Chapter 48

48.

After Mansi’s and Rahul’s ceremony was complete, the pandit took a short break to redo the arrangements, and everyone else started showering their congratulations to the newly wedded couple. As Mansi hugged Pallavi, Raghav couldn’t help but notice a tinge of annoyance on Mansi’s face. Then when Raghav came to congratulate Rahul and Mansi, Mansi avoided his hug, but not gracefully enough so that almost everyone in the room noticed. She tried to make up for it by hugging Raghav again, and this time Raghav was ready.

“I can tell that instead of enjoying your wedding, or thinking about the joyous life ahead with your new husband, you’re more interested in venting out some childish anger at me and Pallavi. Well let me enlighten you on a little fact: while my Amma loves Pallavi like a daughter, your new precious Saasuma only agreed to let this wedding happen after I offered her a small coupon to Jayathi Jewels. So while everyone in this room knows that Pallavi’s worth is incalculable, because of everything she has done for this family, your new family can be bought with a silly IOU. I’m only telling you all this to remind you that Pallavi loves you, and hurting her again is not a mistake you want to make.”

Raghav broke off the hug and loudly congratulated Rahul and Mansi again, Mansi like most of the Deshmukh family looked shellshocked.

Now it was time for the real primetime event, at least in the eyes of Keerthi, Amma, Farhad, and so many others that had come here mainly to see who was Raghav Rao’s new wife. Raghav had invited almost anyone who had shopped at his store in the past few years, not because he wanted to show off his new wife, he knew better than to treat her like some trophy. But because he thought that all these women might eventually link Pallavi with her sari showroom. It was a stunt that was so self-interested, just the kind of tactic that Pallavi disapproved of, but Raghav didn’t care. He wanted to do anything and everything to make his wife happy.

Pallavi noticed these guests almost immediately as she walked down the stairs. Raghav had clearly called some of the richest and most influential Hyderabaadi families to this wedding, and she thought it was probably some business decision on his part. But then as she walked to the mandap, she realized that Raghav had paid little attention to these guests when he was congratulating Mansi or Rahul, nor had he been in a hurry to meet them when he was upstairs with her. As they sat down next to each other, Raghav apologized.

“What are you apologizing for this time?” Pallavi retorted quietly

“For humiliating Sulochana and Asha, and almost…your Baba.” Raghav looked down guiltily, “But I couldn’t let them insult the memory of this sari…or the beautiful woman wearing it.”

Pallavi smiled a little, “I’ve already forgive you for that, but what about all these guests here that are clearly not your family members or close friends. Were you planning to leave me alone on our suhag raath to conduct business?”

Raghav’s heart leaped at her words. Was she thinking about tonight too? Should he continue with his surprise for tonight or did her mentioning it indicate that she was more nervous than excited?

“No, they’re not here for me, but your right, in my haste to make this night perfect for you, I invited these families here to maybe drop the name of my beautiful wife’s sari showroom to them.” Raghav responded, worried that she might show her anger to everyone.

Taken aback, Pallavi wasn’t able to form words quickly.

“I— you—, you didn’t need to do that, that’s” Pallavi tried to figure out what she was feeling.

“I’m sorry, I know you don’t like business shortcuts, but I’ve been watching you these past weeks and all the work you’re doing to take your store national, and I just…I just wanted to lighten your load.”

“I’m not mad, I’m overwhelmed, Raghav…thank you.” And like the bold and daring daughter-in-law she was now, she looked straight into her husband’s eyes and smiled.

As the pandit began his mantras for a second time, and the smoke from the puja fire seemed to envelop the whole room, all Raghav could think about was how Pallavi wasn’t angry at him. She had understood his attempt to help. She had barely even cared about the scene he made with Sulochana and Baba. Who was this woman, and god-willing he never made the stupid mistake of ever making her cry, because if he did, he would never forgive himself.

Pallavi’s mind was rushing with thoughts too, this morning as she was getting ready she was worried that getting married in Deshmukh house would bring back sad memories of Mandaar. But somehow, she had managed to keep him out of her mind all day, and even now all she could think about was the handsome, if sometimes frustrating, man sitting beside her. This man, despite after what seemed like godly intervention to bring them apart, had decided to marry her. Of his own free will. He loved her, but as the pandit told her to place her hand in Raghav’s for a rasam before they stood for their seven turns around the fire, Pallavi knew that she would have stayed in this marriage even if he didn’t love her. He made her feel safe. He supported her, he understood her ambition, her pain, her everything, and he understood all this before he loved her.

Raghav and Pallavi prayed for the same thing as they walked around the fire. They both prayed to Bappa, to Shiv, to Parvati, to any deity that was listening, that they be given the strength to keep their love with them forever, well after the next seven lifetimes. They prayed for the ability to always support, love, and treasure their spouse. They prayed that nothing would ever come in between them.

Continued...