The next morning, Pallavi woke up early to shower, make breakfast for everyone before Amma woke up and did it without her, and then get everything ready that she had to bring with her to the function for this afternoon. When she was done, Amma called her from the kitchen, "Pallavi, why did you make breakfast, you shouldn't have, very bad!"
Pallavi laughed walking into the kitchen, "Agar aap itni acchi saas ban sakti hai, mujhe thoda effort tho dalna hai, na?"
Keerthi and Amma started on breakfast and Keerthi was about to ask Pallavi to join them, "Pallavi Di, how much longer is this silly fast of yours, I can't imagine you being hungry for much longer, it's too much, please come eat."
"Keerthi, I'm fine, also the fast isn't silly and it ends in just a few hours, I'm perfectly fine. Amma, I'm going to the saree shop, and then I have some work at the boutique, I'll be back in the afternoon and then we'll leave for the pooja."
"Pallavi, aaj kyun office jaana hai, please, chutti le lo." Amma pleaded.
"Amma, I'm perfectly fine, aap dono kuch zyaada chinta kar rahe hain." Pallavi smiled, and then wondered why the one person she would like to be concerned about her, seemed not to even notice or care about today. Raghav was still fast asleep, after last night Pallavi was sure the surprise he was hinting at would have been revealed already, but no, Ghamandi Rao was still snoring peacefully. She shook her head and left for work.
A couple hours after Pallavi had already left, Raghav came rushing down the stairs with the gift bag, yelling, "Pallavi! Oh Saree ka Dukaan!" It was a pooja today, why wasn't she at home, it was only noon, Raghav thought.
"Raghav, why are you yelling, Pallavi has already left." Amma chided him when he came into the dining room looking for her.
"Amma, why did you let her leave, shouldn't she be at home all day anyway? She's still fasting right?" Raghav asked, suddenly worried.
Amma sighed, "I already told her to stay at home, but Pallavi bhi na, kith ziddi hai. But she'll be fine Raghav, calm down and eat some breakfast. And all this worry might be more focused on getting a gift for Pallavi."
Raghav groaned, "Amma, main itna bhi bhura nahin hun, gift ka idea mera tha, aur maine le kar aya, lekin ab mera biwi yahaan nahin hai, toh main kya karu?" He dashed into the kitchen and grabbed a few tupperware boxes, and then filled them up with some of the dishes from the dining table quickly, and then started to head out with the gift bag and the tupperware.
"Wait, why are you taking the food with you? Just eat here!" Amma yelled after him.
Raghav yelled back as he closed the door, "Yeh khana Saree ka Dukaan ke liye hai, woh pura din kaam kar rahi hai, woh bhuka nahin re sakti, yeh upwas karne ke liye koi zaroorat nahin hai."
Raghav drove to the Deshmukh saree shop, but only Krishna and Nikhil were inside. They seemed shocked to see him, Nikhil most of all.
"Tum yahaan kya kar rahe ho?" Nikhil asked Raghav, rudely.
Raghav ignored his tone, "Pallavi kahaan hai?"
Krishna responded, "She was here, but she left for Vikram Ji's boutique just a while ago."
Raghav clenched his fists, but then took a deep breath, he had promised to let go of his jealousy. "Teek hai, aur Junior College—sorry Nikhil, aaj Pallavi aur humara pura parivaar yeh pooja main aa rahe hain, tum apne woh Sanki Buddha se bol do, mujhe koi t'amassa nahin chahiye. Ardhamaindha?"
Raghav turned and got back into his car. Nikhil was furious, on one side Raghav was following his Pallavi Di around everywhere when she was at work, and then he had the nerve to insult his father. He would have to talk to Pallavi today, he needed to convince her that she had a place in Deshmukh house again, and she could leave this idiot once and for all.
