The next morning Pallavi awoke as the sun hit her face from behind the curtains. She opened her eyes and looked up, Raghav was fast asleep. She was asleep on his chest, his arm around her. She knew she should get up and start on breakfast, and all the other work in the showroom, but looking at Raghav's peaceful face, feeling his steady breath against her, she couldn't move. She realized she wasn't wearing her wedding sari anymore. Then last night flashed before her eyes. She smiled and laughed a little remembering how after they had made love she had tried to go put on a kuntha and pajamas for bed, when Raghav had pulled her back to him and put his wedding kurtha on her.
"I don't want you leaving this bed for even a second, Mrs. Pallavi Raghav Rao, not. one. second." Raghav kissed her forehead and each cheek after the last three words.
They had fallen asleep laughing and talking deep into the night.
Raghav shifted a little, and Pallavi looked up at him again.
"Just because I love you doesn't mean you get to take advantage and sleep on top of me every night, Saree ka Dukaan." Raghav smiled.
Pallavi was suddenly nervous, "Sorry, I just—" she got up quickly and started to get out of the bed.
"Arre, I was just kidding!" Raghav grabbed her wrist again and pulled her back on top of him, "I don't want you to leave, ever."
Raghav kissed her, deeply, his hands moving up her waist and then he was on top of her. Their eyes met, and Pallavi grinned and moved up to kiss him again when Raghav's phone rang.
"Let it ring, no work today." Raghav grinned, as he kissed Pallavi again.
But when the phone rang again, Pallavi pushed Raghav off her and said, "looks like the real love of your life, Farhad, really needs you for something."
She grinned and got out of bed, laughing amidst Raghav's curses to Farhad as he picked up his phone.
Pallavi ran to the bathroom, when she looked at herself in the mirror she hardly recognized herself. She tried, but the smile on her face didn't seem to want to leave. Lost in everything that happened last night, Pallavi showered and got ready for the day. She chose a red sari, a color she used to hate.
And as she opened her box of sindoor, she smiled at the fact that she didn't have to be afraid of the color anymore. She had the complete right to wear red now, and even if no one was stopping her before, now she would be able to wear red because she wanted to. She looked at the sindoor in her hair, now this sindoor wouldn't remind her of a life she thought she'd lost, but a life she couldn't wait to live.
