Raghav left early the next morning, he had to talk to Farhad and Krishna in order to get the saree finished. He chose one of the most amazing saree designs he'd ever seen from Pallavi's sketchbook. He knew that Vikram was an idiot, but him not choosing this design for his boutique was definitely stupid. "Good for me though," Raghav thought to himself as he snuck out of their bedroom early in the morning, making sure not to wake up Pallavi. She looked so peaceful when she slept, even if she sometimes talked in her sleep.
When Pallavi woke up a little while later, she was confused to see that Raghav had gotten up before her, he was always asleep at this hour.
She went downstairs after showering and looked for Raghav in his office, the garden, even the kitchen.
"Pallavi beta, kaun doond rahi ho?" Amma called when she came downstairs, "Raghav ko?"
"Haan, Amma. Where is he?" Pallavi asked.
Amma smiled, Raghav had texted her that he'd be busy all day getting Pallavi's gift ready, so to make sure Pallavi didn't get suspicious of anything, "Raghav ka ek meeting tha aaj. Usko bahut kaam hai aaj. But don't worry, I told him he can't miss tomorrow's pooja for anything. I don't care if all of Hyderabad shows up to his showroom. Tum fikar mat karo."
Pallavi shrugged, and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. She had to go to the shop, meet with Vikram, and then come back and make the proper food for before the fast, and for tomorrow. What if Aai or Baba created some scene tomorrow? She really didn't want that, ever since Ashwini Aunty had reminded her about the puja, all she could think about was making sure it went perfectly. She knew she couldn't do a lot for Raghav, I mean he already had everything anyone could ask for being this rich, but she could do this small thing.
"Pallavi, tum tension mat lo. Sirf ek puja hai." Amma calmed her down, she could tell Pallavi was stressed about something.
"Nahin Amma, main pareshaan nahin hun...main ek baat bata sakti aapko?" Pallavi asked, nervously.
"Yeh koi puchne ki baat hai?" Amma pulled Pallavi to the dining table and made her sit down, "What's wrong beta?"
"I don't know, I just have felt very confused the past week. Ek pal ke liye main bahut kush hoti hun, kyun ki mujhe aap, aur Keerthi, aur...Raghav mil gaya. But other times I worry, that just like...just like last time, main kaafi nahi hungi." Pallavi tried to hide the fact that she was talking mainly about Raghav, "matlab, aap sab ke liye."
Amma laughed, "Sorry, sorry, I shouldn't laugh. Tum na, world's ke cutest bahu ho, jaanti ho? Arre, you are more than enough for me, for all of us" Amma said knowingly, "We love you so much that sometimes I just want to sit you down and tell you to stop doing all the things you do because I never want to see you tired."
Amma stood up and hugged Pallavi tightly, Pallavi's eyes welled up, a hug like this, from a mother like Amma, was exactly what she needed today.
Pallavi stood up, and wiped her eyes, clerking her throat she asked, "Aap joot toh nahin bolengi na?"
Amma smiled, and pinched Pallavi's cheek, "If the day comes that I have any complaint about you, I will be the first to say something. Lekin, main Raghav ko pehle class loongi, main bolungi 'Raghav tumne aisa bahu mujhe kyun diya, kyun kyun kyun?!' Teek hai?"
Pallavi laughed, "Aap na, sach mein Raghav Rao ki maa hi ho sakti hai."
They laughed and talked as they made breakfast, then Pallavi left for the saree shop, and the other chores she had to do.
When Pallavi came back in the afternoon, she still didn't see Raghav anywhere. Amma and Keerthi had both texted that they'd be home a little late in the evening, but that they'd make dinner and Pallavi shouldn't take the trouble because her fast was going to start as soon as the sun went down.
