The next couple months were absolute bliss. Pallavi had never been this happy. Even though the days sped by so quickly, every moment with Raghav felt special. At times she felt like he was hiding something from her, but whenever she tried to talk to him about it, he changed the subject. Farhad had reassured her yesterday that it was just stress from work, but Pallavi could tell that something outside of work was wrong.
"Pallavi!" Raghav yelled as he came downstairs.
"Kya hai, why are you screaming, it's 8AM." Pallavi was getting breakfast ready before Amma and Keerthi came downstairs
"I need my beautiful wife's opinion on something, blue tie or red?"
Pallavi looked at the two ties, "Blue. Why are you wearing a tie, did someone at your store tell you to stop dressing like a gangster from the 1980s?" She laughed as she started to tie the tie for him.
Raghav took her wrists in his hands, "Pallavi Rao, if I am such a gangster, then you're no less than a gangster's wife. Always lecturing me, jab dekho gussa main rehthi ho." He smiled, and kissed her cheek.
Pallavi grinned, "haas ji, good to know you've figured it out finally, mujhse bachke rehna, samjhe?" She smoothed the tie and said, "done, so now tell me why you're wearing the tie?"
"We have that anniversary party for one of my friends tonight, you didn't forget right?"
"Oh right, what time are we leaving from here?"
"8PM, I want to see you dressed and ready at 8PM, you better not call me from your showroom at 8 telling me you'll be home in twenty minutes." Raghav warned her.
"And you tell me that I'm always angry," Pallavi laughed and turned around back to the table.
Before she could Raghav pulled her close by her waist, "Mujhe bathaa hai, Saree ka Dukaan, ki yeh Don ka roop, tumko bahut pasand hai."
"Kuch bhi, chodo mujhe, Amma aur Keerthi abhi aajayenge nashtha ke liye." Pallavi moved to remove his arms from around her.
"Kya baath hai Bhai, Bhaabi, so much romance, so early in the morning?" Keerthi came down the stairs and Raghav let go of Pallavi, looking embarrassed as Pallavi laughed, going back to setting the table.
That night as Raghav was driving back home to pick up Pallavi from the party, his mood was finally calm. Over the past two months, the pace he had felt, the safety, he never wanted to lose it. Having Amma and Keerthi with him was amazing enough, but Pallavi sleeping next to him every night, it gave him a new reason to wake up in the morning. The doctor from the hospital had been calling every day, but the update was the same, Mandaar hadn't woken up.
When he walked into the house he expected to have to yell for Pallavi to come down, because, like every woman, even Saree ka Dukaan took way too long to get ready. But Pallavi was standing in front of him, waiting patiently. She looked goddess-like. In a pale blue sari, with her hair flowing down her back like a waterfall, her face splitting into a smile when she saw Raghav.
"So, do I look like a proper gangster's wife, or do you want me to change?" Pallavi asked, grinning.
Raghav walked towards her, he took her hand and brought it up to his mouth to kiss it, "you, Pallavi Raghav Rao, look like an absolute goddess."
Pallavi smiled, then Raghav pulled her close to him, his hand clasping hers, the other finding her waist, "In fact, I'm thinking my friend, I'm not that close to him, we could just skip the party..."
"Very funny, Raghav," she pushed him away and walked to the door, "we're going, come on."
