Raghvi FF: On the Edge (7/?) - Updated Pg 12 - Page 8

Loved this chapter! Eagerly waiting for the next update already haha 😆 and thank you for the tag!! 🤗

Another one of the incident which in the show was uncalled for humiliation to both leads. Though it showed how perfectly the scene should have passed. Let's what does Raghav do being on stage there 😃

Oooooh i smell misunderstanding 🤧😂

Ooo... how come I missed this ff. Its fantastic! Tag me plz..when u update.

A/N: This is kind of where things are going to start to diverge more obviously from the show. Will pick up steam after this. Thanks for reading❤️

Part 6

Raghav examined the diamond carefully, mentally noting the slight inclusions that were only visible on very close examination. It was nearly flawless, and he took a moment to admire the way it caught the light as he turned it. Brilliant.

“Raghav.”

He turned around, lowering his loupe in surprise.

“Pallavi?”

He didn’t think it was possible, but her scowl intensified.

“I hope you’re proud of yourself.”

He furrowed his eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

She strode over angrily. “The contest – it’s all a game to you, isn’t it?”

He frowned, his patience wearing thin. “You need to start making sense soon,” he warned.

He listened to her passionate diatribe, his eyebrows inching higher with each accusation.

“Let me get this straight,” he interrupted. “You think I spend my time dreaming of ways to make your life miserable?”

Anger flashed in her eyes. “I have no interest in what you do, except when you continue to interfere in my life. All because I had the audacity to challenge your ego.” She pursed her lips in annoyance and he wondered just for a moment how a mouth so sweet could spew such vitriol.

He shook his head. “Trust me, sweetheart...” he paused and lowered his voice. “When I dream about you, they’re always only good dreams.”

Her dark eyes widened and color suffused her cheeks. “You…you want me to believe you judge saree contests in your spare time?”

Raghav grinned. “I’m told I have an eye for beauty.” He casually tossed the loupe aside. “And Jayati Jewelers is one of the main sponsors.”

She was undeterred. “The perfect opportunity, then.”

“All the entries were blinded,” he said. “Only way to be fair.” He leaned against the desk and crossed his arms. “Why don’t you tell me what this is really about?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re so convinced I wronged you. What is it – the recognition? The money? Hurt your pride?”

Pallavi glared at him. “You want to talk about pride? The man who refers to himself in the third person? The Raghav Rao…more like Ghamandi Rao,” she muttered.

“Money it is then.” He pondered for a moment, ignoring her sputtering protest. “I can help you.”

“I don’t need your money!”

“You do, but that’s not exactly what I was offering,” he said, watching as her curiosity got the better of her. “I invest in your store – at a fair valuation. In exchange, I get a share of the profits. I’ll even give you an opportunity to buy me out.”

She looked at him warily. “What’s the catch?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Now you’re asking the right questions, Saree ka Dukaan. You have to run the store exactly as I tell you.”

“How dare you,” she seethed, leaning closer. “I’m not one of the lackeys on your payroll.”

“I’ve worked too hard to throw away my money,” he said quietly, his anger simmering just below the surface. “Take it or leave it.”

He watched as the conflict played out over her face, the little crinkle on her forehead matched by her persistent frown.

“I want everything in writing,” she said finally. “And my lawyer needs to review it.”

He nodded, already pitying the poor bumpkin lawyer she would dig up. “Done.” He held out his hand. “That makes us partners.”

“Business partners,” she clarified, shaking his hand.

“Right,” he said, noting the way her breath caught when his thumb brushed over her knuckles. “That’s what I meant.”

“Raghav?”

She dropped his hand at the intrusion, stepping away as he turned to face his second unexpected visitor.

“Amma?”

“Am I…interrupting?”

“No!” they said simultaneously. He pulled out a chair, ignoring Pallavi’s inquisitive stare. “Please, Amma, sit.”

“I have to go. Nice to see you again, Aunty.”

His mother watched her almost scurry out of the room. “Friends, huh?”

He groaned internally. “It’s not what you think.”

“What I think doesn’t matter,” she said bluntly. “You’re both adults. But I’m only warning you once, Raghav,” she waved a finger at him. “I better not hear about any shenanigans.”

“Amma,” he said, desperate to change the subject. “What can I get for you – tea? A cold drink? Naidu!” he called.

She shook her head. “I’m not staying. I came to, well, thank you.”

He was fairly certain his jaw dropped. “Thank me?”

“That good-for-nothing tattoo artist that Keerthi’s been seeing – she tells me he suddenly stopped answering her phone calls.”

He thought back to the cocky young man who had smirked at his initial offer to leave his sister alone.

“That was you, wasn’t it?”

He nodded.

“Good riddance,” she said under her breath. “She wouldn’t listen to me, not one word against her precious Sunny.” Jaya eyed her son critically. “He is fine, though?”

Raghav chuckled. “He went back to Delhi in one piece.” So what if he was a little banged up, he thought.

“Let’s hope he stays there.”

“Amma, can I– can I show you the house? You know it’s… your house too.”

She frowned, and he knew what her answer would be. “Maybe another time,” she said, turning towards the door. “Goodbye, Raghav.”

_______

Pallavi groaned in frustration at the haphazard organization of the shelves. Typical Nikhil, eager to help but completely distracted in his work. She started pulling down the extra stock, trying not to think about the extra hour of drudgery that lay ahead of her.

Her mind wandered to her deal with Raghav, recently made official. A part of her wondered if she was doing the right thing, selling him a stake in Deshmukh Saree Emporium for a short term infusion of cash.

