When Pallavi arrived back at Raghav's house with Krishna at 6:45PM, Keerthi rushed her upstairs, "If Amma figures out you're this late she will not be happy."
"I'm so sorry, there was a customer who just couldn't figure out what to buy, I mean he had a good eye, so I wanted to make sure he got what he wanted—"
"Pallavi tell me the grand tale of 'A Day in the Life of Pallavi the Saree Shop Owner' another time" Keerthi laughed.
Pallavi smiled and closed the bedroom door behind her. She went to the cabinet and took out the saree that Keerthi had insisted on getting for her yesterday. It was white, a color she used to hate as much as red, but the lacework was beautiful. As she draped it she wondered what it would feel like if she were getting ready for a reception for a relationship she actually wanted. As she reapplied her sindoor in the mirror, she again thought about how much she hated the color. She hid the mangal sutra underneath the saree and went downstairs to see if Amma needed any help.
"Pallavi, you're looking beautiful," Amma was almost in tears, "kisi ka nazar na lage." Amma put a small dot of her kajal behind Pallavi's ear.
"Wow, Pallavi di, what did I tell you, this sari makes you look like a model." Keerthi gushed, giving Pallavi a big hug. Keerthi knew that Pallavi was still struggling with her decision, that marriage was never something that Pallavi wanted again, but she admired Pallavi for smiling through it for Amma's sake.
Just then, after a swarm of guests started to enter the house, Pallavi spotted Aai, and the rest of her family. Except for Baba.
She ran to Aai, with Amma and Keerthi following her, "Aai, you came, Amma said she invited you, but I didn't think you would come."
Sharda was silent, while the rest of the family looked more shocked than happy.
Pallavi noticed Nikhil looking worried, "Nikhil, how are you, are you okay?" She whispered so Amma couldn't hear her.
Nikhil pulled her aside as Amma and Keerthi tried to end the awkwardness with the rest of the Deshmukhs, "Di, you didn't have to do this. Krishna told me everything. What were you thinking? It was my mistake—"
Pallavi smiled and then quieted Nikhil, "Don't make me a stranger, I'm your sister, how could I not move heaven and earth to get you out. And it wasn't your mistake, that Raghav Rao—" Pallavi stopped as she saw Amma moving towards her, "I'll explain everything later Nikhil, but don't worry, keep quiet. Everything is fine now."
"Sharda Ji, I'm so happy you came," Amma looked imperiously at Sulochana and Amruta, knowing full well that their smiles were actually smirks in disguise, "I know the wedding was a bit sudden, so I wanted to have this reception just to try to mend things."
Aai said nothing, and just nodded, smiling faintly. She looked at her daughter. How could Pallavi have made such a big decision without consulting her? Why did she make this decision?
"Jaya Ji, I'd like to talk to Pallavi for a second, if you don't mind."
Amma looked nervous, but didn't protest as Sharda pulled Pallavi into the corner of the hall, away from the families and the other guests.
"What the hell is happening Pallavi, first your get married to this thug without telling us, then he threatens Vijay Ji, and now this?" Sharda couldn't control her anger anymore, the betrayal was too much.
Pallavi held back tears, "Aai, I did this...I only did this for you and Baba, and Nikhil. Please believe me."
"How can I believe you Pallavi? How? All of the respect that your father has spent over thirty years building in this city, gone. First, because that Raghav Rao decided to lie and create a huge scene about your illicit affair, and now this wedding!" Sharda tried to keep her voice down, but she couldn't control herself anymore.
Sulochana narrowed her eyes and smiled, Saint Pallavi was finally getting her comeuppance. She walked over to Sharda and Pallavi, "Of course she had to marry Raghav, Vahini, she just lost all respect in the city, so she must have begged her lover on her knees to help—"
"Sulochana!" this time it wasn't Milind that told her to shut up, but both Aai and Amma.
"Sulochana Ji, this is my son's house, so I will have to kindly ask you to leave your bitter and disgusting mindset outside if you want to stay here." Amma said coldly, "Sharda Ji, again, I know this wedding was sudden, but I am asking you, to put aside your anger for one night."
Milind and Nikhil walked Aai to a chair away from the rest of the guests, trying to get her to calm down. Pallavi couldn't stand it anymore. She took a deep breath and held a smile in front of Amma, who was soon called away by some of her friends, all asking where her son was. Then Pallavi made her escape out one of the side doors to the garden. She sat on a bench, her head in her hands, forcing herself not to cry. After a few minutes, she snuck back inside and stood next to Keerthi and Amma, smiling and introducing herself to the guests that Amma brought to her, impatient for the night to end.
Raghav looked at his watch, it was 7:50. He sighed and decided he might as well get tonight over with. He had changed into a black sherwani and left Jayathi Jewels, hoping beyond all hope that the reception that Amma had planned was so short notice that no one he actually new decided to come. When he arrived at the house he noticed the dozens of cars parked up and down his street. He groaned, somehow Amma had managed to get half of Hyderabad in his house.
When he walked in the house, he spotted Amma and Keerthi immediately, they were talking to one of Keerthi's friends he recognized. Then he saw her. She looked like a goddess in white. Her back was turned to Raghav, but one look at her long flowing hair and how elegantly she held herself in the sari, Raghav stopped short. Who was she, he didn't think she was one of Keerthi's friends, because anyone Keerthi's age at this party were either wearing cocktail dresses or North Indian salwar suits. Then she turned and Raghav had to blink a few times before he finally accepted it was Pallavi. He gathered himself, so what, he knew from day one that Saree ka Dukaan knew how to put on a saree, so did every woman in India.
Amma rushed to Raghav, "You are so late, I told you that I wanted everything perfect tonight—" she adjusted Raghav's sherwani and then dragged him to Pallavi.
"Everyone, thank you for coming. Some of you know me, some of you know my son, and some of you know my new daughter-in-law." Amma's voice thundered throughout the hall, "I know this was short notice, but I want to thank all of you for coming to celebrate this beautiful moment." Amma smiled at Raghav and Pallavi, both of them smiled awkwardly at the rest of the guests. Pallavi's smile faltered upon seeing her family's glares, and Raghav put his scowl back on his face when he noticed that half of his most prominent clients and business associates were in the room. He would kill Farhad for inviting all of them here for this charade.
As the party dragged on Pallavi and Raghav smiled and pretended to be a husband and wife that didn't detest each other in front of every Aunty that Amma had invited and every one of Raghav's clients. It was almost 9:30 when Pallavi saw someone she thought she recognized enter the house. It was her customer from this evening, the man who took over an hour to pick a sari.
"That man is one of the most important fashion designers in the country, he has three labels, over five hundred different boutiques across the world, and owns two different magazines. I have been working to get his business for years now, so do not embarrass me, Saree ka Dukaan." Raghav whispered in Pallavi's ear, his frustration covered up by his plain panic.
"Ms. Deshmukh!" the man walked to Pallavi smiling, he was holding a gift bag in one hand, "what a funny coincidence!"
"How do you know Raghav Rao?" He asked.
