This is the third part-😊
After putting bindi on her forehead, she turned to him again who was still there. He came closer to her and held her arm tightly. She hissed in pain and looked down at her arm which were still wounded due to her bangles which he broke last night.
"What do you want to prove by all of this?" He hissed and pointed towards her makeup and dress.
"Nothing. We are getting late." She answered and freed her arm from his hold. "I have hanged your clothes in the washroom. Go and change." She said normally and walked out of the room leaving him in a maze.
She left but he kept standing there. He was not understanding what happened to her. He wanted to see her broken but she was looking more confident. He wanted to see tears in her eyes but she was not crying. He went inside the washroom and saw his clothes,his favorite colour was hanging-his cream shirt, coffee brown pants and coat. He started getting ready as all the thoughts faded from his mind.
Three weeks had passed to their marriage. Everything was going on normally. Both were living in the same room but still at a distance. After the first night, Raghav didn't try to go closer to her. He didn't look at her after that day. Both were companions but still were strangers. After the first night both didn't share any closeness nor a conversation. Both were silent in their places hiding a lot in their hearts. Somewhere her silence was killing him. He wanted her to speak to him to fight with him like she was before but now she was silent.
Raghav's phone rang. It was Farhad calling but he never called that early in the morning unless it was very important but he couldn't think of any important meeting right now. Swiping his phone up, he received the call.
"Anna please come to the house's basement fast!!" Farhad said with urgency in his voice. As soon as he entered the basement, Farhad's voice rang out "Anna, I told you that you shouldn't be doing this but you were stubborn and didn't listen to me...now look at the consequences...you have ruined an innocent person's life"
Raghav had no idea what Farhad was blabbing about but somewhere in the back of his mind shouted that it had something to do with Pallavi as Farhad had used the same words before when he went to Pallavi's house to defame her. Farhad made Raghav sit down on a study table and presented him with various CCTV footages.
"Anna, I had my doubts regarding Pallavi vahini being the culprit in Kirti's case...so I started my own research from the start and what I have discovered is astounding...I started checking for various footages and thought to start from your scandal which was all over the news-and from where your pictures were leaked" With that Farhad ended his monologue and showed the cctv footage of both bank and ashram.
"Vahini ka chamcha" Raghav thought as soon as Farhad started speaking but as she saw the two CCTV footages, it became quite clear to him Pallavi was not lying to him about not knowing that woman. She had also not lied about mixing something in Mr.Ramaswamy's food. As Farhad showed him more footages, it became quite clear that he had misunderstood Pallavi and the feeling of guilt started weighing in his heart heavily. He didn't know what to do anymore. He was perplexed as Farhad presented him information after information.
Farhad broke his thought process "Sorry Anna, I couldn't find anything regarding Kirti's case but what I did find could prove Vahini not guilty. I checked the photographer's shop's cctv footage and footage of the area around it and not once Pallavi vahini was seen there nor the photographer was seen around DSE as he had claimed. The photographer had given us a false lead...but while checking the footage near Amma's old house regarding who wrote on their walls, I found the photographer taking a courier from a person in a car whose face was covered and delivering it to Amma's house. I tried hearing the audio of the conversation between them and found out that the photographer was paid money to take vahini's name in front of you and Amma." Farhad then started showing the evidences he found.
Raghav couldn't think anymore. He felt like he was being pulled into a deep pit of regret and from where he couldn't come out. All the misconceptions he had on Pallavi was wrong...he thought back to how he treated her brutally like a beast and how much she suffered. He was aghast with all the information he had now and didn’t know to do anymore.
"Anna what should we do now?"Farhad asked. "Farhad, find that bloody photographer and bring him to me alive at any cost. How dare he lie to The Raghav Rao, don of Hyderabad, that too after pointing a gun at his head" he said furiously and slumped his back against the chair.
"What are you going to do with vahini, Anna? Are you going to divorce her and leave her?"
Raghav couldn't answer the question but all he said was "I'll do the best I can do." Farhad said "No matter what happens please don't leave Vahini. She has made this mansion home and brought happiness, Amma and Kirti along with her." With that he left the room leaving his Anna with his own thoughts and cancelled all his meetings today.
Raghav didn't know how much time he had spent down in the basement. He didn't know why he couldn't bear the thought of separating from Pallavi and getting divorced from her.
He concluded no matter what happens he could never let Pallavi go away from his life. He would from then on would behave sweetly with her and control his anger no matter how much she provoked it.
He will turn into a better man for her and would not act impulsively and would make sure Pallavi loves him back as much as he loves her.
