Raghav stood up and grabbed the doctor he saw yesterday by his collar as he approached Mandaar's room.
"You will keep me updated on his condition daily, if he so much as moves a pinky finger, I want to know about it. You will also tell me if anyone else comes to visit him."
The doctor was shocked, "But, why? Who is he to you?"
"Just do as you're told, my secretary will give you my number." Raghav turned and made his way to the hospital exit.
Farhad watched him leave and prayed with everything he had that this recklessness wouldn't come back to hurt Raghav.
Back at the Rao house, Pallavi was furious. Not only had Raghav left without saying a word to her, he had ignored her call. She took a deep breath and tried to focus on the saree designs she was working on. So what if Raghav was back to being Gamandi Rao, why should she turn into one of the clingy and cringey wives she had seen represented so many time in Hindi soap operas.
But when Keerthi came in the room a few minutes later to see if Pallavi needed any help, she lost all semblance of cool. "Keerthi, do you know if anything is wrong at Raghav's store, or with any of his employees...or if he's in some sort of problem?"
"No, he hasn't mentioned anything to me or Amma, why?"
"He's in a weird mood." Pallavi sighed, "And I don't know what to do."
"Pallavi, Raghav is always in a weird mood. If there was an advertisement for mood-swing medication, the pharmaceutical companies would hire Raghav to be their representative. Someone probably parked in his parking spot or insulted his hair or something."
Pallavi considered this, Keerthi might have been right. But Raghav's apology from last night was worrying her.
Later that night, well past 1:00 AM, after fifteen calls from Keerthi, Amma, and Pallavi, Raghav finally stumbled in drunk into the house.
Amma was furious, "Raghav, what the hell is wrong with you?"
Raghav shushed her drunkenly and stumbled up the stairs to his room, without another word.
"I'm sorry Amma, I'll try to figure out what's wrong with him." Pallavi marched up the stairs.
Raghav was dancing drunkenly to music on the balcony when he saw Pallavi come in the room, her arms crossed.
"Oh no, seems like I've angered my beautiful wife again." Raghav laughed.
"Not only me, but you've pissed off Amma and Keerthi too. What is going on?"
"Nothing, Saree ka Dukaan" Raghav replied, smiling but avoiding her eyes.
Pallavi tensed, he only called her that if he was trying to flirt poorly or if he was actually seriously angry about something to do with her.
"Raghav—"
"Pallavi, I have to ask you something." His voice was suddenly serious, and he walked up close to his wife, taking her hands in his.
"What, what is going on with you?"
"How much do you love me?"
"Raghav, what kind of question is that? If you think now is the time for your silly attempts at romance you are sorely mistaken—" Pallavi pulled away from him.
"No, I need to know. Say tomorrow, you could choose between thousands of saree shops with your name on them across the world...or me. Would it at least be a hard choice?" Raghav knew, despite being drunk, that he couldn't actually bring up Mandaar, that would make her more suspicious.
"No, it wouldn't be a hard choice." Pallavi said flatly.
Raghav frowned, damn it, he thought.
"I would choose you in a heartbeat, now come here, you need a shower, you reek of whiskey."
Pallavi dragged him to the bathroom and pushed him into the shower, turning on the cold water. Raghav gasped, but the pain of the cold water on his face was nothing compared to the joy he felt upon hearing Pallavi's words, 'I would choose you in a heartbeat' she had said. She said it so nonchalantly, as if it really didn't take her a second thought.
"Now stand here until you're no longer wasted and then come to bed, and after today if you come home drunk, I will let Amma deal with you." Pallavi said, frustrated.
Raghav grinned, "I like it when you're bossy Mrs. Rao," and then he took her wrist and pulled her into the shower with him.
"Raghav! Are you insane.?!" The cold water almost made Pallavi's heart stop, but before she could even catch her breath Raghav's lips were on hers. At first she was angry and shocked, but then she melted into the kiss. When they broke apart, Raghav didn't look drunk anymore. He turned off the shower, and kissed his wife again, taking off the clip in her hair with one hand while his other hand pulled her close by her waist. In a flash Raghav had sat her on the bathroom counter and was undoing his shirt, his lips kissing down Pallavi's neck and finding the top button of her kurtha.
"Promise me you'll never leave me, Pallavi Rao." Raghav whispered in his wife's ear, eager for her response.
Pallavi was taken aback at the question and his boldness. But as she felt his fingers stroke the small of her back and his lips on her collarbone, she forgot about anything else. No matter what the problem was, she knew she was safe here, and she knew she would never leave him. She looked into his eyes and smiled, "I promise Raghav Rao."
