The next morning Pallavi turned and woke up with a start, her arm had fallen on Raghav. She sat up and Raghav woke up as well, acting as if nothing had just happened.
"You wake up very early every morning," Raghav said, rubbing his eyes.
"Last night, I—" Pallavi started, confused as to how she got on the bed.
"No need to apologize for the slap and lecture, Saree ka Dukaan. You hit like a girl anyway."
Pallavi glared at him and got out of the bed, "I wasn't apologizing for anything, how did I get on the bed."
"You flew here," Raghav started sarcastically, "duffer, I carried you, if you slept on that chair all night your neck and back would be a mess by now."
"I don't care, who asked you to carry me? What is wrong with you?" Pallavi shouted in his face, "And, please, for the love of god, put on a shirt."
She started to get off the bed when Raghav grabbed her wrist and pulled her back, "Listen, Saree ka Dukaan, despite your frankly very violent and rude behavior last night—"
"My rude behavior?!—" Pallavi was furious now, and trying desperately to get Raghav to let go of her wrist.
"Despite that, you'll be happy to know that I talked to your Rambo waala Appa yesterday, and he should call you back to the store today."
Pallavi finally freed herself from Raghav's grasp, "You mean you threatened him again with something stupid, I didn't ask for your help Raghav. I don't want your help. You already destroyed my relationship with my family once, please don't do any more. And even if Baba does call me, he won't be doing it because he thinks I'm capable." Pallavi got off the bed and pulled out a sari to wear from the closet.
Raghav walked up to her, "Wow, yesterday you were all 'my father this, my father that,' all your love for Saanki Baba gone in one day?"
"No, nothing like that. But if after everything I have done for them, they choose not to appreciate me, not to forgive me, that's their problem. If I want to prove to Baba that I am worthy of his trust, I'll just have to show him that despite marrying a human like you, I can stand on my own two feet. I don't need your help to do that." Pallavi took her sari and walked into the bathroom.
Raghav smiled to himself, somehow this woman never failed to surprise them.
At the table downstairs, Pallavi was serving breakfast to Amma and Keerthi when Raghav came downstairs and sat down. She purposefully avoided his eyes, though he was looking at her. Instead of offering him any food, she sat down, and Raghav served himself.
Amma and Keerthi looked at each other. Amma could tell that Raghav had neither apologized nor had he told Pallavi that he had spoken to her Baba.
"Pallavi, are you going to the saree shop today?"
"No, Amma. But yesterday, Vikram mentioned that he'd like me to visit his boutique and wants to go over when to set meetings with which vendors, so I'll be going there."
Raghav narrowed his eyes, "But, I talked to—"
"Raghav, my decision is final." Pallavi responded "But don't worry, I'm not interfering in your business. I have no interest in jewelry or your work at all."
Keerthi decided that Amma shouldn't have all the fun stoking the fire, "Bhai, are you jealous?"
Raghav glared at her, "What?"
"Of course he is" Pallavi said, smiling.
Raghav looked shocked, what was this Saree ka Dukaan saying?
Pallavi looked at Keerthi, "he's jealous that Vikram wants to do business with me as well as him, your brother thinks he was born to be the only person allowed to do business in this city. I'll have fun proving him wrong." Pallavi finished her breakfast and went to the kitchen to put the dishes away before she left for Vikram's boutique.
Raghav looked at his plate, he considered Pallavi's words, but truth be told, he hadn't thought twice about his deal with Vikram since before lunch yesterday. The images that popped in his head was Pallavi smiling and laughing with Vikram in the restaurant, the way Vikram took her hand to dance at the reception party, and how he seemed to find any excuse to praise her. Raghav scowled, something was definitely off about this.
"Amma, I don't think Bhai is jealous of Vikram's business" Keerthi said, smiling at Raghav.
"Keerthi, shut up." Raghav got up and walked inside the kitchen.
Pallavi was talking to someone on the phone when Raghav walked in, she was looking tense. He smiled to himself, maybe Vikram decided to go another way with the designs for his store. But then he heard Pallavi say, "Baba, I know you haven't forgiven me, and I don't think it is smart of me to come back to the shop until I can prove to you that I haven't done anything wrong. That means I'll show you that I can stand up by myself, without anyone's help, and hopefully that I'm worthy of your trust. Bye, Baba, aap apne kyaal rakhiye."
When she got off the phone Pallavi saw Raghav staring at her, "What's wrong with you? If you've come here to give me your plate to wash, I'm not doing that, do it yourself." Pallavi put away her plate on the dish rack and started to leave the kitchen when Raghav stood in her way.
"Why did you refuse your Saanki Baba, you see that he's not angry—" Raghav started.
"First of all, I told you what I was going to do a little earlier, go to the doctor and get your memory checked, Raghav. Second of all, I love my Baba, but sometimes even our parents make a mistake. Yes I have to win back Baba's trust, but it's a two way street, his anger a week ago was justified, his anger yesterday, after Nikhil told him everything, wasn't. I don't like to say it, but Baba is wrong this time. Enough explanation for you?" Pallavi tried to leave the kitchen by moving out of Raghav's way, but he didn't let her.
"What now, Raghav? What is your problem?" Pallavi was getting angry now.
"I don't know if you should work with that Vikram—" Raghav started.
"I'm done with this conversation, if you're doing a deal with him, you're putting your jewelry brand with him, then why can't I do the same? What he's a good enough businessman for you but not me? Before you framed Nikhil you promised that after this sham wedding you would leave me alone. Now I know I can't hold you to your word on that now, but please. Just leave me alone." Pallavi moved to the side and walked out of the kitchen.
Raghav watched her pick up her bag, touch Amma's feet, and then walk out the door. His fists clenched thinking about Pallavi meeting with Vikram. He didn't understand why, but he knew that something was wrong with Vikram, maybe he was fooling Pallavi, maybe he didn't really want to hire her, or maybe he just wanted to steal her designs. Raghav didn't realize what Amma and Keerthi plainly saw on his face, he was jealous of another man paying attention to his wife. A wife he thought he hated, but perhaps that hatred was dissipating, and even if love was not filling into that void, it might be that Raghav was beginning to respect Pallavi, respect her work and her place in his life.
