Raghvi FF: Hooked (Part 7/7) - Complete - Updated Pg 17 - Page 7

This version is so good. Keep writing, waiting for the mystery villain

Originally posted by: Shri_12

This version is so good. Keep writing, waiting for the mystery villain

Thank you! Right now the villain is more a plot device 😈 so it might be a while before they're revealed 😛

Originally posted by: SONIA441

Loved the update❤️

I loved how Raghav handles Pallavi so delicately in the start scene.

The Trashmukhs need to be trashed into a Trashbin, seriously the guts these people have😳

I can't put a finger as to what is that one thing exactly that I love, maybe it's everything, the overall setup that you are able to create for us readers, but each update adds up to a new layer for me & I absolutely wait for that❤️🤗

Raghav's thoughts already going haywire by seeing her in his Kurta, well...it's gotta be for she would have looked endearing in that simple outfit that too his☺️....so is he gonna be taking lots of cold showers alone from hereon or just be drinking at the bar to manage his thoughts

Jaldi Jaldi next part please😛

Thank you, you are too kind❤️❤️❤️

I think that is the best nickname I've heard for the D's, I am stealing that one 😆

It made me so sad when they kicked her out in the show, who does that? 😡

Yes bechara Raghav has some thoughts, hopefully revisited later ☺️ He maybe did not think this thing through

Thank you so much for reading 🤗

Originally posted by: ShyNomad

Thank you, you are too kind❤️❤️❤️

I think that is the best nickname I've heard for the D's, I am stealing that one 😆

It made me so sad when they kicked her out in the show, who does that? 😡

Yes bechara Raghav has some thoughts, hopefully revisited later ☺️ He maybe did not think this thing through

Thank you so much for reading 🤗

❤️❤️

Trashmukhs is the name we have been using on the forum for pretty long now for them🤣, we all picked up on it pretty soon to be used in our conversations.

Ofcourse our impulsive, only looking out for the short-term Raghav didn't think it through - in this case, I'm glad

Thank you for reading :)

Part 4

Any apprehension Pallavi felt the next morning was unfounded, as she found herself alone at the table for breakfast. She was told by one of the help (Naidu, she reminds herself) that Raghav left hours ago with his usual protein shake, but wouldn’t madam like another idli?

Later she was whisked away by an assistant to go shopping at high end stores she had only ever previously thought about because she envied their prime real estate, not because she dreamed of walking in and purchasing outfits with no regard for the price tag. Afterward she instructed the driver to stop at her usual haunts and shopped to her heart’s content, over the panicked protests of the assistant who was certain she would somehow lose her job over this.

He was still not back when she returned with tired feet and arms full of shopping bags. She called for Naidu and a different member of the domestic staff greeted her, relieving her of her burden. Farhad walked into the foyer with a wide grin. “Bhabhi!”

“Farhad,” she couldn’t help but smile back. “Is Raghav…”

Farhad’s smile dimmed for a moment. “Anna apologized, he is busy with an issue at one of the stores today and he’ll be home late. He said to go ahead and have your dinner.”

Pallavi raised an eyebrow. “Raghav apologized?” she asked disbelievingly, and immediately felt guilty at Farhad’s discomfort. “Farhad,” she started again. “I’m in the mood for some ice cream before dinner. Will you come with me?”

The relief on his face was unmistakable. “Great idea, Bhabhi. Wait until you try our favorite place.”

-------

They fell into an existence of sorts, with Pallavi often catching sight of Raghav on the nights he brought his work to the dinner table. The Rao mansion was so large that there were days she didn’t see him for hours at a time, unsure if he was locked away in his study or out on business with Farhad.

One evening he stopped on his way out the door, interrupting her reading. “You know you’re not a prisoner here, right? You can go wherever you like.”

Some doors are closed to me forever, she thought, but didn’t voice her melancholy train of thought. She took in his appearance, his usual vest replaced with a suit jacket and tie, hair slicked back. “Can I come with you?” she asked.