But could a drowning man refuse a life preserver, even from his sometimes enemy?

“Didi…come quick!”

Pallavi stepped out of the storeroom, hurrying at the trepidation in Krishna’s voice. “What is it?” she asked, slowing once she saw Raghav entering the store. “You. You could have called first.”

He glanced around, clearly unimpressed. “I wanted to see my investment up close.” He eyed the bolts of cloth strewn open for display. “Pretty much how I remember it.”

Confusion was written all over Krishna’s face. Pallavi ignored it. “If you’re here to insult me, you can turn right back around.”

He smirked. “Easy, we haven’t even started yet.” He motioned towards the back room. “Shall we?"

Pallavi turned to her assistant. “Go ahead and close on time. I’ll lock up when we leave.” She smiled reassuringly even as Krishna eyed Raghav with suspicion.

“First lesson, Saree ka Dukaan,” Raghav said, tapping his watch. “Time is money.”

_________

“These interest rates are killing you,” he murmured as he went through her paperwork.

She watched as he perched on the makeshift desk, studying her finances with a critical eye. He seemed to take up the whole of the tiny room with his presence, the lone hanging light bulb buzzing dangerously close to his head.

“I didn’t know you wore glasses,” she found herself saying.

He glanced up at her over his lenses. “Just to read sometimes. Actually, the only other person who’s seen them is Farhad.”

She smiled fondly. “He’ll definitely keep your secret. He’s a good guy.”

“Yes,” Raghav agreed. “He’s never let me down. I forget sometimes, you know him.”

“I went to college with his sister – she used to bring me home during holidays. Her mother was convinced I never ate enough.”

He gave a short huff of disbelief and shook his head. “You seem to adopt families wherever you go. Must be nice.”

“You and your family – you’re estranged?” she asked, ignoring his bitter comment.

A grim expression appeared on his face. “It’s a long story.”

“But you’re trying to make amends?”

He nodded slowly. “Trying.”

She mulled over his answer as he continued to flip through the pages. What made this man tick, she wondered. Power? Fortune? She thought she had him figured out before, the Raghav Rao, but now…

“Do you plan on staring at me the whole time?”

She blushed under his gaze as he lifted his eyes to meet hers. “I wasn’t staring,” she protested, even as she felt the heat rise in her cheeks.

“I don’t mind,” he shrugged. And then with a teasing grin added, “as long as I get to return the favor.”

She scowled.

“Is this it?” He turned over the sheets again. “Where is the deduction for your salary?”

“What salary? This is a family business.”

Raghav laughed. “Who told you that? Your family?”

She wanted to rip his dumb glasses off his dumb handsome face. “We help each other – that’s how families work.”

“Not in the real world, darling.”

She rolled her eyes. “I bet you don’t take a salary either.”

“Definitely not the first few years,” he agreed. “But that’s different – my company belongs to me.” He motioned to the thick folders stuffed with yellowed paper. “You own part of this?”

She could only shake her head.

“They’re taking advantage of you,” he insisted. “You’re just too blind to see it.”

“Not another word,” she warned, her frustration growing.

He held up his hands in surrender. “By the way, what did they think of our little deal?”

Pallavi began grabbing the files off the desk. “I don’t know why I thought this was a good idea.”

“Uh huh. That’s what I figured,” he smirked.

“It’s none of your business.”

“Actually, it is my business,” he corrected. “But it doesn’t matter. Just keep your father-in-law away from me. I’m sure when he finds out he’ll spin some story about how I tricked you.”

“Get out,” she said, pointing to the door.

“Gladly.” He bowed mockingly.

She heard the doorknob rattle. Once, and then again. After the third time, she groaned in frustration. “Stop playing around, Raghav.”

“I’m not,” he hissed through clenched teeth. He pushed against the door. “It’s stuck.”

“What?” She pushed past him and tried to turn the doorknob, first one way and then the other. Nothing. A feeling of dread crept over her.

“Let me try again.” He led with his shoulder against the door, but his heaves made no difference. “Help! Hey!” He pounded his fist. “Shit.”

She turned towards him suddenly. “Your phone – call Farhad.”

He fished it out of his pocket. “The battery is dead.”

She stared at the black screen, then slapped his shoulder. “Why isn’t your phone charged?”

“Ow, stop – where’s yours?”

She glanced at the door.

“Great,” he groaned. “I’m trapped in a damn closet.”

Pallavi looked up at him, suddenly cognizant of the small space they found themselves in. Had he always been this tall?

“At least you have your ego to keep you company," she muttered under her breath.

TBC

Originally posted by: AnushkhaA

Ooo... how come I missed this ff. Its fantastic! Tag me plz..when u update.

Thanks so much, I'm really glad you're enjoying it ❤️ 😳

Originally posted by: nooriex

Loved this chapter! Eagerly waiting for the next update already haha 😆 and thank you for the tag!! 🤗

Thank you as always❤️ 🤗

Originally posted by: padmini92

Another one of the incident which in the show was uncalled for humiliation to both leads. Though it showed how perfectly the scene should have passed. Let's what does Raghav do being on stage there 😃

Thank you - I felt really bad for Pallavi when VD ripped up her check, even though she didn't actually deserve it. And Raghav thought he was helping her but didn't really think he did anything wrong.

Hope you continue to enjoy ❤️

Originally posted by: unicornwriter

Oooooh i smell misunderstanding 🤧😂

That Pallavi is always jumping to conclusions 😆

Amazing story so far…. Totally love it.