Chapter 35

**Chapter 35: Mr. and Mrs. Rao**

When they got in the car, Pallavi’s nervousness had dissipated, “Raghav,” she started, “did you say something to Vikram while I was in the washroom? He looked a little odd when I came back.”

“Maybe he always looks that odd, and you’re just now realizing.” Raghav said, smiling.

“Raghav. Seriously, what did you do?” Pallavi was a little frustrated now, Raghav’s jealousy was a little cute, but she knew him well enough to know that his anger was not cute at all.

“I didn’t do anything. I just told him the truth.” Raghav looked at Pallavi who didn’t seem to believe him, “I’m not lying, I kept my jealousy at home…maybe I got a little angry, but I swear I didn’t get violent.”

“Why are you being so insecure? What kind of ‘don’ are you if you’re going to get jealous—“ Pallavi started

Raghav could tell this would be a long lecture, so he cut her off, “Saree ka Dukaan, before you give me a long lecture, if you promise not to talk about that…Vikram…anymore. I will go on my hands and knees and beg him for forgiveness tomorrow.”

“You’re definitely not going to do that, are you?” Pallavi smiled.

“No, but if he tries to tell me about how to be a good husband, I’ll make sure to actually get violent.” Raghav smiled at Pallavi’s glare and pulled alongside the restaurant.

He tossed the keys to the valet and opened Pallavi’s door.

“Raghav Rao, Hyderabad ka Don, opening the door for his wife, never thought I’d see the day.” Pallavi smiled.

Raghav laughed, and took her hand, “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

When they sat down at the table, there was an awkward silence, Raghav had no idea what to say now. He had gotten her here, he knew he loved her, she loved him, but now what?

Pallavi broke the silence, “Technically, this is my first ever date, so tum hi bolo, dates mein log kya kya karthe hain?”

Raghav calmed down, and smiled noticing Pallavi’s nervousness behind her casual question, “Well, khana kaa the hain, baat karthe hain, phir decide karthe hain ki yeh insaan accha hai ya bhura.”

Pallavi laughed, “Is that so, well mujhe maheene se bata hai ki tum bhura ho—“ she noticed his frown, “tum bhura ho, bahar se. Lekin andar se, tum ek dum naram ho. Duniya ki pehle Don, who will do anything for his mother, even marry his worst enemy.”

Raghav laughed, “I know that the world’s couples probably started their relationships as friends, lekin, hum bahut accha dushmanon the.”

Pallavi replied, “Remember when you decided to forget how to eat and choke on your biriyani? Us din mujhe laga, agar yeh mar jaugea, toh main kisse lad sakthi hun?”

Raghav laughed and moved his chair closer to her at the small table, “When we got married we didn’t make vows, did we? Teek hai, main ek vajan de tha hun. Main, apne pyaari se dushman ka saath kabhi nahin chodunga. Lekin main usko pareshaan karna bhi nahin chodunga.”

Pallavi smiled and put her hand on his, “Main, apne cute aur ek dum naram dushman koh kabhi biryani khana vaqt usse marne nahin dunga.”

They talked for over two hours, reminiscing about their past meetings, misunderstandings, and hilarious one-liners and lectures. They realized that the first time they talked wasn’t that night when Raghav had burned Pallavi’s sarees, but on the phone, when he thought she was Rupal, and she had thought he was a plumber. Raghav told her about his work as Mr. Ramaswamy, and Pallavi finally realized why they had become enemies in the first place.

“Main woh Anjali koh chodungi nahin, she ruined MY food, with sleeping pills?” Pallavi was furious.

“I may have passed out after eating it, but it was still good.” Raghav laughed.

Three hours later, the waiter finally came with their check, and Raghav and Pallavi realized they had been sitting here for three hours, all of the people who had come for lunch had gone, and the waiter clearly wanted to get them out of here.

When they walked out of the restaurant, Raghav said, “Let’s not go home just yet, I’m enjoying this, let’s walk around a bit, there’s a park nearby.”

Pallavi raised an eyebrow when Raghav motioned her to take his arm and walk with him, “So you’ve finally decided that I’m not a ‘Bashaan ke Dukaan?’”

Raghav pulled her close and they started walking to the park, “No, your moral science lectures are still very bad, lekin ab mujhe teri bashaan se aadat pad gaya.”

As they walked through the park, Pallavi realized this was the most that Raghav and her had ever talked without arguing (well actually arguing), and more importantly, it was so easy to talk to him. She enjoyed opening up to him, about her past, about her hopes, about anything.

Much to Raghav’s surprise, he was sharing more with Pallavi than he had ever shared with anyone, even Farhad. He talked about his past, his parents, his brother who passed away, what he wanted from the future, everything. It was so easy, so comfortable, Raghav felt like he could walk with Pallavi like this forever.

When they made it to the other end of the park, Pallavi noticed a sweet shop she used to go to to get laddus and other goodies for the Deshmukhs when she had had a good day at the shop. “Raghav, I’m in the mood for a laddu, maybe some jalebis?”

