"So, do you have anything to say to me, I could tell by your expression during my performance you were dying to say something to me." Raghav grinned, walking towards Pallavi after leaving the stage. Rahul and Mansi were performing now.
Pallavi came closer to him, she put her hand on his chest, "you're absolutely right, Raghav Rao, I've been dying to tell you that...I...am performing next!"
She threw her head back and laughed at Raghav's grumpy expression. He was so taken aback by her touch he would have kissed her right here, damn anyone looking.
"Pallavi, math bhoolo ke main teri suhag hoon." Raghav said, his arms around her waist now.
"Haq jatare ho? I think you've forgotten yet again, that you're an ex-Don, who now lives to fix his wife's sari pleats."
Pallavi pulled away from him laughing and ran backstage.
Pallavi hadn't practiced Kathak for a while, not since Raghav had caught her in his studio. As she paced backstage, waiting for Rahul and Mansi's performance to end, she thought back to that day. Raghav hadn't actually told her to not use the room, he might have even tried to compliment her. She was nervous, but she thought back to his smile after she told him she still thought Telugu songs were too loud. She walked onto the stage after Nikhil announced her.
"Without any practice, Pallavi Didi has decided to grace us with a dance, now we all were in awe after Raghav Jiju's performance, but to anyone who doubts me, I will bet you my life savings that Pallavi sets the stage on fire after hers."
Pallavi started moving, it was like muscle memory, she told Nikhil to play one of her favorite songs, Ishq Bina. It was a slow song, but the emotion behind it for her was real. As she moved across the stage, spun around, she saw Raghav. He wasn't smiling, instead his jaw was on the floor, she smiled and then Raghav caught her eye. She winked at him, and moved closer to the front of the stage. All Raghav wanted to do was jump up on stage and hold her, but he also couldn't ruin such a beautiful performance. His hand found the bracelet in his pocket, he'd find a special way to give it back to her, and he would win this challenge for sure.
After the performance was over, Pallavi came back to the hall, and as she came close to Raghav, Keerthi jumped in.
"Anna, are you and Akka going to dance, or are we Raos going to just let Mansi and Rahul take all the praise."
Raghav was taken aback, he started to stammer, "I don't know, keerthi—I mean, me and Pall—"
"Keerthi, he just saw my performance, your poor brother is afraid, he knows that if we're on stage together he won't be able to handle me."
"Acchha, that's what you think of your husband," Raghav smiled.
"Try and change my mind." Pallavi retorted, grinning.
Raghav took her hand and pulled her backstage.
"Raghav, I was just kidding, we haven't practiced anything, we don't have to."
"Nikhil," Raghav called, "Announce us next, and play this song." He handed Nikhil his phone pulled up to a song that Pallavi couldn't catch the name of.
"Raghav, come on," Pallavi stood in front of him, her hands on his shoulders, "don't take all my jokes so seriously or you'll get high blood pressure in just a week."
Raghav pretended to be angry, "unless you dance with me, you can forget about any challenge we had."
Pallavi was taken aback at his forcefulness, she knew he wasn't really mad, but thinking about his past anger didn't scare her now, she just remembered that Raghav only got angry when he actually cared.
Raghav pulled her to the center of the stage, as soon as the song started playing, and Raghav placed his hand on Pallavi's waist, and took her other hand in his. She placed her free hand on his shoulder, and almost immediately Raghav was waltzing her around the stage.
They didn't stop looking in each other's eyes, even when Raghav spun her. Everyone else in the hall disappeared. It was just the two of them. With every note of the song, Pallavi felt closer and closer to Raghav. She felt safe when he carried her, when his hand found her waist again, when he dipped her.
Then the song ended. Raghav pulled her up from the dip hard. Their faces close. Pallavi breathing hard. Raghav eyes dropped to her lips, and he imagined what it would feel like to kiss them. To carry Pallavi away from all of this, back to his bed, and have his wife the way he had wanted to for so long.
Though the audience had started clapping, Pallavi was still holding onto Raghav, and without thinking she uttered, "I love you Raghav Rao."
Raghav almost fell back, but his shock quickly turned to a smile.
"I told you I would win."
Then he let go of Pallavi's waist, and in front of everyone, he got down on one knee, and took her hand, from his pocket he pulled out the bracelet.
Pallavi gasped, "You found it! But where—"
Raghav closed the clasp, and looked up at Pallavi, "I know I get angry too much. I know I'm arrogant, and rude, and most of the time incredibly stupid. I know you deserve so much better than me. I even know that we're already married. But forget all of that. Right now, I need you to know that I will stop at nothing to have you in my life, to have you smile, to watch you dance, to admire your cooking, the way you take care of my family, how you handle your business, how you handle everything."
Raghav stood up, and he didn't care if anyone in the hall could hear him, he pulled Pallavi close and looked in her eyes, "I love you and I don't care that you make me a better man, I just want to spend my life watching you be the amazing woman that you are. Will you marry me, again?"
Pallavi swallowed, her eyes getting wet with tears, "Yes, even if it means I have to lose every challenge we have from now on, yes."
Raghav smiled and hugged her, spinning her around. Only then did they realize that everyone was watching them, "Sorry folks, I just needed confirmation that my wife really did want to marry me, let's all continue with our night." Raghav said.
Pallavi laughed and pulled him off the stage.
