Pallavi walked into the boutique at around eleven in the morning. She was wearing a simple yellow sari, with her hair pinned back with two simple braids on either side. She didn't feel the need to dress up, but she wanted to look professional when she met with Vikram again. She needed to show him that she was capable of this project, because her success would only help Baba see the truth about her.
Vikram saw her walk in from afar, and before he made his presence known, he watched her. She looked like she was hiding her nervousness by holding her head high, but he saw a twinge of excitement in her eyes as well. He admired the way her hair flowed like a waterfall down her back, the ease with which she carried herself in such a simple sari, and how despite the sari being simple she looked like royalty in it.
"Pallavi, great to see you! How are you doing?" Vikram walked to meet her in the middle of the store.
"I'm doing fine, thank you, how are you?" Pallavi responded, a little surprised by his sudden appearance.
"Great! Now that you're here." Vikram added, smiling a little.
Pallavi smiled, a little awkwardly, "shall we get to work?"
"Yes of course, as you can see the boutique is already in full swing, we have our western designs and sections already set up, I'm experimenting with offering casual, professional, and evening wear. But with your help, I'm hoping this area of the store," Vikram pointed to a corner of the store that had been closed off with a sign saying 'Coming Soon, Designs by Pallavi Rao', "will be where we start our Indian section.
Pallavi's eyes lit up at the sight of her name on the sign, "the sign, I—I thought you said there were going to be other designers as well?"
Vikram smiled, "well yes, but at my other locations in other states, this boutique only has you and I as designers." He walked a little closer to her and admired the way her eyes glittered when she smiled.
"Thank you so much for this opportunity, I have some more polished versions of the designs I wanted to show you, and a list of vendors I've used before—" Pallavi started going through her bag to pull out her sketchpad.
Vikram laughed, "It's great to see you so excited, my office in the back is a huge mess right now, why don't we work at the cafe across the street, let me just get my tablet and wallet.
Raghav couldn't concentrate on his work, he couldn't figure out why his mind was going back to Pallavi and Vikram. Why the hell did he care what that Saree ka Dukaan was doing, or who she was doing it with? He knew that she wasn't actually seducing him, she didn't think like that, about anyone probably. But something bothered him about Vikram.
"Farhad, I'm heading out. I'll see you tomorrow." Raghav said, grabbing his car keys and making his way out the door.
"Anna, where are you going?"
"To figure something out."
When he drove up to the boutique, he could see from outside the glass doors that Pallavi wasn't inside. He remembered she had worn a yellow saree this morning. Then he spotted her, she was walking down the street with Vikram, and then he saw them enter a coffee shop. What the hell was happening? He got out of the car and walked to the shop, from the window he could see the two of them sit down at a table, and a waiter came to ask them for their order. Without understanding why he was doing what he was doing, Raghav grabbed a newspaper from a passerby and when the stranger complained he stuffed a 500 rupee note in his pocket and told him to get lost. Raghav walked into the cafe surreptitiously, making sure that neither Pallavi nor Vikram noticed him. He took a seat two tables down from them, with Pallavi's back facing him, and our of Vikram's eye line.
"So, Pallavi, let's see those polished designs." Vikram took a sip of his coffee and took Pallavi's sketchbook from her.
They went over each design in detail, Vikram offering suggestions here and there, and taking notes on which vendors to start calling, the numbers of sarees in each design he would want produced. After about thirty minutes, the work Pallavi came for was done, but before she could suggest leaving, Vikram asked her for a favor.
"You mentioned that you're a trained Kathak dancer?"
"Yes, why?"
"Well, I've recently decided to shift my daughter here from Delhi, and she wants to pick up her Kathak lessons again, would you have the time to teach her?" Vikram asked.
"You're married, I didn't know, how old is your daughter?" Pallavi was surprised, but it made sense that a man like Vikram, jovial and kind hearted, would be a married father.
"Vidya's 11, but no I'm not married. I've been divorced three years now, my daughter stays with me. Her mother is...well to put it kindly she's a free spirit. Motherhood never really suited her." Vikram's smile was marked with a coldness at this last sentence.
Pallavi was surprised, "I'm so sorry, I didn't know."
"Why would you, and nothing to be sorry about, Vidya and I are perfectly fine with it. So, can I ask you this favor? I don't really have the time to go looking for another teacher, and personally, you were so talented at the waltz at your reception, that I know I'm not making a mistake here. I'd pay you for your time of course."
Pallavi hesitated, she had the time, she loved to teach, and she missed dancing so much. "Uh, why not. I'm not that busy these days." Pallavi smiled, realizing that maybe teaching a little would bring back some joy in her life.
"Thank you so much, and I promise, my daughter is much less of a hassle than I am." Vikram laughed, "Ok, well I've taken up way too much of your time today, but I'm really looking forward to having these designs produced. They're going to be amazing, I can just tell. I'll just call you to find out a good time for you to meet my daughter, as well as all the other work I've put on your plate now? Sorry about that by the way."
Pallavi stood up, "It's perfectly fine, and I'm very excited about these designs too, I really hope they live up to the praise you're already offering them."
They walked out of the cafe together, and Vikram left for his boutique. Pallavi was about to call for an auto when she realized she had left her phone inside. When she swung the door open again, she ran right into Raghav. He had her phone in his hand.
