At the venue, Raghav kept double checking everything to make sure it was perfect. But actually he was more worried that he only had four hours until midnight, and pathetically, like Cinderella, he was waiting for Pallavi to tell him he loved her. He could feel that she did, he just really didn't want to dance with Saanki Baap tomorrow, because that would be worse than having Ved escape jail and trying to kill him again. Then he caught Akash talking to Keerthi, she was laughing and then she tucked her hair behind one ear. Raghav clenched his fists and started to walk towards them, when a hand pulled them back.
"Let it be, Raghav, they're just talking," Pallavi whispered, "nothing will happen, I know Akash very well, he's a nice man."
"Pallavi, what did I tell you about what happened to Keerthi this morning? I don't want—"
"Did Akash take those pictures?"
"No but—" Raghav knew he should tell Pallavi about Bindi Waali Kaku, but he didn't know if Pallavi would defend her, not for Kaku's sake but for her family's sake.
"Then trust me, and if you're really worried, both of us can have a talk with Keerthi, or we can ask Amma to keep a closer eye on her."
Raghav unclenched his fists at these words, so much had changed between them over the past few weeks, but through it all Pallavi's love and care for his family didn't falter.
Across the hall, Amruta was glaring at Pallavi and Raghav. She didn't have an ounce of feelings for Raghav anymore, but her hatred of Pallavi was as fresh as it ever was. Then she noticed a glimmer, on Pallavi's left hand was a ring, from even this far she could see how simple it was. She smirked, Raghav may have done all this for her, but he didn't even buy her nice jewelry. She saw Pallavi walk away from Raghav to greet some guests from Asha Aunty's family. Amruta walked toward her, "wow, what a nice ring, Pallavi, a little simple for the wife of a jeweler, no?"
"Thank you Amruta, and yes it is simple, but Raghav knows that I don't need or like heavy jewelry. And even if it is simple, that's what makes it beautiful to me." Pallavi said, not caring that Amruta probably didn't think her ring was nice at all.
Right then Nikhil came up to Pallavi, "Didi, huge problem, Mansi's dress got a stain, and like every woman at their wedding she's freaking out about changing, come quick."
"Oh no, I'm coming"
"I'll come too," Amruta added, "I am the style queen of the family," she added, smirking again at Pallavi's simple lehenga.
"Pallavi look, it's ruined, and Rahul had picked it out especially for me," Mansi was in tears.
"Pagli, are you crying over this," Pallavi examined the green stain on Mansi's light blue sari, "I can fix this right away, come to the staff kitchen with me."
Pallavi gathered some baking soda, soap, and pulled the pallu over the sink.
"Wait Pallavi, you should take off that bracelet, you don't want to damage the sari more," Nikhil said. Before she could stop him, Nikhil undid the clasp and put the bracelet on the counter.
"Pallavi, whatever you can do, do it quickly, or I can just change." Mansi said
Pallavi took her eyes off her bracelet and went to work, in just a few minutes the stain was gone.
"Pallu, you are magic!" Mansi hugged Pallavi and spun her around.
Just then Sulochana Kaku and Baba came in, "You all are here, Mansi, Asha Aunty and her family are just starting their performance, come on."
"I'm coming Aai, Pallavi just had to help me fix my dress."
"Whatever," Kaku said.
And as they were leaving, Pallavi turned back to counter to look for her bracelet, but it was gone.
"Oh no, Nikhil, where's my bracelet, you just put it here." Pallavi exclaimed.
She started to look for it frantically. Raghav had given it to her with such love, it was his favorite design, she had to find it.
"Didi, don't worry we'll find it."
Raghav walked in as Kaku chimed in, "Tsk tsk, you can't even take care of a bracelet, who knows why anyone would want to marry you, let alone twice."
"What?!" Raghav yelled.
Pallavi jumped, "Raghav, it was just here, I'll find it, it must have fallen somewhere."
Upon seeing Pallavi's panic and tears, Raghav immediately forgot his anger. It was just a bracelet, she didn't have to be so scared. He moved to comfort her when Baba said, "It's just a bracelet, no need to overreact Raghav."
"Wives have been kicked out of their houses for less, Dada." Sulochana said, grinning, "and after all, this isn't just any husband we're talking about, it's Raghav Rao."
Raghav's anger bubbled up again, not at Pallavi, he didn't give a damn about a bracelet,"Are you all insane, you're just saying whatever is coming in your mind, what is wrong with—"
"Raghav, calm down, it's my mistake, I'll find it," Pallavi said, her eyes brimming with tears now, pushing and pulling pans off the counter frantically.
Raghav pulled Pallavi by her shoulders to face him, "Did I say it was your mistake, it's a bracelet, I'll buy you another one, I'll buy you a thousand bracelets."
"But, you had designed this one—"
"Shhh, why are you crying over this, look all your makeup will get ruined," Raghav pulled her in for a hug and then wiped her tears. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Amruta smirking.
Then he looked at Baba and that Bindi Waali Kaku, "Pallavi is my wife, I don't give a damn if she loses all the jewelry she owns, she will stay my wife."
"What is everyone doing in the kitchen, come on! There is a sangeet happening." Aai walked in, "is something wrong?"
"No, nothing is wrong, Aai" Raghav said, "everyone let's get back to the sangeet."
Back in the main hall, Pallavi started to say sorry to Raghav again, but Raghav put a finger to her lips.
"Saree ka Dukaan, shut up, and no more crying." He wiped more of her tears from her face, "I'll handle it." He made her sit on a chair, and insisted she not get up until she had finished at least a whole glass of water. "If you don't calm down, I'll bring you some whiskey."
He walked away, leaving Pallavi worried that maybe he really didn't mean what he had said in the kitchen. How could she be so stupid? She should have stopped Nikhil from taking it off in the first place.
Raghav walked to Amruta and snatched her purse from her.
"What the hell, Raghav, are you crazy."
He opened it and pulled out Pallavi's bracelet.
"I had guessed someone had stolen it, and to be honest, between you and your mother, only you could be this stupid. At least your mother's antics have some flair behind them. Some intelligence and strategy." Raghav said.
"Now, I'm taking this, and because I'm trying not to be an asshole today, we won't consider this a violation of the deal I had between you and your mother, but one more attempt at ruining this wedding for Pallavi, and I will destroy you and make sure you're not fit to wear a toe ring let along a bracelet."
He threw her purse back at her, and walked away.
