Over the next few days, Pallavi was incredibly busy. Either she was finishing up work for the designs she had to give Vikram, or Vikram was on a video call with her, asking question after question. Sometimes they met at the boutique, but Pallavi preferred to stay at home, because she didn't want to give Raghav any excuse to follow her around again. She had found a new fire in the work she and Vikram were doing. But by the fifth or so call, their conversations didn't stop at work. Pallavi found it increasingly easy to talk to Vikram, though Pallavi knew his divorce was nothing like Mandaar dying, it seemed like they both had an understanding of loss that Pallavi took comfort in. She was initially worried that what Raghav had said to her outside the cafe a few days ago, but after talking to Vikram for longer, she decided that his interest in her work was genuine. Raghav Rao, who had never spoken to a women with respect in his life, clearly had no idea what he was talking about, Pallavi decided.
Raghav noticed these increased conversations, but didn't pay too much attention because they seemed completely about work when he walked in on them when Pallavi was either in the living room or working on the dining table. But one morning, as he walked downstairs for breakfast, not caring or noticing that Pallavi was nowhere to be seen, he heard her laugh.
When he went out in the back garden he saw her practically skipping and crying with laughter, her headphones in, clearly in conversation with someone on the phone. As Weerthi walked by Raghav stopped her, "Who is Saree ka Dukaan talking to? Did someone in her family decide she was worth speaking to finally?"
Keerthi glared at him, "Stop with your insults and this 'Saree ka Dukaan' nonsense, Bhabi ka naam Pallavi hai, and she's not talking to her family, she's talking to Vikram. Something about work I think." With that Keerthi left.
Raghav stood in the doorway watching as Pallavi's conversation with this duffer stretched on and on. He caught her telling him about the first time she learnt how to drape a sari from her brother's wife, and how it looked horrible. How her mother used to sing to her before she wen to sleep when she was a child. Raghav was shocked to learn, and a little angry he was learning this by listening to his wife's conversation with another man, that her parents had passed away when she was very young. Pallavi didn't even notice Raghav watching her. The conversation must have changed to Vikram's ex because he heard Pallavi say, "even though you two are apart, I'm sure you remember the happy moments you had. I know I do..."
What happy moments could she be talking about? Raghav wondered if maybe she was talking about Mansi's engagement party, or when she had visited him to give him money for the taxi he booked to Bangalore...then he heard her say, "When I first met my husband, I knew I wanted to be with him forever. The way I could see the kindness in his eyes, the passion with which he spoke about his work, how much he loved his family..."
Raghav walked closer as Pallavi's back was turned to him, wondering why she was lying to Vikram, or perhaps she was telling the truth?
"...I just knew that Mandaar was meant for me, and I think about that first meeting whenever I miss him." Pallavi finished. The sadness in her voice was palpable. "So, Vikram, even if you don't miss your ex-wife, trust me, thinking about the happy moments and moving forward is the best remedy for heartbreak." Pallavi tried to bring her voice back to sounding happy.
Behind her, Raghav's heart sank. He had no idea why he was feeling badly. Of course Saree ka Dukaan wasn't talking about him. There had never been any moments between them that Pallavi, or he, might be able to think back to fondly. Though, Raghav's thoughts went back to the dance at Mansi's engagement, how he had met Pallavi in her room to help her with her blouse, that night the fake bomb had shown up in his house, the way she had danced with such electricity at that sangeet, her hijacking of his pop-up show. He backed back into the house, wondering why these thoughts came into his head. Did Pallavi really remember none of them? He could take her hatred of him, but this indifference, it bothered him. As he sat down to start breakfast, looking back over and over again to see if Pallavi had come inside, he felt the dragon in his chest grow angrier and angrier. He was definitely angry at Vikram, and at Pallavi, but what he didn't understand was why he was angry with himself.
When Pallavi walked in and sat down at the table, Raghav decided to focus his frustration on her, "So, who were you talking to for so long? Were you sharing your whole life story, or did you saye some of that for the next call?" Though he knew who she had been talking to, he wanted to hear it from her, to see if there was any guilt or shame in her face. But there didn't seem to be.
"I was talking to Vikram, we had some work to finish up, but after that yes we kept talking. Tujhe kyun mirchi lag nahi hai? Are you angry he's not friends with you?" Pallavi responded plainly, not looking at him as she poured herself some juice.
"I don't make a habit of mixing my personal life with my professional." Raghav said, his frustration growing with Pallavi's nonchalance.
"Wow, what amazing and original advice!" Pallavi responded sarcastically, "If you take a look in the mirror some time you'll realize quickly why no one wants to be your friend."
Pallavi gave Raghav a cold smile, and took a sip of her juice.
"What was the need to tell him about your former husband? You just met him a couple weeks ago? I mean such a personal—" Raghav started.
"It would have been Vikram's and his ex-wife's anniversary today, so I just offered some advice...hold on a second, why were you listening to my conversation? Don't you have better things to do than spy and bother people?" Pallavi asked, distractedly because her thoughts then drifted back to Mandaar, and then to Vikram and how he clearly sounded depressed on the phone. Then she heard Raghav ask something that she never expected.
"Do you think about Mandaar, I mean your former husband a lot?" Raghav himself had no idea why he asked this.
"I—I do sometimes—why are you asking me this? What, are you writing a novel or something?" Pallavi got up and walked back upstairs, her mind back to oscillating between Vikram's sadness and her memories of Mandaar.
Raghav pushed his plate away, what the hell was wrong with him? Why in God's name did he care if Pallavi thought about her former husband? Or if she shared her thoughts with someone else?
