Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Amma says there's a story on Raghav Rao coming up on Q Report TV," Krishna announced, and Anuradha ended their phone call, satisfied that her daughter had delivered her message to its target. "Dīdī, I know you have had a rough morning. What do you want to do?"

Nikhil looked at Pallavi, who caught Mandar's hand and nodded, so Nikhil immediately began to stream the tabloid news channel on his phone.

"Welcome back to Q Report TV, where we empower women to call shame on the men who mistreat them! Raghav Rao, owner of Jayati Jewels, still gets shoutouts on social media from the hottest models and actresses. A few months ago, he surprised us all by marrying Pallavi Deshmukh, who runs a small saree shop in Malak Peth. Q Report TV took you into their wedding reception, where Pallavi praised Raghav as a gallant man who met her family and proposed to her, a widow. It was praise that he did not deserve. Privately, here's what Pallavi was saying to Raghav that evening."

A clip from the CCTV video played: Pallavi called herself a widow, Raghav repeated, "Vidhavā?" and asked what she was saying, and Pallavi explained, "Deshmukh parivāra kī vidhavā bahū." After the clip, the reporter resumed.

"Astonishing, isn't it? The savvy business tycoon and connoisseur of imported diamonds, Raghav Rao, got married without knowing what he was getting!" A video of Sulochana speaking animatedly to reporters played without sound, as the reporter narrated, "Pallavi had a hard life as a widow, enduring taunts and abuses because her first husband had met with an accident on the wedding night. Hardly two weeks ago, Q Report TV brought you news that Raghav confessed to killing his wife's first husband, Mandar Deshmukh, in a hit-and-run, but Raghav was quickly released from jail. How could Raghav not know the tragedy of Pallavi's past, and also own the car from the accident?"

The reporter paused for dramatic effect. "Arrogance, my friends. Pursuing his lust, Raghav didn't think it was important to know Pallavi's heart. It never occurred to him that a woman has feelings, scars, and grief of her own. For Raghav Rao, a wife was mere property to be acquired and repurposed, just the way he bought Pallavi's shop space from her landlord and threatened to evict her if she resisted him. Raghav even has a disparaging name for Pallavi."

Two more clips played from the start and finish of the CCTV video: Raghav said, "Yaha kyā mazāka hai, Sārī kā Dukāna?" and "Yaha Sārī kā Dukāna Amma ko hamārā śādī kā saccāī nā batā de!" and then the reporter returned with a solemn expression.

"Utterly dehumanizing, isn't it? Regular viewers of Q Report TV know that Raghav's seduction of another young woman was exposed four months ago. So you know that he has no respect for women. What didn't he want his mother to find out? The truth of Raghav's marriage was that he told lies to stain Pallavi's reputation. He made her an outcast so that no one could protect her from him. We spoke to a friend of Pallavi's in-laws, who was present at the party where Raghav tossed money at Pallavi and pretended that it was for nightly visits."

"No, Amma!" Krishna moaned, as Anuradha's face appeared on the screen, soundlessly narrating the sordid story, while the reporter spoke in a voiceover: "Raghav Rao showed the photographs from his sex scandal to everyone, and falsely identified Pallavi as the woman whom he had seduced. Then the man whom Raghav mistook for Pallavi's father - her father-in-law - banished her from his house."

The reporter looked confidently at her audience, and said, "False accusations against her moral character forced Pallavi to marry Raghav against her will. But never underestimate a determined and principled woman. At their wedding reception, Pallavi declared to Raghav that he must accept her identity as another man's widow, and said this to him." Another clip from the CCTV video played: Pallavi told Raghav that he had brought her down in her family's eyes, and she would do the same to him; the day was not far off when she would make the world turn away from him.

"Today is that day, friends. Today, Raghav Rao's shame is out for the whole world to see. And there is a happy ending to Pallavi's story. Mandar Deshmukh was discovered alive."

A couple of clips played of Mandar, saying, "Until Pallavi found me three days ago, I didn't know my name. I lost my memories in the accident. I was in Vikarabad the whole time. I wanted to find Pallavi, but I didn't know where. ... Raghav Rao is a gūṇḍa who harassed my wife relentlessly."

The reporter resumed, ominously, "My friends, I'm sure you're asking the same questions that I have. Did Raghav marry Pallavi, knowing that Mandar was alive? Or, was Pallavi's supposed widowhood a surprise for Raghav after their wedding?"