*flashback ends*
Amma knocks on the door of Raghvi's room, breaking Pallavi out of her reverie. As soon as Pallavi opened the door Amma exclaims " Pallu beta ja kar jaldi tayar ho hoja. Hume mandir jaane mein der ho jayega. Till then I will go and wake up Kirti and get her ready for mandir. Aadhe ghante main we meet downstairs. Now hurry!"
Pallavi on hearing Amma goes to the washroom to get ready. She couldn’t find her pin in the washroom, so she bunched her saree in her hands around the shoulder and went into the room to search for a pin. She was so lost searching through the drawers, she didn’t notice Raghav coming and standing behind her. He puts a hand on her waist startling her as she lets out a small scream.
Raghav opened his eyes in the morning only to notice Pallavi frantically searching through the drawers. He internally chuckled at how she would often forget where she kept the pin but would remember all the household chores. He got up noticing a pin on the bedside table and picked it up and stood behind Pallavi. Frantic Pallavi still hadn’t realized his presence, so he kept his hand on her waist as she let out a scream startled.
“What are you doing? Main kuch dhund rahi hoon. Can’t you see?” Pallavi said looking into the mirror to Raghav’s reflection. Raghav put his finger on his lips as a gesture to quieten her as he maintained an eyelock with her. He slowly removed her wet hair from her back and put them across her right shoulder as his fingers brushed her nape. Pallavi took a deep breath at the contact but remained still. He moved her hand away from her bunched pallu and took hold of the end portion of saree. He slowly put it over her shoulder and pinned it with a pin; all the while both of them lost in each other’s eyes. The awkwardness between them began to rise and Pallavi was first to break eye contact. He took the gajra from the table and attached it to her hair. She looked beautiful clad in a blue silk saree-and he was happy she was all his.
“Thank you.” she said softly. It was moments like these between them when she felt her heart fluttering and beating too hard..afraid that the other person might be able to hear it. The proximity and the closeness between them was so comfortable that it didn’t seem like they were not used to each other’s touch.
Raghav could see all the emotions playing in her eyes and to his own disbelief- Pallavi was attracted to him. He mentally fist-bumped in the air as celebrating the fact his efforts were not futile. He loved her, and now that all the misunderstandings were clear to him- and much to his relief- Pallavi played no part in it. He slowly changed his attitude towards her--though they still bicker a lot- it was nothing serious. He would constantly tease her about everything. They had become frenemies if he could call that but that wasn’t a tag he wanted for his relationship with Pallavi.
“I know that I look really beautiful, but you can take a photo if you want to admire me. Hato, late ho raha hai mujhe” Pallavi said after some time when he didn’t reply.
“Why take a photo jab tum mera samne live khadi ho?” he said and chuckled “Toh jao na and remember to ask Reddy to bring me my morning tea when you go downstairs”
Pallavi went downstairs and greeted everyone. She went to the house temple and lit a diya and went to the kitchen. She prepared tea for Raghav, Amma, Kirti, and Farhad fully knowing he would arrive into the house in a few minutes. She gave Reddy the tea and asked him to take it to Raghav’s room. She put the other 3 cups of tea onto a tray and went to the living room where Amma was sitting arranging the pooja thali and Kirti helping her. She went and touched Amma’s feet and served the duo tea.
“Amma, the car is waiting outside for you to take you to the temple.” Farhad said, entering into the mansion. “Farhad, come and drink tea with us” Pallavi invited Farhad over. “Vahini, Anna gussa karenge if I get late.” Farhad said.
“Don’t worry, your Anna has just woken up so you wouldn’t get late.” she said, giving him a cup of tea and asking him to sit down.
Raghav asks the person knocking on the door to enter fully expecting it to be Farhad. He sees Reddy bringing him a cup of tea to his work desk and dismisses him immediately somewhere saddened thinking Pallavi would bring him his tea. He took a sip of tea, recognising it as Pallavi’s. A smile graced his face thinking about her. He again looked at the time and thought Farhad should have been here. He got out of his room to see Farhad sitting with the ladies of his life drinking tea. He thought to let go of it for once as he was in a happy mood.
“Pallavi bhabhi, why are you not drinking tea?” Kirti asked, seeing she was the only one not drinking tea but arranging the pooja thali. “Kirti, you know I don’t eat or drink anything before going to temple. Main shop main kuch kha lungi. That reminds me, I have to go to shop early toh main mandir se directly chali jaungi.” Pallavi said.
“Par bhabhi aaj jana jaruri hai?” Kirti pouted.
“Ji haan nanand ji..jaruri hai.” Pallavi said, pinching Kirti’s cheeks.
“Vahini, main aapke liye car arrange kar dunga from temple.” Farhad said.
