| Starts from 27th August's episode after “Swapnil” poured hot soup over Mandar’s hand |
Raghav was furious over what Mandar did. Furious was an understatement actually. If he could, he would cut off Mandar’s hands right away. Rama was trying his best to calm his boss down, but it’s an impossible task.
Suddenly, there was a persistent knock on the kitchen door. Raghav was in no mood to entertain any of the Deshmukhs drama at the moment. Nevertheless, Rama answered the door.
“Madam, aap…” Rama began to say while Raghav was putting his mask back on.
“Rama, aap bahar jaiye," Pallavi’s calm and collected voice intervened Rama.
Rama and Raghav were shocked. So she knew that they weren’t Prakash or Swapnil? The mask was long forgotten, Raghav turned around to see Rama exit and then Pallavi closed the door. She turned around, her eyes reflected how terrified she was.
“Pallavi…” he said, almost as a whisper.
In a split second, she ran towards him and clung to him, almost making him stumble backwards against the kitchen counter. He didn’t need to know how she knew that it was him in Swapnil’s disguise. All he knew was that she needed him to be in the moment, emotionally supporting her.
“Don’t worry, Pallavi. Main hoon tumhara saath,” he said, gently stroking her back and kissed on top of her head.
They silently stayed in the embrace for a while until she retreated, sniffing. His heart broke seeing her in such a state. He cupped her face and wiped her tears with his thumbs.
“Mann toh kar raha hain uss Zinda Laash ke haath kaant ke kutto ko khila doon! Kitna ghatiya aadmi hain.” He hissed in anger.
“Raghav, aaj main sach mein bohot darr gayi thi… Samajh mein nehi aaraha tha ki kya karu! Usski harkate din ba din aur cheap hoti jaa rahi hain. Zarur use shaq ho raha hain. Harr rooz kuch na kuch drama kar raha hain. Kal bhi mujhe tumhari photo jalane ke liye kaha tha.”
“What! Iss wajah se tumhara saree ko aag laga tha?”
“Haan. Ussne mujhe tumhari ek photo di aur kaha agar main usske liye apna pyaar prove karna chahti hoon toh ise jalana hoga,” she made a disgusted face while saying “pyaar” because she couldn't even think of associating such a sacred word with a person like Mandar.
“Phir?”
She narrated the whole ordeal to him, leaving him shocked. “Pallavi, kuch din Deshmukh house mein rehke kya tum pagal ho gaya hain? Mera ek photo bachane ke chakkar mein tumne khudka saree ko aag laga dia!”
“Toh aur kya karti? Vo dekh leta toh pata chal jata use ki maine koi dusra photo jalaya hain."
"Haan, toh? Jala dena tha na mera photo."
"Pagal main nehi, tum hogaye ho. Main tumhara photo kaise jala deti? Tumne bhi toh apna haath jala lia mujhe bachate bachate.”
“Tum sach mein pagal hogaya hain. Khudka saath mera sirf ek photo compare kar raha hain tum! Of course tumhe bachayega main. Humesha bachayega! Lekin isska matlab yeh nehi ki tum aisa mamooli cheez ke liye khudko hurt karo!"
"Relax, Raghav. Mujhe kuch hua toh nehi na."
“Haan, kyun ki main time pe aagaya tha! Pallavi..." He took a deep breath to calm his anger. Then took her hands in his own and held them close to his chest, "Agar tumhe kuch hojata toh main kya kar baethta mereko khud bhi nehi pata. Please, phir kabhi aisa matt karna..."
She could see in his eyes how much afraid he was to lose her.
"Galti mera hain. Tumko yaha aane hi nehi dena chahiye tha," he blamed himself.
"Nehi, Raghav. Yeh problem maine khud khadi ki hain, isska solution bhi mujhe dhoondhna parega..." She sighed closing her eyes.
"Tum akela nehi hain." He cupped her face and made her look at him, "Main humesha tumhare saath hain. Ardhamainda?"
