A couple weeks pass by, things between Pallavi and Raghav seem to have found a new normal. The old normal was fighting every day, this normal was secret looks, awkward small talk, and basically nothing else. After ten or so days of this, Keerthi, Amma, and Farhad decide enough is enough.
"Pallavi's mall showroom opening is coming up, Amma, what if we tell Raghav to go there, and we'll all go, that way he won't feel awkward, and more importantly we can prevent him from creating a stupid scene."
"Keerthi, that's perfect, we need to show Pallavi that Raghav, for all his bad qualities, appreciates good hard work and more importantly good business sense," Farhad added.
Amma brought up the subject with Raghav, and surprisingly he agreed without any argument.
A couple more days pass by, and then the fated day, the opening of the mall showroom for Deshmukh Saree Emporium. Baba and Nikhil, Aai, Sulochona, Amruta, Mansi, and Kaka are early. Pallavi is running late, because she wants to make sure Amma has all her medicine and all her food for the day, because she'll be gone all day.
"Pallavi, I'll be fine, I don't want to ruin your day or your surpr—"
"What surprise?"
"Nothing, nothing, I meant the surprise of seeing your own showroom for the first time."
"It's not my showroom, Amma, It's Baba's..." and with that Pallavi left.
Raghav caught a glimpse of her changing early in the morning into a stunning black and red sari, classic but amazingly sexy at the same time. He could have watched her fix her pleats and put on her jewelry for days, but for some insane reason all he wanted to do was grab her and never let her leave his room...their room.
Pallavi made it to the showroom, and right away Mansi and Milind and Nikhil gave her a big hug. She was courteous, but a little cold to Aai, Sulochuna, and Amruta. She basically ignored Baba. As she started with the preparations, telling Krishna where to put which sari, talking to all the live models on how to drape their pallus, and telling Nikhil and Aakash to fix the lights here and there, she was able to avoid Baba for most of the morning. Until right before the press were set to arrive.
Baba met her in the backroom, and Pallavi tried her best to control her anger, and to her disgust...her sadness at losing this man's trust and pride.
"Pallavi, just let me say this."
"Ba— Mr. Deshmukh, the press and the first customers are just about to arrive, we should go back to the front and get ready."
Pallavi left quickly.
As she walked out, she smiled wide, there were Keerthi and Amma, dressed in two beautiful saris, her own design of pochampally sarees. She ran to them, and gave them a big hug, "so THIS was your surprise? I'm happy you didn't tell me, Amma."
Then behind them she saw Raghav walk in, in a dark blue suit, all the buttons buttoned up on his shirt for once, with a smart tie. She felt herself go weak at the knees, and then she suddenly heard Raghav's voice in her head, "stop checking me out!"
"Saree ka Dukaan...nice." Raghav walked towards her, Amma, and Keerthi
Pallavi nodded and then awkwardly said, "Oh Nikhil, what did you need, I'm coming."
"I didn't call you Di," Nikhil yells across the room, unhelpfully.
Raghav smiles, and then is awestruck at the beauty of the showroom. He knows next to nothing about sarees, but even he can tell that Pallavi went all out to showcase as many designs and styles from across the country as possible. He tucks in his gift closer under his arm, hopefully she'll like it.
It was that sari, the one he asked for, to represent all of India, and then basically stole to make copies of for his staff. But when he was packing the sari, he realized it might not be enough of a gesture, he wanted her to remake the saris for his whole country wide staff too, not just the Hyderabad workers. So he ran to his store, and found a bracelet in the back that he hadn't put out yet. He had designed himself years ago when he was inspired and thinking about what it would feel like when his family was back with him. It was simple silver, but studded across the band were intertwining diamond leaves, bracelet made in such a way that only someone else can put it on and take it off your wrist. He hoped she liked the gifts. He knew she hadn't forgiven him for the Anjali incident, or for accusing her of all those horrible things, and that was mostly his fault (she too could have just accepted his sorry, picchi ammai), because he stopped trying because of his ego after a while. But he started to have this feeling whenever she was around him, or even just in the house. In fact, the weird thing was the feeling got worse when she wasn't home. It was like a warm prod in his heart, when she came close to him in her sleep in bed, the smell of her hair, made him want to pull her close and never let go. She just was...
"Raghav, yoo hoo." Keerthi snapped in front of him
"What happened to you bhai?"
"I'm fine," Raghav said, "just interested in all these sarees" and then his eyes fell on Pallavi again, her hair shone even brighter somehow on her black sari.
Keerthi sighed, "if only I could pull off a sari like that, am I right, bro?"
"Huh?" Raghav asked, "It's a nice sari yes."
Pallavi could feel Raghav's eyes on him as she walked around the room, trying to find things to fix before the press arrived and the showroom opened. She also needed to avoid Baba at all costs, she would only notice or even talk to him when they revealed the sign. But somehow, more than Baba, she was trying to figure out what was wrong with Raghav?
