58.
The first and only mistake Raghav made that night was leaving his phone in the car before going into the party with Pallavi.
At the party, Raghav’s friends gushed over Pallavi, and he watched as she charmed them easily. As the party dragged on, Raghav found Pallavi and pulled her to the dance floor.
Pallavi smiled as Raghav took her hand and led her around the floor. During the whole dance, their eyes never moved away from each other. Raghav wanted this night to last forever, the smile in Pallavi’s eyes, her fragrance, he wanted her with him forever.
In Raghav’s car, his phone blinked and buzzed, there were over 10 missed calls and 20 texts.
When the dance was over Pallavi went back to their table and sat down, “Ab kya hua Saree ka dukaan, you don’t like dancing with me?”
Pallavi decided to tease Raghav, “Nothing like that, coming here, I just realized how stupid I’ve been not to take advantage of having such a rich husband,” she put her arms on his shoulders as he sat down, “I think I I’ve been way too easy on you, I expect way more designer jewelry from now on, or—“
“I will smuggle the whole world’s diamonds into India if I have to to keep you happy.” Raghav said, kissing her cheek.
Pallavi laughed, and then her phone rang.
It was Baba, he sounded in distress, “Pallavi beta, please abhi ki abhi ghar aa jao.”
Before Pallavi could ask what was wrong, Baba had cut the phone.
“Raghav, Baba called, he needs me home for something. Let’s leave, come.”
Pallavi got up and started walking to the exit. As soon as Raghav heard Pallavi’s distress and Baba’s request, he could feel that something was wrong.
They drove quickly to Deshmukh house, in the hurry, Raghav didn’t check his phone. As the car screeched to a halt, Pallavi got out of the car and started to run to the front door, only as Raghav was opening his car door did he see his phone buzzing. After hearing the first voicemail, Raghav’s heart fell into his stomach. The good mood he was in, the happiness he had spent months trying to save up for himself, dissipated.
When Pallavi opened the front door of Deshmukh House, the sight in front of her almost made her faint. Mandaar.
“Pallavi, Pallavi, you’re here.”
In the main hall of the house the whole family was present. Aai’s and Baba’s eyes were teary, and in the middle of everyone, was Mandaar. Pallavi also noticed a man who looked like a doctor, given the bag he was carrying.
“What—What’s going on.” Pallavi felt weak, everything was spinning in front of her, but she steadied herself.
Milind Kaka pulled Sulochana to another room as soon as he realized she was about to open her mouth to say something.
The man, who turned out to be a doctor started speaking before Mandaar or anyone else could, “your husband was in an accident two and a half years ago, well, this is shocking news I know, but Mandaar has been in a coma for the past two and a half years. He just gained consciousness a few hours ago. I told him that it would be better if his family come to the hospital, but he refused.”
Before the doctor could say anything else, Mandaar ran across the room and hugged Pallavi. She didn’t return the hug, it felt like her body had stopped working. “Pallavi, where were you, Aai said you were probably in the shop, but come on, don’t work this late. Anyway, forget all of this. Forget everything, I just wanted to see you. After seeing Baba, hearing about his health, and the rest of the family after—after the accident, what you did for them, I don’t think anyone else in the world could have done that.”
The tears in Mandaar’s eyes were genuine, as soon as he had woken up, his first thought wasn’t his parents, it wasn’t his brother, it was his wife. He was so lost in the happiness of seeing her again that he didn’t even notice that the mangal sutra she was wearing wasn’t the one he had put on her at their wedding.
“Mandaar, you’re…how.” Then Pallavi realized what she was seeing, what she was hearing, wasn’t a dream. It wasn’t even a nightmare. It was reality. And the relief was massive. Mandaar was alive, the pain that Baba and Aai had to go through was over. But as Mandaar hugged her again, Pallavi’s relief turned to dread, and Baba could see the change plain on her face. Pallavi turned around to see Raghav in the doorway. His face showing his pain as clear as day.
Mandaar started to ask who Raghav was, but then Baba interrupted, “Mandaar, beta, this is just the owner of our store, the new owner, he must have just come to drop Pallavi home. Sharda, why don’t you take Pallavi and Mandaar to the kitchen, Mandaar, beta, you need to eat.”
Before Pallavi could say a word, Aai was pulling the two of them to the kitchen table and started serving them food. Sharda knew what was happening was wrong. Her daughter, Pallavi, was happy with Raghav. She had found peace in her new marriage. But upon seeing her son with her again, and now Pallavi sitting next to him, she was blinded by her love.
