Pieces of a Cracked Mirror [An OS series]

Cramps!

God! And he just had to be in his most frustratingly cheerful mood today of all days!

In her mental lamentations and ever increasing pain she had missed the fact that Raghav's voice held a note which could easily be termed as pure ecstasy leave alone, cheer. Some other time, she would have sat up and taken notice of how his charcoal eyes sparkled and pearly white teeth flashed in a twenty four carat smile which could put, even the Sun itself to shame with it's sheer brilliance. She would have felt the usual butterflies she always feels, seeing his nerve melting happiness which had become almost childlike in all it's glory.

He was so jubilant in his happiness that he had completely missed Pallavi's exasperated sneer at his voice which boomed like a foghorn in the shop as he almost jumped up the stairs.

How could he, when he was feeling so incandescently happy?

Raghav had just managed to win a bid and secure the most market oriented, prime loaction for one of his showrooms in Jaipur, in an auction which had been bidded against all his rival companies including some of the biggest names in the Jewellery Industry as well. It was almost an impossible feat but he had done it with his usual silver tongued charm and astounding conniving business strategies. The look on his rivals' faces were picture frame worthy and nothing pleased Raghav Rao more than winning an impossible game and then rubbing it on his defeated opponents' faces.

Okay.. maybe except boasting about the same to his Saree Ka Dukaan.. perhaps.

"Saree Ka Dukaan! You won't believe what happened today!!! I got that bid.."

"Will you keep the volume down a bit!"

Pallavi snapped rudely and he cut off confused. He then noticed her expression which looked between being apoplectic and then miserable. He felt his 'something-is-definitely-wrong-here' detector beep in frenzy. He frowned and stood in front of her who hadn't even gotten up from her seat which she usually did whenever anyone came in, including him.

"Are you quite alright? You look a bit pale.."

"I am fine! Why are you here again?"

She spat again feeling unbelievably snappish. Raghav looked even more bewildered at that and that made her irritation level skyrocket as well.

"I.. I had just come to talk to you. I got that bid actually.."

"What bid? I don't want to hear about any bid!"

"Yeah.. okay.. fine. But are you sure, you are okay..? You look.."

"What!"

"I mean.. you look a bit off weather.."

"I know. I look like that, most of the time. No sweat!"

Okay, now the sirens inside his head were blaring. His frown deepened darkening his handsome face a bit yet managed to look delectable still.

Why does she find him so.. irresistible anyways?

Pallavi groaned internally.

She wanted to slap him silly and then kiss him breathless.

What the f**k is happening to her bloody hormones!

"Pallavi.. something is definitely wrong. You look like someone has force fed you a bunch of garlic. Are you sick? Do you have fever? Where is that Saree ka Assistant when you need her? Krishna! Krish..."

Pallavi had had enough now. Her pain was just increasing and this man was infuriating her so much that she could barely see past her anger than notice the concern laced in his husky voice. She leaped up and shouted cutting his calls for Krishna who had just entered the shop looking frantic.