Surprise registered on his face at her request, though it was quickly replaced with an air of nonchalance. “How soon can you be ready?”

_______

Raghav eyed Pallavi from across the room, admiring the way her sari draped over her petite frame, the fabric glittering under the bright lights. The red color called to him like a beacon in the crowd, and he found his attention drifting more than once during the night as he spoke with the other attendees at the charity fundraiser.

“Congratulations, Raghav!” Anand Prasad, real estate tycoon, shook his hand in greeting.

Raghav paused mid-sip of his champagne. “Congratulations? For what?”

Prasad chuckled. “On your marriage, of course! Where is Mrs. Rao tonight?”

As if on cue, Pallavi appeared beside him. He was once again distracted, her exotic fragrance wafting over him, and his fingers itched to play with her wavy tresses. He hesitated for a moment before introducing her as his wife, the words still foreign on his tongue.

Pallavi gracefully offered her hand and they were soon deep in conversation. What was that perfume, he wondered. It wasn’t her usual scent– instead it smelled heady and intoxicating, hinting at pleasure just beyond his reach… His ears perked up at the mention of Jayanti Jewelers and he watched as Pallavi charmed her way into convincing Prasad to reserve a space in his new Solapur mall for their latest store. All Raghav could do was shake on their deal as the business magnate left them in high spirits.

He turned to her. Her face glowed with her recent victory, though the sparkle in her eye dimmed as she took in his countenance. “How did you know?” he asked in amazement.

She didn’t quite meet his eyes as she explained. “I heard you talking about it at dinner, how you were having trouble finding a proper location for the new Solapur store. And his company built the mall by the sari shop…” she trailed off, a wistful look on her face.

“That was amazing, Saree ka Dukaan,” he said forcefully, bringing her back to the present, and grabbed a champagne flute off a nearby waiter’s tray. “This calls for a celebration.” He offered her the glass, watching as the smile returned to her face.

“Just one,” she relented, toasting to their success.

-----

He winced as she stumbled into his side, all elbows. “Sorrryy,”she slurred slightly. “Are we home?”

Her words gave him pause. Home. It had been a longtime since he had thought of his residence as such. “No thanks to you,” he muttered, regretting his insistence at plying her with alcohol.

“Finally!” she exclaimed, leaning on his shoulder before kicking off her shoes in the direction of what he hoped were not his prized sculptures. “My feet are killing meeee.”

He couldn’t help but be amused at her flair for the dramatic. “Maybe you shouldn’t have danced so much.”

Pallavi seemed to consider his advice. “Buuuut it was fun,” she grinned. She smoothed his tie, inadvertently tugging him closer as she fought to regain her balance. “I had fun.”

He watched as her eyes struggled to stay open, a drowsy smile gracing her face. “Me too,” he admitted, surprising himself. Suddenly he didn’t want the night to end. “You know, I give excellent massages,” he murmured, giving into the impulse to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.

She perked up and slapped his arm in disbelief. “No way! What a coincidence, me too! Ayi always said so.”

Raghav sighed as he rubbed his arm. Maybe that last glass of wine wasn’t his best idea.

---------

In the weeks that followed, she could feel their relationship start to shift as they spent more time together. Raghav invited her along as he visited their local stores, pointing out his most senior staff and the metrics by which he tracked the company’s financials. If the scope of his business intimidated the former manager of Deshmukh Saree Emporium, she was determined not to show it.

Instead, she made it a point to soak up anything he was willing to share, and asked him questions until she could almost see the steam rise from his ears. But she knew there were some lines she could not cross, and understood that when he took a private call in his study or on location, that there were parts of his empire that would remain private.

But one rainy night, she could no longer turn a blind eye to his work. He limped into the house, his face swollen and bleeding, the effect intensified by the glare he shot her when she insisted that he wait for her in his room.

Despite his protests, she found him sitting on his bed asper her instructions. She helped him with his shoes, sucking in a breath at the state of his knuckles when he reached for the laces. “Raghav,” she asked, “do I need to call the police?”

