav persisted, "and I'll probably do something stupid the next time I'm angry, but if you believe that you were right to forgive me, if you believe that I love you, tell me that I wouldn't defame you again. If you say it, we'll both know it's true."

Pallavi wanted to believe him, but the words didn't come. She had no doubt that he loved her and he would sacrifice himself to protect her, but he was still Raghav, who had deceived her so many times.

Damayanti rolled on her back, stretching out all four legs to expose her belly, and Luṅgīvālā Raghav translated as he rubbed her chin, "Damayanti says, her Amma has worries pulling her in all directions; she's vulnerable, and you need to show her that you know how that feels, if you want to be friends again."

Raghav sighed. "You're worried about what people will say about you after seeing this video. When I'm feeling threatened, I whack my workout tire with a mallet, or hit my punching bag, or take it out on Gorilla. If it makes you feel better, you can slap me in the marketplace again! That will give the reporters a new story, and they'll forget about the video."

Pallavi remembered how she had met Raghav for the second time, the day after he had rear-ended her scootie and set fire to her textiles. "Raghav, I saw the bruises and cuts on that boy's face, and I thought he was pointing at you to tell me that you had hit him. But you love children. I know that now. I found you beating that old man, but you would never hit a child. Can you tell me what happened that day?"

Raghav obliged. "Gorilla reported that he had located the old man who was stalking Kirti. So, I went to the marketplace, where I found that old man. He was in line at a vendor stall behind the boy, and just as the boy got to the front, the old man shoved him aside and took his place. The boy got a cut on his forehead and bruises on his face. That's when I started to beat up the old man, until you came to help him and slapped me. If I had caught you right after that, I don't know what I would have done to you to prove that no one stops Raghav Rao. But Amma got in my way. She liked your bravery that day, but she didn't yet think I deserved a wife like you to keep me in line."

"So, we were on the same side that day, you and I, but I didn't know," Pallavi mused. "We both wanted to defend that boy. The difference was that you took vengeance for him -"

"While you comforted him," Raghav finished. "I couldn't have done what you did, because I didn't have you in my life yet. All I had was anger. Seeing that boy treated like a nobody, just because he was young and poor - it reminded me of how Kirti's and Arjun's classmates picked on them when I was growing up."

Pallavi remembered what Raghav had told her about growing up poor. He had learned to fight back against bullies, but the anger had stayed with him.

"Now I know how it feels to have taken vengeance on an innocent person," Raghav was saying. "And you know now that I could never hit a child, just as I could never hit Kirti. Then why don't you believe that you've changed me? I wouldn't defame you again."

"I believe you, Raghav."

Raghav heard a sigh of satisfaction. He looked at Luṅgīvālā Raghav, who gave him a thumbs up sign. "You got through to her, Raghav Rao. Now it's the right time to tell Pallavi the embarrassing secret that you've never been able to tell anyone. Tell her the truth that was waiting for her to say she loves you too. Tell her, even if it justifies her choice to leave you. Tell her just because no one but Pallavi will ever have as much right to know."