Baba stopped Raghav from coming in the house, “My son has been in a coma for two years, he is weak, he’s still ill. Whatever decisions have to be made, we can make them tomorrow. You should leave here.”
“Rambo Baap, are you crazy. Pallavi meri biwi hai. I am not leaving without her.”
“Keep your voice down,” Aai left the kitchen and came back in the hall. “Vijay ji is right, we can decide what to do tomorrow when my son’s health is better.”
Raghav was not planning on going anywhere, however. He stood firm in the doorway, refusing to let Baba close the door on him.
In the kitchen, Pallavi wasn’t eating, and eventually Mandaar looked up from his food and realized she hadn’t been listening to him either.
“Pallavi, I know you’re freaked out. This kind of stuff only happens in movies. You know, when I got up and decided to come back home, because I had to see you, to see Aai and Baba and Nikhil, I realized how unbelievable this would be to you all. I even felt ashamed, that because of my stupidity that night, my family spent two years, *two years*, without any information about me or what happened. But listen to me, I will prove to you that I won’t be this stupid again. You watch—“
“I’m married.” Pallavi blurted.
“What? Yes I know we’re married, silly.”
“No, Mandaar. I remarried. A few months ago, and—“
Mandaar stood up, “but, but why? How could you leave my family like that?”
Pallavi tried to figure out what to say, “Mandaar, it was—it’s a long story, I can’t explain.”
Mandaar walked out of the kitchen and rushed to Aai and Baba, “Why did you let her marry someone else? How could you do that?”
Pallavi rushed behind him, “Mandaar, no, it’s not Aai or Baba’s fault, I—“
“You shut up, I don’t want to hear another word from you,” Mandaar’s happiness at returning to his family melted into anger, “you left my family in my time of need. Remember before we got married, I asked you for one thing, to treaty my family as your own. But you couldn’t do that. Well fine, then leave.”
And just as Baba had thrown Pallavi out of the house months before, Mandaar took Pallavi’s hand and started to drag her to the door.
In a split second everything changed, Raghav ran in and grabbed Mandaar by the collar and pinned him against the wall. “Teri himmat kaisi hui, *MERI* biwi ko haath lagane?”
“Raghav, no let him go!” Pallavi tried to pull Raghav off of Mandaar, but Raghav’s anger was not to be controlled tonight.
“Aaj ke baad, Mr. Mandaar Deshmukh, you will not see, nor touch my wife, Pallavi Raghav Rao, ever again. Ardhamaindha.” Raghav let go of his collar and Mandaar almost slid down the wall.
“Raghav Rao, the jeweler? This is who you married Pallavi, This man was a kamina three years ago, and he’s still a kamina today. What, did you get tired of taking care of my middle class family and decide to upgrade?” Mandaar spat out.
Before Raghav could punch him, he saw Pallavi close her eyes, and he jumped to catch her as she fainted. “Pallavi, Pallavi get up, what’s wrong?” Then he saw blood coming out of her nose, and without paying attention to anyone else in the room, he carried her out of the house and to his car. He was driving to the hospital like a madman, Pallavi, still passed out in the seat next to him. No matter how many times he yelled her name, Pallavi didn’t wake up. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel, he would personally destroy each and every member of the Deshmukh family if anything happened to his wife.
After she had been admitted, Raghav paced the hospital room for what felt like hours, and then he realized he should probably call Amma and Keerthi. He told them, and then Farhad, to rush to the hospital.
When the doctor came out of Pallavi’s room, Raghav rushed to her, “What’s wrong with her? Does she need blood, I have the same blood type as her, I can donate. She has a very rare blood type, doctor. Is she awake? Can I see her?”
“Mr. Rao, calm down. Your wife is fine now, her nosebleed stopped, it seemed it was just because of stress. I’ll have more information for you soon, but for now you can sit with her.
Pallavi didn’t wake up that night. Amma, Keerthi, and Farhad were waiting outside all night, coming into the room periodically to see if Raghav needed anything. But Raghav didn’t say anything, he just sat there, holding his wife’s hand, waiting for her to wake up. Willing her to wake up. Praying to any god he hoped would listen to wake his wife up.
The next morning, Pallavi woke up to Raghav sleeping on a chair next to her bed. His hand in hers. She smiled.
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
Cricket
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