He shook his head, sweat beading on his forehead. “It’s done. I got what I wanted.”

“What was that?”

His jaw tightened. “Information.”

Before her imagination could run wild, she focused instead on the task at hand and gently pulled the covers over his lower body. “Where are you hurt?” she asked, and willed her hands not to shake when he indicated his abdomen and lower back.

Her fingers had just grasped his shirt button when he covered her hands with his own, steadying them. “I can do that.” She let him, and gasped again when his bruises came into view.

“You need to go to the hospital,” she insisted. “There could be internal bleeding, or organ damage.”

He shook his head again. “It’s not as bad as it looks, really.” At her expression, he relented. “But tell Farhad to call the doctor, he’ll know who to bring.”

She did just that, and carefully cleaned his cuts before bandaging them, blowing on his knuckles when he winced. She tried not to think about his eyes on her, following her every move. His skin was hot to the touch as she probed his torso for injuries, her mind distracted momentarily by the taut muscles under her fingers but brought back to reality when he hissed in pain. “You don’t have to do this,” he said, reading the discomfort on her face.

Pallavi raised an eyebrow. “It’s not the first time,” she reminded him. “But it better be the last,” she continued under her breath.

The memory of his previous brush with death replayed in her mind, how she sank into the mattress with his heavy body limp against her, how his eyes, glazed over in pain, closed in relief as she tended to his wounds, how this fierce and formidable man was entirely at her mercy. Despite their current situation, she was once again very aware of his sheer size in relation to her own.

“There was no other way to get what I needed,” he said in atone that left no room for argument. “Though I’m sure you don’t believe me.”

“I believe that’s what you thought,” she countered. “But sometimes thinking is not your strong suit.”

He scowled, but before he could reply, the doctor arrived in the room. Pallavi went to the kitchen to collect more ice and returned as the doctor finished administering pain medication. Thankfully he didn’t seem too concerned, but cautioned her that Raghav would need help and rest to heal. He left her with instructions for the dressing changes, and Farhad put a comforting hand on her shoulder before following him out the door.

“Did you hear that?”

He was silent as he buttoned up his shirt, still pouting over her previous remark. She rolled her eyes and began fluffing the pillow on the other side of his bed.

He eyed her warily. “What are you doing?”

“Someone has to stay with you,” she huffed in exasperation. “What if you need something in the middle of the night?”

“I’ll manage! And that’s final.”

____________

Pallavi found herself waking the next morning to the sensation of a heavy weight pinning her to the bed. She opened her eyes to see Raghav sleeping on his back, his arm slung over her, his hand molded around the curve of her waist.

Heat flooded her cheeks. Despite their recent time together, this was new – a different level of intimacy than the conversations they had huddled over his files in the study, or even the way she felt privileged to see his face transform when he laughed deep from his belly at her ice cream mishaps. He looked peaceful, his face devoid of the creases that had marred his forehead the night before. As she shifted, his grip on her tightened and he mumbled something she couldn’t quite understand.

She froze, torn between not wanting to disturb his sleep and needing to defuse the situation before any additional awkwardness ensued. The decision was taken out of her hands when his alarm rang, startling him awake.

As he came to his senses, she could feel him tense just before he jerked his arm away, groaning at the sudden movement. ”Sorry,” he said, not quite looking her in the eye. He ran a hand through his hair, and Pallavi pretended not to notice the play of his muscles as he stretched.

“It’s fine,” she said with an air of nonchalance she didn’t feel. “Good morning. How are you feeling?”

“Better, thanks.” His tone was flat. She ignored the sinking feeling in her stomach as he swung his legs over to the side and turned his back to her.

Pallavi sighed. Good morning indeed.

TBC

the developement in their relationship is shown beautifully

Attraction is brimming between them..would love Raghav's take on this

Waiting for the next update

Great update!

Would love to know what Raghav felt when he woke up next to her with his arm around her waist

Beautifully penned....waiting for the next update 👏☺️!!

Very interesting story!

Brilliant update

Love the development

Can’t wait to read more