His sincerity automatically curved a smile on her face, along with which she nodded and embraced him again.
"Waise tumne mereko aur Rama ko pehchana kaisa? Aur agar tumhe pata tha toh itna nautanki kayko kia?" He finally asked.
"Sabse pehle toh kal jab tumne mujhe behosh hoke girrne se bachaya aur jaise tumne sirf ek aankh se uss Mandar ko tashn dia.... Staying in the embrace, she looked up at him, "...tabhi mujhe samajh aagaya ki yeh mera Ghamandi Rao hain." She scruntched her nose cutely as she always does while calling him by that name. "Lekin agar main tab waise act nehi karti toh sab puchhte ki main ek cook ke bahon mein itna comfortable kyun ho rahi hoon. Aur tum mute bane ho par Rama ka voice toh wahi hain. Mera memory bohot sharp hain, main jhat se pehchan gayi thi."
"Wah, Saree ka Dukan, tum toh sach mein Sherlock Holmes ka Nani nikla! I am impressed."
"Mr. Raghav Rao, sirf tum ek laute born smart nehi ho iss duniya mein. Samazla?" She said proudly.
"Ardhamaindi," he nodded with a smile.
"Usske baad aaj bhi jaan-bujhke irritate hone ka acting kia taki sabko lage ki mujhe yeh cook bilkul pasand nehi. Toh kisiko shaq bhi nehi hoga. Aur waise bhi kaun soch sakta hain ki Raghav Rao ek cook ka disguise leke yaha aasakta hain."
Brushing some hair away from her face, he said, "Raghav Rao apna Saree Ka Dukan ke liye kuch bhi kar sakta hain."
Noticing his determination, she remembered something. "Zindagi bhi kitni ajeeb hain na... Ek time aisa tha jab hum ek-dusre ko tolerate nehi kar pate the! Tumne yeh bhi kaha tha ki agar main duniya ki aakhri ladki bhi huyi toh mujhse kabhi shaadi nehi karoge. Lekin ab dekho usi shaadi ko bachane ke liye hum kya kya kar rahe hain."
They both chuckled at that memory. From being enemies to lovers, they had indeed come a very long way.
"Maine tumko challenge kia tha ki 15 din mein tumko Hyderabad se nikalega. Par, Pallavi, ab main apna zindagi imagine nehi kar sakta tumhara bina! I love you so much!"
He planted a kiss on her forehead and she sighed in relief at the feeling.
She rested her head on his chest, she began, "Raghav, tumhe pata hain Mandar ke zindagi ka ek lauta achchha kaam kya hoga?" Hearing a negative response from him, she continued, "Yehi ki usske wajah se mujhe tum mile. Yaad hain jab main Kolhapur jaa rahi thi, tumne mujhe roka tha aur ek chance manga tha...vo bhi Mandar ka naam leke!" She paused for a moment before continuing, "Kitni badi gadhi thi main! Mujhe lagta tha ki Mandar ek chiti tak nehi maar sakta par ussne mere best friend ka khoon kia aur khudke Aai ko bhi nehi chhoda!" She shivered at that thought.
Suddenly, Raghav remembered all the times he had wronged Pallavi. The terrified look she used to have flashed in front of his eyes. He felt guilty.
He made her look at him. “Pallavi, I am really very sorry. Pehle maine tumhare saath jo bhi kia... I am...really sorry. I promise ab se na main khud tumko hurt karega aur na kisi aur ko karne dega. Eti Raghav Rao vagdanam!”
She smiled slightly and wrapped her arms around his neck. Gazing at him with all the love and adoration she has for him, she said, “I love you…”
He smiled but before he could reply, she gently pulled his head down and captured his lips with hers. He was taken aback but quickly reciprocated.
English translations:
Samazla (Marathi) | Ardhamainda (Telegu) = Did you understand?
Ardhamaindi (Telegu) = I understood
Eti Raghav Rao vagdanam (Telegu) = It is Raghav Rao's promise
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Other MHRW works:
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
