Raghav walked into the room, and then he finally took a sigh of relief when he got a closer look at who was asleep in the patient bed. For a moment it looked like Nikhil was in the bed. But it wasn't him. Then Raghav looked closer at the man, he looked very much like Nikhil, in fact, Raghav felt that he had seen this face before. He was about to leave the room, when he suddenly remembered a small framed photo on a dresser in Deshmukh house. The photo had been in Saanki Baap and Aai's room. And then it hit Raghav. He turned back to the bed, the sleeping man. It was Mandaar.
Raghav rubbed his eyes, he tried to check if he was having a nightmare. This couldn't be happening. This made no sense. Mandaar was dead, Pallavi had told him that Mandaar had died. Why else would the whole family, especially that Bindi Waali Kaku treat Pallavi like a pariah if she weren't really a widow.
As Raghav tried to rationalize the situation, a doctor walked in the room.
"Sir, do you know this man?"
Raghav turned around, "Uh, no. Who is he?"
"We don't know, he's been in a coma for over two years now, he didn't have any ID with him, and no one has come to visit him. But If you know him, you should know he's showing some signs of improvement. He might even be able to wake up soon."
Before the doctor could say anymore, Raghav stumbled out of the room. He ran out of the hospital, and made it to his car.
What was happening? How could Mandaar be alive? As he got home he felt the ring in his pocket, what was he going to tell Pallavi?
As he walked in, Amma and Keerthi greeted him, "Raghav beta, we have to go out to a friend's tonight for dinner, so we'll see you later."
As Amma and Keerthi left, Pallavi walked to Raghav and moved to give him a kiss on his cheek. Raghav dodged her and walked straight to his bar, and poured himself a drink.
"Raghav, it's only the afternoon, have some food—"
"I'm not hungry, in fact I have a lot of work, don't disturb me." Raghav took his glass and the bottle and locked himself in his study, leaving Pallavi shaken and confused.
What was wrong with him, he seemed fine this morning? Pallavi shook her head and tried to get the worry out of her head, he must have a lot of pending work at his store, he had been working so hard on the wedding for the past couple weeks. That must be the issue. But Raghav was in the study all day, he didn't come out for dinner, even after Pallavi knocked on the study door twice, she even asked Reddy to try to get Raghav to come out. It was almost two in the morning when Raghav stumbled into the bedroom, Pallavi was asleep in bed. She had been crying, and upon hearing Raghav walk in, she pretended to be asleep. Raghav looked at her, not noticing her tear stricken face in the dark. Why had God decided to punish him like this?
As he climbed into bed he moved to touch Pallavi's shoulder, wake her up and tell her everything. To apologize for the way he had behaved after he had come home today. But he stopped himself. Thinking she was asleep, he said, "forgive me, Pallavi, I got some bad news today, and I took out my worry and anger on you."
Pallavi's eyes widened, though her back was turned to Raghav, she could tell his apology was sincere. This was a man who had vowed to his mother that he would never apologize to her, no matter what happened. So when he asked for forgiveness, it was nothing if not real. What could be wrong?