Next, a few clips played of Sharada, saying, "Pallavi did not want to remarry, and Raghav forced her. ... She wanted Raghav to understand what a despicable thing he had done. ... The injustices that life brought upon Pallavi are being cleared away at last. Pallavi and Mandar have a chance to be happy."

Then the reporter concluded with a self-satisfied expression: "Like Sāvitrī, whose devotion to Satyavān brought him back from death, Pallavi's devotion to her real husband brought him back to her and their family. And Raghav Rao may be sleeping alone tonight."

As if in response to that last line, they all heard a growl. It came from Damayanti, carried by Farhad as he followed Raghav, who sprang into the shop and threw Jagadish at Pallavi's feet. Madan came in next, holding a young man by the elbow.

"Pallavi, do you remember this lowlife?" Raghav roared.

"Jagadish Anna!" Mandar exclaimed, helping the man to stand up. "And you're his son, aren't you?" he asked the young man, who nodded, hanging his head.

"Mandar Deshmukh," Jagadish drawled, opening his eyes wide. "Disappeared tenant. Didn't clean out. Left no forwarding address."

"Dādā was in an accident!" Nikhil protested. "We thought he had died! We Deshmukhs don't run from our responsibilities."

"Khaccitaṅgā!" Absolutely! Jagadish replied sarcastically, raising his eyebrows for emphasis. "Your Dādā, Mandar Deshmukh, only paid rent until he disappeared. Your Bābā, Vijay Deshmukh, lost interest in his own business. Your Vahinī, Pallavi Deshmukh, could find money for everything except paying rent on time. Deadbeats! And you, Nikhil Deshmukh, came to my furniture shop, pretending to look for a keḷavaṇa gift for your Manasi Tāī. You hid behind a curtain and made a video of me repairing a table and saying that I would sell it as new. Blackmailer!"

"Enough!" Raghav snapped. "No one else is on trial here. Only you are, and Raghav Rao is your judge. Confess what you did!"

Playing with his earlobe between thumb and forefinger, Jagadish took his time with the story. "Raghav Rao, the man with bloodstains on his face. Scary! When he wanted to buy the shop, he slapped money on the table. Impatient! When he wanted answers about his Celli's dirty photos, he fired his gun next to my son's ear. Irresponsible!"

Raghav raised his fist as if to backhand Jagadish, who shrugged, and said, "Raghav Rao, widow-chaser! He made the video. I only took it to the news agency."

"Why, Jagadish Anna?" Pallavi asked. "What good was this scandal for you?"

"No good!" Jagadish waved the palm of his hand at the idea. "Pallavi Deshmukh wastes her time doing good. I settle accounts. Raghav Rao sent police to my house to question my son. Embarrassing! I sent reporters to Raghav Rao's house to question him. Idi pratikāram." It's payback.

Pallavi shook her head. "But where did you find CCTV footage from Raghav's house? Who gave it to you?"

Jagadish stood impassively, looking at Raghav, who was glaring at him. Mandar realized that Jagadish wasn't afraid of infuriating Raghav with his silence. Rather, Jagadish was aware that Raghav already had the answer, and Raghav didn't want anyone else to know.

"It must have been one of the servants," Raghav bluffed. "Farhad will sort it out. Anyway, this is the last time any of you will see Jagadish. He has to leave Hyderabad urgently."

Jagadish scowled, but said nothing. Pallavi looked at Mandar, and he understood what she was thinking.

"Nīku vinikiḍi lopaṃ undā?" Do you have hearing loss? Mandar asked the young man, who shook his head.

Raghav sighed. Once again, in his fury he had done something to frighten Pallavi, and Mandar was her sensitive hero. At least Pallavi wasn't looking at him differently. She didn't know his secret. Mandar had kept his word.

"Raghav, why don't we end the feud?" Pallavi said. "I mean, Jagadish Anna has reasons to be angry at both of us, and he got his revenge. I don't want to banish him from his home."

Raghav looked away from Pallavi, so that she wouldn't see his face lighting up. She was telling him what to do! No, he thought, I'm not that pathetic. It's mockery in my smile, for Pallavi's habit of forgiving everybody. And how dare Pallavi try to turn me soft! I rule all of Hyderabad, and there's no room for my enemies. Raghav found himself looking at Damayanti, and remembering that he had to prove to Satya-Nārāyaṇa that he was committed to his wife. Whatever would make Pallavi feel better, he could afford to do.

"Fine, Jagadish can stay in Hyderabad, but he's selling his furniture shop space to me. As of this moment, I'm his landlord. If I catch him or his son doing any more dirty work, the bulldozer will head their way."

