Raghav was dancing, but his focus was completely on Pallavi. She had managed to take his attention away from everything, the others in the club, his worries at work, even Vikram's wandering eyes. He had never seen her laugh and smile as much as she was tonight.
When Pallavi was pulled away to the bar by some of the other guests to have another drink. Raghav followed her. He almost stopped her from downing two more shots of whiskey, but then he decided he didn't want to be the reason her night was ruined. He ordered a double whiskey and smiled as she rejoined the dance floor. That's when Vikram approached him.
"So, the great Raghav Rao decided to make an appearance. Thank you." Vikram said, trying to keep his contempt at bay.
Raghav took his eyes off Pallavi and looked at Vikram, "If a business partner invites me somewhere, I don't refuse." He said coldly, not bothering to hide his anger upon seeing Vikram.
"Well I didn't actually invite you, but if you're the reason that Pallavi agreed to come, thank you. You know, I was angry at you, because who else but you could have gotten Pallavi to wear a dress she clearly didn't want to wear, but watching her dance so comfortably in it, the way her smile lights up the room. I'm not angry anymore."
Raghav grabbed Vikram's collar, "Listen, it seems I have to explain things to you again. You have a professional relationship with my wife, and with me. Keep it professional. You don't want to see what an angry Raghav Rao is capable of."
Vikram laughed and removed Raghav's hand, "your wife is so kind and open that I think your marrying her has managed to hide your cruelty these past couple months. But you'd do well to remember what I mentioned to you last week. Pallavi is not a woman to be taken for granted."
Raghav smiled coldly, finished his drink, and went to the dance floor to join his wife.
Pallavi was taken aback when she felt someone take her hand, but then seeing that it was Raghav, her drunken state got the better of her, "Kyaa baat hai, the Ghamandi Rao has come to dance? No longer ashamed of having me as your wife?" She whispered the last question into his ear as he pulled her closer to him. Raghav smiled, "Saree ka Dukaan, you annoy me, infuriate me, but I don't think you've ever made me feel ashamed to stand next to you." Pallavi grinned, drunkenly, and continued to dance.
As the party drew to a close, the whiskey started to wear off and Pallavi began to return to her normal state. She found Raghav at a table finishing a drink, "Raghav, I think it's time for us to leave—"
"Memsaab, tumhari har ek ichchha mere lie hukm hai. Have you had your fun?"
Pallavi smiled at him, "Sorry, I think I went a little overboard," she put his empty glass down and looked at him, "I have no idea how you drink this every night."
"It's an art form, another thing for me to teach you, I think." He smiled at his wife who had leaned against his arm and began to pull him to the exit, seemingly forgetting all of her previous enmity.
Vikram approached them as Pallavi and Raghav were leaving, "Pallavi, you're leaving so soon?" He tried to hide his disappointment, but couldn't.
"Vikram, tonight was amazing, thank you." She let go of Raghav's arm and in her tipsy state, she hugged Vikram, stepping away from the hug she said, "but I think I've had enough dancing for tonight, if I keep at it, people might wonder who's the actual party person between me and the great Raghav Rao." She turned back to Raghav and giggled.
Raghav looked coldly at Vikram and pulled Pallavi gently back to his side, "We'll take your leave, Vikram. My wife is in need of a tall glass of lemon juice and rest. Thank you for tonight."
Pallavi waved goodbye to Vikram as Raghav walked her out of the club and into the car.
When they had reached home, Pallavi immediately stepped out of the heels she was wearing in the main hall, "Dear god, I don't know how women wear these every day, my feet are screaming at me."
Before Raghav could offer his wife a glass of water, she had made her way up the stairs, singing and dancing all the way.
He followed her to their room and saw her picking up her mangal sutra from her vanity and trying to put it back on, she saw him and said, "Sorry, Keerthi insisted that it didn't look right with the dress, though to be honest, it felt weird taking it off."
Raghav walked up and stood behind her, their eyes meeting in the mirror. He swept her hair from her back and took the mangal sutra in his hands, fastening it, while not taking his eyes off her glittering green eyes in the mirror.
She turned around, trying to get a grasp on herself, the two or three drinks she had drunk finally ending their control over her behavior, "thank you—I" she looked up into his eyes. He was so tall, why hadn't she noticed the intensity of his eyes before? "I'll just go and change."
She went to the walk-in closet, leaving the door open in her hurry, and started to fiddle with her dress zipper. Keerthi was the one to zip her up this evening, and Pallavi cursed herself for coming home so late that she couldn't go and ask Keerthi for help again.
Then Pallavi felt Raghav behind her, his breath on her neck.
He took the zipper from her fingers and undid it, just enough so that Pallavi could reach it if she moved her hands. "Thank you, I can manage from here."
Raghav, as if something was pulling him towards Pallavi, couldn't stop there, the scent of her perfume overtaking him. His hands moved from the zipper of her dress down to her waist, and he bent down to kiss her shoulder, then her neck. Surprised, but elated at the moan Pallavi let out at his second kiss.
She turned around, nervous, and confused. Why was he touching her? Was she imagining this? She hadn't drank that much, had she?
When Raghav met her eyes, a hunger overtook him that he couldn't explain, he pulled her close again, his hands in her hair, and kissed her. Her lips were soft and he didn't care if she refused him after this kiss. This kiss was everything he had wanted since he had seen her in this dress earlier that night. But she didn't stop him, Pallavi melted into his kiss, enjoying the way Raghav was holding her.
When they broke apart, Pallavi looked at him and then down, blushing, "Kya hua, mujhe ek dress main dekhkar tum bhool gaye ki main kaun hoon?" She stepped back from him, and left the closet. Raghav turned and followed her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back to him, "Main kuchh bhee nahin bhoola. But, I think I've wanted to do this since before you even put on this dress."
He lifted her chin so her eyes met his and kissed her again, his other hand pulling the zipper of her dress down so the dress started to slip past her shoulders. He pulled her closer and kissed her neck, her shoulder, and moved his lips down further.
"Raghav—"
Raghav stepped back and looked at her, "Sorry. Kya tum chaahati hai ki main rok jaun?" He took his hands off her waist, hoping his mistake hadn't been too grave. He had realized that he had maybe went too far. He tried to understand why he had kissed her, why he found her so attractive, he wasn't understanding anything, except that he wanted her. But if she didn't want him, he wouldn't force her, he couldn't do anything if she didn't agree, it would hurt him just as much as he assumed it would hurt her.
But instead of refusing him, Pallavi surprised herself as much as Raghav when she stepped forward and kissed him. Emboldened by her move, Raghav pulled her close and kissed her deeper, ripping off her dress. Without the dress, Pallavi expected to feel even more exposed than she already was, but when Raghav traced his finger down her shoulder to her waist, she felt safe, protected but wanted in a way she had never felt before.
Raghav pulled her to the bed, and as he laid her on her back, he took off his shirt and his lips met Pallavi's again. In that moment, both Raghav and Pallavi, seemed to forget their past anger and enmity, and when they locked eyes again, they were lost in that moment.