Pallavi took his arm and dragged him across the street to the shop, “We’ll bring some home for Amma and Keerthi.”

“Teek hai, Saree ka Dukaan, calm down.” Raghav’s phone rang, “Tum andhar jao aur order karo, let me just answer this and come in.”

Pallavi walked in the store, leaving Raghav outside, she reached the counter when she heard a familiar voice.

“I didn’t know that rich women’s trophy wives came to sweet shops on their own. What happened, Pallavi, all your servants too busy? Or does Raghav make you do all the work in exchange for keeping you in his house?” Pallavi turned to see Sulochana Kaku and Mansi. Kaku had a smirk on her face, and Mansi was avoiding her eyes with a disgusted look on her own face.

Pallavi ignored Kaku’s insult, “Kaku, Mansi, aap dono kaise ho? How’s everything at home? How’s Aai, Baba, Kaka—“ Pallavi’s earnest questions were just that, after everything that had happened the last couple days, she wanted nothing else than to sit with Aai and Mansi and talk about everything, how she was feeling. She had loved sharing the high points of her life with them, because it made her feel like these moments were real, and not a dream.

Mansi interrupted her, “Everyone is fine, without you. In fact, why do you even care? Now that you’re rich and influential, why are you suddenly remembering us?”
Pallavi shook her head and tried to explain, “Mansi, aisa nahin hai. You know why I had to leave, but now, now everything is—“

Sulochana laughed, “Of course, now everything is fine, now that your ominous face has left. What? Did you think by refusing to work with Vijay Dada and Nikhil until he forgave you would have an effect? I know why you really refused to work in the shop, you finally have the money and the power you want, so why let that go? You’ve never worked a day in your life, you and that husband of yours should—“

“Raghav Rao, my name is Raghav Rao.” Raghav strode into the store, and stood next to Pallavi to face Sulochana and Mansi, “Aur, yeh hai, meri patnti, Mrs. Pallavi Raghav Rao. Next time you open your mouth in front of her, make sure it’s with respect. Ardhamaindha.”

“Raghav, leave it, I was just—“ Pallavi pleaded quietly.

“Haan, Haan, kyun nahin. Maaf kardo, Mrs. Rao, I didn’t realize you had brought your gangster husband with you to defend you—“

“Aye, Bindi Wala Aunty, main, apni patina ke spath, bahaar aya hun, tera shakal dekhne nahin. And you were just talking about hard work right, well you’re lucky that Pallavi is too kind to say anything to your face, but she works harder in one minute than you have your whole life. Mujhe usko defend karna ka zaroorat nahin hai, because she defends herself with her work and her dedication. So next time, agar tum ko kuch accha nahi bola, tho apna muh band rak.”

Raghav took Pallavi’s hand and turned to the counter to order with her, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. His anger, when she wasn’t on the receiving end, wasn’t that bad, she thought. It was nice to be defended, even if she didn’t really need it.

“Raghav Rao, mujhse aisa baat math kar, varna main tera haal aisa kardunga. You won’t be able to show your face in Hyderabad, just like your mother and sister.” Kaku spit out, immediately realizing she had said too much.

Raghav spun around, his fists clenched, Pallavi made her way in between him and Kaku, “Raghav, calm down, Raghav—“

“Bindi Wala Aunty, phir se kaho, what did you mean ‘like my mother and sister?’” Raghav’s voice was level headed, feeling Pallavi’s hands on his chest.

The color drained from Sulochana’s face, “Kuch nahin, Mansi, chill.”

When they left, Pallavi forgot she was in a public place and put her hand on Raghav’s face, their eyes met, “Tumhare andhar itna gussa? Kyun Raghav?”

Raghav took her hand from his cheek and held it tight, he smiled “If anyone makes the mistake of insulting my family, especially my wife, main chup chap sunna nahi wala. Ardhamaindha?”

They ordered as many sweets as they could carry and walked back to the car, laughing and eating laddus.

Raghav calmed down, focusing on Pallavi, and how incandescently happy she looked while eating sweets, how her laugh seemed to bring out the light in her eyes. But, in the back of his mind, he was thinking about that Bindi Wala Aunty, Sulochana clearly meant something by bringing up his mother and Keerthi. What if? He looked at Pallavi, what if he had been wrong about who had set up Keerthi and Amma? He had realized a few days after the wedding that Amma was probably right, and it wasn’t Pallavi, so he had assumed it was some photographer or other random person who had made their way into Deshmukh house. When he had realized he couldn’t live with Pallavi, he decided that even if she had done even half of the horrible things he thought she had done, he had to forgive her considering what he had done to her first. But if she was truly innocent, it was only right that he explain himself and ask for real forgiveness from her, damn the consequences.

“Pallavi..” Raghav started.

Pallavi turned to him, “Kya?”

“Sorry.”

“Sorry kyun bol raha hai?”

Then Raghav told her the whole story, ready for her anger, hoping that he could convince her to forgive him.