Jagadish Anna's furniture shop - of course! Mandar remembered that Raghav had taken a call from Kirti and asked her, "What's the furniture vendor's name?" Whatever Kirti had been telling Raghav, which Mandar hadn't heard, obviously she had directed him to Jagadish, meaning that however the video from Raghav's CCTV might have reached the news agency, Kirti knew something about it.

Pushing Jagadish in front of him, Raghav left Deshmukh Saree Emporium, followed by Madan and Jagadish's son. Farhad, holding Damayanti, whispered to Mandar, "Dr. Janaki will be on call this evening. Let me take you to her. I'll be here as soon as you close the shop."

"Thank you, Farhad," Mandar replied, unable to hold back a smile.

"Amma! It's Raghav Rao!" It was the excited voice of a little girl, which Krishna thought she had heard before.

"Lata, he's busy," the girl's mother said from the entrance to the shop. "Come with me. We'll find a nice saree for Attayya."

Raghav recognized Lata, and turned back to greet her, signalling to Madan to put Jagadish and his son in the car.

As he spoke to Lata, Raghav made eye contact with her mother, who was smiling at her child's delight, but clearly not impressed by him and the way he and Madan were handling their captives. Raghav guessed that this woman, whose saree, jewelry, and gajarā conveyed impeccable good taste and respectability, hadn't caught a whiff of the tabloid news, or she wouldn't be smiling.

Lata held up a mobile phone, and waved at Raghav to come. Raghav remembered the first time he had visited Deshmukh Saree Emporium to intimidate the woman who had accosted Harish for following Kirti. He had frowned at Lata, who wanted to take his photo, but then he had taken a selfie with her. That day, Lata's smile and kiss had made his heart ache for Kirti. Today, thanks to Kirti, no mother would want her child to look up to Raghav Rao. How would he handle this?

"Lata, will you be in a special photo today?" he asked, smiling. He could do this.

Lata nodded, and Raghav motioned to her mother to go into the shop. Taking Lata by the hand, he followed.

"This is Raghav Rao's Sārī kā Dukāna!" he said, taking the phone from Lata's hand and posing her next to Pallavi. He took the photo and gave the phone back to Lata, then quickly left the shop with Farhad and Damayanti.

Mandar, watching what Raghav had just done, was trying to make sense of it. Ghaṭotkaca, who had no compassion for Amruta, had just humoured a child!

Krishna came up to Lata's mother and welcomed her back. Noticing her questioning look at Mandar and Pallavi, Krishna introduced them, "Paulomi jī, this is Pallavi Dīdī, and her husband, Mandar Dādā. Deshmukh Saree Emporium is their family business."

"Namaste," Paulomi said with a smile. "Mandar jī, pardon me for asking, but why was the news reporting that you died in a car accident?"

Mandar took a deep breath. "I survived, but I lost my memory and I didn't know where my home was. Today is just the fourth day since Pallavi found me."

"Thanks to Veṅkaṭeśvara for your safe return," Paulomi replied. "I know what you must be thinking: why am I allowing Raghav Rao to take a photo of my daughter?"

It was true; Mandar had that question, as did Nikhil, and even Krishna and Pallavi, who had observed Raghav's tenderness with children, had to admit that as a public figure, he wasn't suitable for young minds.

Paulomi stroked her daughter's hair, and Lata, listening to a children's song through earbuds, heard none of her mother's concern. "I don't pay attention to tabloid news, nor do I follow him on social media. Nevertheless, I can't avoid hearing about Raghav Rao giving someone a beating or showing up somewhere drunk. I hope I am not hurting your feelings, Pallavi jī, but when Lata is a little older, I will be able to explain to her that the man is not as pleasant as his photograph."

"Lata had Raghav's photograph in her phone when you visited us in February," Krishna remembered.

"It's not her phone; she's too young to need one, of course," Paulomi explained. "Lata's Nānna gives her his phone to play with, while he goes for exercise around the market, whenever he takes us shopping. He found Raghav Rao's photograph and kept it because he used to know this boy, years ago, in their village. He's very proud of what his student has achieved with Jayati Jewels."

His student! Pallavi thought back to the story Raghav had told her about his early life. Raghav had mentioned only one individual who had mentored him in business. It couldn't be Krishna Rao! The man who had cheated the villagers and paid Raghav for his silence, until the fury of his victims had fallen upon Raghav's father and brother ... how could that Rākṣasa be the father of this innocent child, Lata?

"Paulomi jī, what is your husband's name?" Pallavi inquired.