When Pallavi got to the park she saw Vikram waiting for her, and he walked to greet her.
"Hey Pallavi, kyaa baat hai, you're looking very happy today? The effects of the party still not worn off?" Vikram asked, smiling.
Pallavi grinned wider, thinking back to last night, and this morning, "No, nothing special, I just am...in a good mood today."
They sat down on a bench and started discussing work, Pallavi's mind still drifting off to Raghav and everything that had happened in the past twenty four hours.
Raghav had reached the park just a little after Pallavi had, and though he wasn't able to get a bench close enough to listen to why his wife was smiling so much in the company of another man, he had a clear view of the meeting from his spot. He was getting angrier by the minute, but alongside his anger, he started to feel a pain he never thought he would ever feel.
Pallavi got up to leave after the discussion of work came to an end but Vikram stopped her, "What's the rush? It's such a nice day, you won't take a walk in the park and have a cup of chai with a friend?"
Pallavi smiled, remembering her little fight with Raghav a few weeks ago about making friends with business partners, "Sure, why not."
They walked for a while, Vikram was consciously avoiding bringing up Raghav, assuming that her good mood could not possibly due to him.
Pallavi remained distracted, but she laughed and had a fun time all the same, talking with Vikram about almost everything from his daughter's dance progress to her favorite haunts in Hyderabad after living here for three years.
Vikram finally broached the subject, careful not to affect Pallavi's mood, because he did like to see her smile, "So, how did Raghav enjoy the alternate personality you put on last night at the party? I hope he didn't feel upstaged?" He smiled jovially.
Much to his surprise, Pallavi laughed even harder, "Not at all, in fact, I think he might have been impressed. I mean I don't really talk about exactly how Raghav and I met, or how we got to be married, but the worry and—" Pallavi stopped herself from saying fear, remembering that she had promised Amma she would never be afraid of Raghav, "well the worry is no longer there. It sort of feels I can breathe again for the first time, you know?"
Vikram didn't understand at all, how the hell had Kaminaa Raghav gotten Pallavi's mood to this level? Had he misinterpreted their relationship? He dropped Pallavi off at the street where she called an auto and left.
Throughout this whole conversation, neither Pallavi nor Vikram had noticed Raghav following them some hundred or so feet away. Raghav had not been able to hear a single word of the conversation, but seeing Pallavi's smile at the end of the conversation managed to break him completely.
Pallavi recached home and started on dinner with Reddy and Amma. Finally, at around seven, Amma asked Pallavi to call Raghav and ask when he'd be coming home. Pallavi phoned him, there was no answer. She called again, and this time the phone cut short after two rings. Pallavi furrowed her brow.
"What's wrong Pallavi?" Amma asked, noticing the change in her expression.
Pallavi shook her head, "Nothing, I think Raghav must be really busy, you and Keerthi eat, it's getting late and it's time for your medicine anyway. I'll make sure Raghav eats if he comes back after you two have gone to sleep."
Pallavi tried to push the worry to the back of her head, but soon she was pacing around the dining table, glancing at the front door every few minutes. Sometime around midnight, she finally decided to head to bed, when she heard a car pull up. Finally, Raghav was home.
