Chapter 33

33.

He dropped Pallavi back to the showroom, unluckily Rahul was still there. He tried to keep thoughts of him out of his head as he drove home.

When he got home, he sprinted to Amma’s room, “Amma, I need your help.”

The two of them drove to Asha Aunty’s house, after somehow convincing her to meet with them.

She let them inside her house, her face terse.

“Aunty ji, before you say anything, just listen to me,” Raghav started, he took a deep breath, “You know me, well what you know of me is that I’m a jerk, main khadoos hun, main badtameez hun, I’m arrogant, selfish at times, in fact, most people say I’m no better than your average street gunda.”

“Raghav beta, point par aa jao.” Amma said.

“Right, I’m horrible, but look at my mother, she’s an angel. Sometimes kids just turn out to be jerks, Aunty ji. This is true of Mansi and Amruta. Not that Mansi is a jerk, it’s just proof that even if you have the worst or the best parents, you don’t always turn out like them. Amruta may be like that Bindi Waali Aunty— I mean Sulochana Kaku, but Mansi is not like that. You know Mansi, your son knows Mansi. Everyone knows that Mansi is nice, helpful, and doesn’t have a cruel bone in her body…so just, agree to their wedding already.”

Asha Aunty did not agree, well not at first, but then somehow (after Raghav quietly passed her an informal IOU chit for Jayathi Jewels in the amount of 50,000 rupees), she agreed. Sure Raghav had to make a crooked deal, but who could it possibly hurt? It’s not like Asha Aunty is going to tell anyone she spent 50,000 less on a piece of jewelry than she really did, at least not before her son’s wedding, Raghav thought, smiling on his way back home with Amma. Amma knew for sure Raghav had pulled some game, but this time, she was happy to see Raghav doing something for someone else.”

As soon as he got home, he called Mansi.

“Hello? Raghav, Tum kyun phone kar rahe ho? Didi teek hain na?”

“Yes, yes she’s fine. This is about something else. Now tell me, how much do you still want to marry Asha Aunty’ son, Rahul?” Raghav thanked god somehow the image of the other Rahul touching Pallavi’s hair was out of his mind at this point.

“Why, what did you do?”

“Rahul, say hello. Asha Aunty, you too.”

The rest of the call was mostly inaudible due to Mansi’s happy screams, and then he heard Sharda aunty’s happy screams, and then Milind’s very effeminate (but it’s ok, it’s 2021) happy screams. Nikhil’s cheers. Luckily Saanki Baap wasn’t home, and it sounded like no one shared happy news with Kaku anymore, probably to avoid her from ruining it.

“Now comes the part where I ask for my cut.”

“Uh-oh, what do you want now,” basically everyone listening in on the call asks now (Mansi, Rahul, Asha Aunty, Sharda, Milind, Nikhil.)

I want to surprise Pallavi.

“But yeh meri shaadi hai.” Mansi said.

“And mine,” said Rahul.

Raghav, exasperated, “calm down, it’s your wedding.”

Continued (ok there are going to be a few very happy happy happy chapters before there's any sad stuff, i'm bad at writing sad stuff, i'm writing this because the actual tv show is too sad and too full of MUs)