“Uski ki jarurat nahi Farhad, shop pas main hi hai..I will go by myself..don’t worry.” Pallavi said, calming the worried expression on Farhad’s face.
The trio ladies went to the temple and did their pooja. After that, Pallavi bid them a goodbye and went to the shop to meet Krishna. It was lunch time for them and Pallavi still hadn’t eaten anything. Krishna suggested they should have food in the back of the store while another employee manages the store. Pallavi agreed and they went to the back room and closed the door. Pallavi realized she hadn’t brought lunch with her but refused to take any from Krishna.
“Raghav” Amma called for him and handed him a lunchbox. “Take this to Pallu, and knowing her I know she hasn’t eaten anything yet and would refuse to eat from Krishna.” Raghav was dancing internally dancing for getting to meet Pallavi but maintained a stoic expression on his face and said “Sare, Amma”.
“Didi, you seem happy nowadays. Is it because of Raghav anna?” Krishna asked.
Pallavi didn’t answer which made Krishna worried.
"Are you happy, didi?" Krishna asked again looking at Pallavi. "Tell me are you happy in this marriage? Please tell me you are taken good care of?" Krishna asked.
"Happiness! I don't know what happiness is Krishna." Pallavi replied and her eyes went wet.
"Why Krishna why? Why did he want to get married to me? I don't know what I did to him but he broke me.. And after marriage he became an animal. I can't forget the first night. The pain he gave me. He broke me into many pieces with his words and actions. In the first month of our marriage I tried to move on. I moved on with him. But he remained what he was. His hatred never changed. We girls are made with the mud of compromise. He never used to call me. We are strangers living under the same roof." She said and cried.
“Krishna you know for a man he has got severe mood swings. I don’t know when and how his mood changes. After the initial month, he started behaving sweetly with me...we fought with each other, argued a lot but it was all friendly...with no intention to harm the other person..I have started to think maybe he is actually a nice guy who has helped me in making this shop stand but I don’t know...what if all this is a facade..I don't know his true face Krishna!!” Pallavi said thinking.
“Didi.” Krishna said, putting a hand on Pallavi’s shoulder.
“Krishna that’s just not it. There are times when we would get too close...and continuously stare into each other’s eyes...the proximity between us burns my skin, makes my heart race and makes me dizzy. Whenever I am in the room with him, I feel like I am a queen being showered with all the attention. I can feel his stare boring into my head and skin. Why do I feel like that Krishna...I can’t help but falling for him...I can’t help but falling in love with him..” she said as a fresh set of tears made its way out of her eyes.
“I feel like such a crazy person..for all the torture he has put me through and my family through, I shouldn’t be thinking about falling for him but look at me--a stupid person doing exactly the opposite.” she smiled mirthly. “Do you know I still get nightmares every night...about the night before the wedding? The dream shudders me..and I can’t sleep after that” she said with a far look in her eyes.
“Didi, why are you getting nightmares. Seeing now that Raghav anna has changed you shouldn’t be getting it.” Krishna asked curiously.
“Krishna, the only reason I get the nightmare is because I still think his goodness is a cover-up for his beast mode which he is currently hiding. Or maybe it is because of the fact I saw him act like a beast and torturing a young man in the basement of the house just after a few seconds of talking sweetly to him. Which is the real him...i don’t know..The man’s condition was even worse than me, blood covered his face and clothes, bruises around his hands, face, neck and limbs. There was a bullet shot into his left leg and was left open. I saw Raghav dragging a knife down his face and slicing his skin. It was a gory site and I immediately rushed to the bathroom to vomit. The smell of stale blood was spread throughout the room...but which side of him should I believe in..” Pallavi said, completing her monologue.
"I'm no one to him or maybe he's no one to me then why are we living like this. He was the man I hated that day I got married to him but now I don't want to feel anything in my heart for him. Neither love nor hate--but my heart doesn't listen..it has started to beat for him..I am realizing that I am falling in love with him... I know I shouldn’t be living like this but dil hai ki manta nahi" She cried and hugged Krishna.
Unbeknown to them, Raghav was standing, listening to each and every word she said. His actions had taken a huge toll on Pallavi, the one she could not recover from. He went out in thoughts and gave the lunchbox to reception asking them to pass it to Pallavi. Getting into his car, he rove around the city trying to figure out what he should do. Should he let Pallavi go and not torture her soul anymore by tying her with him. He was selfish, but he couldn’t be selfish for Pallavi...no matter where Pallavi is..she just should be happy- doesn’t matter whether it is with him or without him. He decided that he would bring up the topic of divorce tomorrow and called Farhad-"Farhad, bring the divorce papers from lawyer's office by evening into my study."
This chapter was bad comparatively. Do give your feedback guys.
Reem