After the obligatory congratulations and pictures, Nikhil decided that now was a time for celebration, "So now that we have two of the most beautiful couples in Hyderabad, shall we have some dancing?"
The whole room cheered, and right as Mansi was about to take the microphone and announce a dance dedicated to her husband, Keerthi yelled, "Pallavi, I know this wedding was a surprise from my precious, and stubborn, brother, but please tell me you're going to perform for us? The sangeet wasn't enough, we want MORE!"
Aai, Amma, and Nikhil added to the cheers for Pallavi, as well as a bunch of the other guests.
"Everyone calm down, unlike so many of you Telugu natives, this Marathi mulgi needs no practice to amaze you all." Pallavi grinned, glancing at Raghav, who was yet again impressed by her courage.
Since this morning, Pallavi knew exactly what song she wanted to perform. It was a slow song, but everything about it reminded her of Raghav, and it made her think of the future they would have.
Everyone backed away to give her space to perform in front of the mandap, as Akash hit a spotlight from the background. "Dheeme Dheeme" from one of Pallavi's favorite movies, Zubeidaa, started playing.
[Note to readers: As avid A.R. Rahman fans are well aware, this song is about a woman singing to her lover.]
Pallavi began the song sitting down, her new payals tapping to the beat. The whole room was silent as she rose to her feet. It was clear to everyone that she was dancing for only one person in the room. As the song progressed, and the chorus began for a second time, it became more obvious that this performance was for her husband.
Raghav didn't notice or care about anyone else there. All he could see was Pallavi, the way her hips moved, the way her smile seemed to light up the room more than the spotlight that followed her, how her eyes glittered and revealed the happiness and beauty in her soul.
As she moved closer and closer to him, Raghav had an urge, like the urge he'd had so many times today and over the past couple weeks, to carry her away from everyone and back to their home, and make her his wife. But he controlled it, and instead, as the instrumental part of the song began he took Pallavi's hand and her kathak performance transformed into a waltz. Throughout all of this, neither Pallavi or Raghav noticed nor cared that there were other people in the room.
As Raghav's hand found Pallavi's waist all Pallavi could see was his fierce but soft eyes, and she never wanted him to let go.
After the song ended, Raghav and Pallavi were in each other's arms for what felt like an eternity, but to Mansi, Baba, Amruta, Sulochana, and anyone else who had less than gracious thoughts for the pair it was just a few awkward seconds.
Pallavi and Raghav broke apart, finally, and then Mansi, mostly half heartedly, performed (Rahul joined in, with more gusto, but Mansi's envy was clear to mostly anyone in the room with half a brain).
As the party continued, Amma and dancing with Aai and Nikhil. Akash stole a dance with Keerthi when Raghav's attention was on talking up Pallavi's showroom to his more fancy guests. Pallavi felt like she could dance until her feet gave up on her, and then she felt someone behind her.
"I know we're not in America or anything, but won't you dance with your new husband tonight?" Raghav whispered into her ear.
Pallavi grinned and turned around, "first of all, you've been my husband for over a month and a half now, and second of all, I think it's more important that you finish that dance you promised me yesterday, isn't it?"
Pallavi glanced in the direction of Baba, who was lurking, pretending to enjoy himself, in the background.
Raghav groaned, "You are the only woman in the world who would give up a chance to dance with the Raghav Rao, I'm warning you, these chances don't come often."
Pallavi laughed, "I'll risk it, I'm more interested if you're a man of your word or not..."
"Pallavi Rao, you know very well I am."
Raghav backed away and started to approach Saanki Baap. His nerves got the better of him and he stopped. Pallavi laughed watching his downright apprehension at approaching Baba. Then Raghav spotted a strategy, Rahul and Milind Kaka were standing near each other, they'd stopped dancing for a bit, and they weren't far from Saanki Baap.
He approached them, and then whispered in Rahul's ear, "I need a favor and you know that one day I'll pay you back. You get your father-in-law to dance, and then i'll bring in...my 'father-in-law.'"
Rahul was confused, but Raghav had done so much for him these past few weeks, he shrugged it off and pulled Milind on the dance floor.
"Arre Baba, you're standing here, don't you see, your younger brother is already on the floor with his new son-in-law, we don't everyone thinking that he's a better dancer than you do we? Raghav took his shot, expecting the worst.
"You are not my son-in-law." Baba replied.
Raghav tried to control his irritation, "Listen, Rambo, you claim that Pallavi is your daughter, by that extension, I'm your son-in-law. Your daughter wants me, her husband, to get along with her father. So you're going to shut your mouth and come on the dance floor and we'll dance with Milind Kaka and Rahul and call it a day. Deal?"
Baba was silent, and didn't move.
"Or I can tell your daughter, my wife that you'd rather keep up this useless enmity on the day of her wedding."
Baba looked to Pallavi, she did seem to be waiting for him to approach the dance floor with Raghav, and he relented.
It was an awkward dance, clearly Raghav and Milind Kaka were putting in the most effort, but after it was over Raghav breathed a sigh of relief.
He spotted Pallavi and Keerthi silently laughing a little ways away and approached them.
"Never did I think I would see my brother, the Don of Hyderabad, dancing with his father-in-law, just because he lost a bet." Keerthi couldn't contain her laughter anymore.
"Don't let my wife tell you lies, she knows well enough that i won the bet," Raghav said, taking Pallavi's hand and pulling her close to start dancing with her again.
"Keerthi, no matter who won the bet, I think Raghav would like you to know that from now on he dances to his wife's whims." Pallavi laughed as Raghav spun her around.
"We'll see who's dancing to who's whims later tonight." Raghav whispered in her ear, sending another shiver down Pallavi's spine.
