Hi all,
For some reason still writing about these two. This is my attempt at redoing the circumstances of their marriage, so it is a bit more palatable even if still wildly unrealistic. It will be slower in the beginning - hopefully things speed up soon. Thanks for reading.
Hooked
you fit into me
By Margaret Atwood
you fit into me
like a hook into an eye
a fish hook
an open eye
Maybe it was the phone call that started it all, she thinks. The call came as she was making her way home from the shop. Dark clouds hung low overhead, threatening all day to release a torrent of rain. The release would have been a relief from the suffocating air that was thick with humidity. But they could only wait for the downpour.
Pallavi could barely hear Nikhil’s voice over the din of the street, but the fear in his tone made her stop in her tracks - something was very, very wrong. She wasn’t sure how she made it to the police station, looking at Nikhil through the iron bars of his jail cell. He had been crying; his eyes were red and his face blotchy, but he looked otherwise unharmed.
He grabbed her hands and pleaded with her, Didi, Didi, and she was able to piece together something about a customs officer and smuggling and please help. Nothing she was hearing made sense, but she was sure there had been some mistake. Determined to set things straight, she lit into the inspector on duty. He was a middle-aged portly man who looked all too comfortable leaning back in his chair as he laughed in the face of her anger.
They had evidence, he said. Proof that Nikhil was attempting to smuggle goods past customs and if she wanted to do anything for him, she should leave and find a good lawyer who would be willing to take on the case of a criminal smuggler. Then he chuckled and went back to his paperwork, leaving her frozen in disbelief. Nikhil was too distraught to confirm or deny any of this, but kept repeating something about only trying to help, please help…
Pallavi felt utterly alone standing in the middle of the bustling station, Nikhil’s pleading eyes never leaving hers. Calling their family was out of the question. And a lawyer…lawyers were expensive, and she had so little cash as it was, with the bills she had just paid to keep her shop in business…
Her thoughts went to Raghav Rao.
As she stepped into the auto and gave the address for his mansion on a hill, thunder rumbled overhead.
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She appeared before him, defiance written in the sharp angle of her chin even at this late hour. He placed his glass of whiskey down before dismissing the servant from the study.
“You know, if you keep coming to see me like this, people will talk.”
Her eyes flashed with anger but she uncharacteristically let the comment pass. “I have a proposal for you. A change to our deal.”
Raghav raised an eyebrow and took a moment to study his opponent. She was nervous, he realized, as she wrung her hands together in an effort to keep them still. She needed something from him. “At this hour?” he asked, determined not to make things easy for her. “It couldn’t wait until the morning?”
She looked abashed for a moment, but it quickly passed. “Do you want to hear it or not?”
He smiled wolfishly, certain he was going to enjoy this. He motioned to a seat. “Drink? Guess not,” he added at her reaction.
“I’m willing to leave Hyderabad. This week, and forever. But I need a favor.”
He listened to her story, questions swirling in his mind. Could her brother be the same kid Harish found to do their dirty work? What did he know? What did he tell the police? He realized she was looking at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.
“I’ll take care of it,” he said abruptly. Her brows furrowed in surprise, as if she expected more of a fight.
“Oh. Thank you?” Her voice held a note of uncertainty. “I can meet with the lawyer at the station tomorrow—”
“I said I’d take care of it,” he interrupted. “Go home.” He looked out the window and watched the raindrops pelt the glass incessantly. “The driver will take you.”
She looked as if she wanted to argue, but couldn’t find the words in the face of his ready acquiescence to her terms.
As she left, he grabbed his phone and began dialing.
----------------------
The inspector who had laughed at her the night before now watched her warily as she entered the police station. “I’m here to see—”
“I know,” he said, a sharp edge to his tone. “He’s free to go.”
Pallavi was sure she had heard him incorrectly, but there sat Nikhil in the waiting area, looking years younger as he slept with his long legs curled up in a chair. She looked back at the inspector, who glared at her. “What do you want now? Can I get you some tea, coffee, madam?” he sneered. “Get out and stop wasting my time.”
They did just that, and as the shock wore off she found herself with more questions than before. It was clear to her that Raghav was behind this, but how and why he had gotten the police to drop all charges was still a mystery. She grilled Nikhil on their way home, and he had the good sense to take her scolding without much protest. But no, no one had come to see him last night after she left. And why was she asking about Raghav Rao?
She extracted a promise from him to never do something like this again – to come to her if he needed anything, because what was family for? Unspoken was the possibility that now lay before her, that she may not be here much longer to be of any use to her family.
This time he was expecting her, though she never bothered to make an appointment and tended to waltz in as if she owned the place. He figured she would learn about the fate of her brother soon enough.
She came to him with her head held high, the slight bags under her eyes the only crack in her façade that alluded to a restless night. “How did you do it?” she asked. “Why did you do it?”
He was expecting something more along the lines of gratitude, but then when was she ever predictable?
“Good morning,” he smirked. “I have very good lawyers, you know.” At her huff of disbelief, he continued. “I had a favor to call in. No big deal.” He waved dismissively. “As for why, you know why.” He pinned her with his stare.
“No big deal? This is not what I asked you to do. I asked you to find him a lawyer, not bribe the police—”
Raghav felt the anger she so frequently stirred up in him begin to rise in his chest. “I didn’t bribe anyone. I told you, someone owed me a favor. You should be happy your brother is home instead of rotting in jail, what would your saintly parents say to that?”
The blow hit home, and the righteousness that had propelled her to his door seemed to leave her all at once. She looked…unsure of what todo next. It was not how he was accustomed to seeing her. “Keep him out of trouble now,” he offered gruffly. She rolled her eyes at his advice and he clenched his jaw in response. “You wouldn’t be trying to get out of our deal, would you? I held up my end, now it’s your turn.”
To her credit, she didn’t argue his point. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll be gone by the end of the week.”
Even in defeat, she moved with grace as she came forward and offered him her hand. He took it, noting the way it fit into his as they shook on their deal, how her soft skin belied the strength of her grip against his.
“Goodbye, Raghav Rao,” she said.
“Goodbye, Pallavi Deshmukh.” He had won their little game. So why did he suddenly feel as if he was losing something instead?
Though the skies had finally cleared after the rain, his darkened mood persisted all day and into the next. Farhad tread carefully with his boss as they worked, trying to avoid his sharp glare and even sharper words. It was during a meeting with their Japanese investors that Raghav received the first message on his phone.
Click here to see what Raghav Rao and his girlfriend don’t want you to know!
He ignored it – it was an unknown sender, probably some low-life idiot who found his number and had nothing better to do with his time.
Then the next message came.
Rs. 5 lakh to this account by end of the day tomorrow, or this goes live and your secret is out! ;-)
Against his better judgement, he clicked on the link. The images loaded, slowly, and he cursed under his breath as they came into view. It was him, but more importantly, it was him and Pallavi.
TBC
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