As soon as the song ended, it looked like Raghav was up for another one, but Pallavi, during this whole dance had noticed Raghav's face, getting tenser and tenser.
"I think we should eat dinner, na?"
"Yes, Pallu is right, let's all go." Aai added, "enough dancing for tonight, more than enough time for dancing another day."
Raghav wondered what she meant by that.
Pallavi sat down before realizing she should have sat closest to Baba so Raghav didn't have to sit there, but then on her left between her and Baba sat Rahul.
Nikhil was about to take the seat to her right, when she said, "N—I mean, Nikhil, you sit across from me and tell me everything that went on in the shop today."
"Pallavi di, if you want to have Raghav next to you, you just have to ask," he grinned.
"She's a very shy girl," Raghav interjected, smiling, and grabbed the seat to her right, "But I think I'm learning how to get her to tell me all her secrets."
"Pehli baat, I don't have any secrets; doosri baat, tum ek ex don ho, raqhav"
Then she whispered in his ear, "I was going to say, Baby, Shona, Jaanu, because I know how they're your most pyaar nicknames, but I thought it might be best to let you leave this house with your limbs intact."
Raghav smiled and whispered back, "Pehli baat, tum utani bahaadur nahi ho jitana mainne socha tha. Doosri baat, agar who Rahul gadha tumhe phirse 'Pallu Baby' bhulaya na, tho main uski haath tod doonga."
Pallavi shhhd him, smiling down at her plate.
Baba was staring at Pallavi and Raghav throughout this whole conversation.
Pallavi noticed this just as Baba's look at her turned back into a smile, and she straightened herself up in her seat, shifting a little.
"Pallu, chapati lo," Rahul said, serving her.
"Rahulu, much bhi do." Raghav jumped in, picking up his plate.
"Raghav, shaant" Pallavi risked another whisper.
The rest of dinner was mostly quiet, with a little conversation here and there. Mansi and Rahul were back on talking terms, even if Asha aunty wasn't ready to accept their wedding yet. That got Raghav to thinking, maybe if he convinced Asha aunty to forget how horrible Bindi Waali Aunty was, then maybe Pallavi might trust him again, like actually trust him.
"Pallu, tujhe models ke liye ek photographer chahiye, right?" Rahul asked later.
"No, I have Mansi."
"Pallavi di, I'm too busy, I would definitely do it, but since...well since you've been gone, I've gotten a lot more shoot offers, I'm sorry."
"That's great Mansi, why are you sorry," Pallavi replied, "Rahul kya tum ek do hate ke liye Hyderabad main rehne wale ho?"
"Yes! I'm actually thinking of leaving Delhi to shift here for a while, and then take a photography tour of all of South India."
"So that's great," Baba jumped in, "If it's okay with you Pallavi, Rahul can be the photographer for the showroom, and the smaller jobs we can bother Mansi from her very busy schedule"
Everyone at the table laughed, except Raghav.
After dinner, Raghav was about to ask Pallavi if they should leave, when her brother suggested a card game.
Pallavi looked at him and her eyes were pleading, "yes I want to play, because I have a score to settle with you Dada!"
"Yes, I would love to play," Raghav added halfheartedly.
Dada dealt and as the game started, Raghav's attention was more on that Bindi Waali Aunty and Amruta, they had been glaring at Pallavi all night, he assumed just waiting to pounce on her.
After a few rounds, Pallavi got up to get some water, and Sulochana Kaku followed her.
"Pallavi, tum too bad shush lag rahi ho, do you have a plan to eat this husband too?"
Pallavi's happy mood turned to mud quickly, Kaku was speaking just loud enough for Raghav and a few others in the card circle to hear. Raghav was about to get up, but then Pallavi jumped in with her retort, "No, Kaku, as you know I know how to make food for myself."
Kaku laughed mirthlessly and Raghav could tell she was just getting started.
"Of course, of course, what else can you do in a forced marriage where you're nothing more than a keep. I see you have a new necklace, and wow what a bracelet, yeh toh asli nahi hogi na, Raghav probably doesn't trust you with valuables. Right?"
This time Raghav couldn't sit down waiting for Pallavi to respond.
"Kya heh na, Bindi Waali Aunty...sorry Bindi Waali Kaku, yeh asli heere hi hain, toh agar isko daant pad gaya na, toh dannt hi toot thi hai. Aur ek baat, asli khoobsurati ko, gahane ko zaroorat nahin hain, asli ya nakali."
"Raghav," Pallavi muttered, "It's fine—"
"Aur mujhe lagta hai, yeh aap nahin samajpayenge,' Raghav added quickly, pointing to her earrings.
Baba had overheard the whole conversation, and while he hated Sulochana more than Raghav clearly did, his compliment to Pallavi made him sick.
Baba got up and made some excuse to talk to Sharda in the other room.
Raghav eyes narrowed as he saw Saanki Baba and Sharda Aunty leave.
"Sharda, we have to get Pallavi out of this marriage. She is dying inside it, and that Raghav is just a badtameez, ghamandee, patthar dil...He's just not right. We have to convince Pallavi to come back here, and then get a divorce. Pallavi's brother said one correct thing, when Pallavi lived here, we treated her like a servant, and now Raghav is doing the same. He is controlling her, he's destroying her life, he's treating her like some...some keep!"
"Have you gone crazy Vijay Ji, Pallavi just got married a month ago and you're talking about breaking her marriage? I don't know what is going on between them, but what I know, even before your mistakes, is that Pallavi can handle herself."
"But he is destroying her life, he is trying to buy her, and eventually he'll not only destroy her, but this whole family. I know him, his Amma and sister have had no effect on him, and Pallavi won't be able to change him, nor should we let her rot in that hell with that badtameez, ghamandee—"
"Mere bibi bhi mujhe ghamandee bhulathee hai, lekin farak yeh hai, usse haq bantha hai. Aapko nahin," Raghav stepped into the room.
"Aur ek baat, main jaanata hoon ki aap mujh par bharosa nahin hai, lekin Pallavi ek jimmedaar, aurat hai, aur use phir se uspar vishwaas todne ka galathee mat khijiye. Agar apnea kiya, tho is baar, main usse kisse doosare ghar mein nahin le jaoonga, main aapki chot aur aapki Nazron se bahut door le jaoonga."
"Raghav," Pallavi called, "I think everyone is tired, we should maybe leave and let them get to sleep."
"I'm coming." He gave one last look at Rambo Dad and added, "don't make the mistake of forgetting what I said."
