The next day, Vikram asked if he could bring his daughter over to the house for her first lesson. Pallavi agreed quickly, she was very excited to teach again, and she hoped that Raghav wouldn't be there to spoil her mood. When she came downstairs and saw Raghav discussing some work with Farhad, she plucked up the courage to ask him.
"So, since it's the end of the month, I'm assuming you and Farhad will be busy at your showroom all day and evening right?" Pallavi asked, nonchalantly.
Raghav looked up at Pallavi. So she was talking to him now, Raghav thought, what did she want him to come home today for? "Kyun, did you need me for something tonight? Yeh pathni ka natak mere samne math karo, that's what you told me right?"
Farhad backed away from the conversation, wondering if Raghav would stop before he put his foot in his mouth or destroyed any chance at a relationship with Pallavi Bhabi.
"I don't need you for anything, please go spend the whole night at your shop if you wish." Pallavi turned and hid her smile, Raghav clearly wasn't planning on being early from work tonight, she'd be able to have her dance lesson in peace.
When Vikram knocked on the door at four in the afternoon, with Vidya by his side, he was hoping that Raghav wouldn't be the one to open the door. He knew that he had signed a deal with him, but over the past couple weeks, he had gotten to know Pallavi so well that he realized that something was off about this marriage. Raghav seemed to be the kamina everyone in Hyderabad knew he was, and it didn't matter how many diamonds he was able to sell in India, he'd stay like that.
Pallavi opened the door, she had told Amma and Keerthi about the lesson, and though they wanted to stay, Keerthi had some work with another shop she did the accounts for, and Amma wanted to go to the temple. So she had the house to herself for once.
"Hi Vikram, and this must be the famous Vidya, how are you today?"
Vidya was shy, but Pallavi's kindness and gentleness was something that any child would take a liking too immediately, "I'm doing okay Pallavi Aunty, aur aap?"
"Main? I'm doing amazing, your Papa has given me a chance to teach Kathak again, so my day is going splendidly!" She let the both of them inside.
"Thank you for doing this Pallavi, Vidya has been dancing up and down the walls since I told her." Vikram was relieved that Raghav was no where to be seen. "Do you mind if I just hang out here while you two dance your pants off? Vidya's nanny has her day off today, it's a hassle for me to drop her and then come back."
"Of course not, Vidya, I moved around the patio furniture in the back garden, so as long as you don't mind dancing on grass, want to have the lesson out there? The marble floor inside is so unforgiving, isn't it?"
Vidya nodded, "Aunty, I was telling Papa about this dance I just finished practicing can I show you?" She followed Pallavi eagerly to the back garden.
Vikram smiled as he took a seat on a bench outside and watched them start their lesson. Somehow, his daughter, who disliked almost all women, even her nanny, since his wife, Aishwarya had left them, had immediately taken a liking to Pallavi.
Pallavi was surprised at how easy teaching Vidya was, but she wasn't surprised with how much she enjoyed it. After about an hour of Pallavi learning Vidya's strengths and weaknesses, she could tell that Vidya was getting tired, but she was having so much fun, "Vidya, maybe that's enough for you today, but since this is my audition to be your teacher, would you like to see what I can teach you one day?"
Vidya nodded excitedly and when Vikram smiled, Pallavi made her sit down next to him and put on a song from her phone.
Across town, at around forty minutes past four, Raghav started thinking about Pallavi. Why had she asked if he was staying late at the office today? Was she hiding something from him, and wanted him out of the house so he didn't find out? Or did she have some sort of plan for him?
