The End of Hate

Chapter 43: Tamasha Hona Hi Tha

Vijay raised a finger and was about to yell at Raghav to leave him and his family alone when Ragahv interrupted again, still with that cold smile.

"Chill, Sanki Buddha, if you don't have eyes I'll tell you, Pallavi and our family are here because Pallavi was invited, and more importantly this pooja is very important to her. I am only here to speak to you bunch of crazy people as a courtesy. You will not bother my wife today. You will not find a new way to hurt her. Because, if she even sheds a tear today because of you lot...let's just say mujhse bhoora koi nahin hoga. Ardhamaindha?"

Raghav was about to walk away when Nikhil joined in the conversation, he had been listening from just few feet away.

"Raghav, how dare you talk to my parents like this? More importantly, why the hell do you care if we talk to Pallavi or not? It's not like you give a damn about her or her happiness. I will help her get out of your life if it's the last thing I do." Nikhil was furious, and he was talking a little bit louder so that Milind, Sulochana, Mansi and Amruta could also hear.

Vijay was shocked at Nikhil's words, and then he wondered, glancing at Pallavi across the way with Ashwini Ji, was Nikhil right? Should he try to forgive her? Then he clenched his jaw, no. He can't forgive her, she he'd disrespected not only him but also the whole family with her choices. She can't claim it was just for the family, because she was clearly enjoying being "Mrs. Raghav Rao" now.

Before Raghav could respond to Nikhil's nonsense, Ashwini announced to everyone that the pooja was starting, and all the married women needed to come forward now.

Raghav walked away from the Deshmukhs, almost in a trance, not noticing Sharda or any of the other women walking beside or ahead of him. His eyes were only on Pallavi, looking ethereal in her saree, her skin basically glowing, her smile made his heart melt. It gave him so much peace to see her smile, and it seemed, Ragahv thought, glancing back at Vijay and the other Deshmukhs, that Pallavi had yet to notice the Deshmukhs here.

The women started making their circumambulations around the banyan tree, and with each turn around the tree, Pallavi's eyes went back to Raghav. He smiled at her, and she at him. Her large eyes, lined with kohl, bringing him closer with each turn. So that when the women were done with their circumambulation, Raghav was standing in front of Pallavi.

"Raghav, main jaunt hun tumhara dimag sira ek track par chalti hai, lekin hum public place main hain, samazla?" Pallavi whispered, hoping none of the other people noticed Raghav's silly behavior.

"Mujhe koi faraq nahin padtha. Ab toh, tum mere aarthi karoge, right?" Raghav asked, slyly, "I never thought, The Saree ka Dukaan, kabhi bhi mera aarthi utharega."

Pallavi gave him a sarcastic smile, "Zyaada bano mat, varna, yeh upwas maine rakha na, main Bappa ko bol kar kisi aur ka naam kar dungi, Ardhamaindha?"

Pallavi walked swiftly to the table with all the different aarthi plates, and grabbed hers, and turned back to walk to Raghav, but he was already in front of her when she turned around, still grinning.

"Tum kyun has rahe ho? Yeh maze lag raha hai tume?" Pallavi asked him sternly, "Do not embarrass me here, Raghav. I'm warning you."

Raghav didn't take his eyes off hers as she finished the aarti, and was about to bend down to touch Ragahv's feet, but Raghav was too quick for her.

His hands on her arms, "Pallavi, what are you doing?" He asked her, shocked.

"Raghav, calm down, tum kabhi patni ko apni pati ka paer chune nahi dekha hai kya?" Palalvi asked, confused as to why he was stopping her, it was a common practice, and it didn't mean any thing one way or another to most people to take blessings from anyone, be it their husband or their parents.

"I don't believe in all this. Haan, main Shiv ka bhakt hun, lekin main kabhi bhi nahin sochunga ki is century main, aurath ko jhukna pade apni pati ke damne." Raghav replied.

"Raqhav, yeh jhukna ka baat nahi hai. Ashirwaad ka baat—" Pallavi started.

"Teek hai, tumhe mera ashirwaad hamesha hoga, and I hope your blessings will be with me?" Raghav asked.

Pallavi smiled, "Fine, hum Rao style main hi hum yeh sab karenge. Ok, now I have to get the fruit and some other food to break the fast." Pallavi started to head to the table with all the other women to start filling her plate.

Raghav grabbed her wrist, and pulled her back to him, "Ek minute—"

"Raghav, mujhe chodo, look where we are—" Pallavi started.

"Haan haan, lekin, I have to feed you to break your fast right?" Raghav asked.

Pallavi stepped back from him, "You are so stupid, we're not celebrating a Punjabi Karva Chauth here, and even if we were, tumhe mujhe khilana ka koi zaroorat nahin hai. Each family has their own traditions and rituals."

She walked to the table and filled a plate with some apple slices, other fruit, and some of the other food. When she turned back to go find the table where Amma and Keerthi were sitting, Raghav took her plate from her hand.

"Ragahv, what is this?" Pallavi started trying to keep her voice down, because now Ashwini Aunty was definitely looking her way, standing next to her husband.

"You just said, each family has their own traditions and rituals. So from today, and every year after this. In the Rao family, the husband will break his wife's fast on Vat Savitri with his own hands. Ok?" Ragahv said, holding the plate away from her as she tried to take it from him.

"Raghav, you can do your silly romantic gestures at home, abhi nahin, we're outside, other people—" Pallavi replied, hoping no one cared enough to say anything.

Ragahv interrupted her, and then took the plate in one hand and took her by the waist with another, "Other people? Maine bola na, mujhe koi faraq nahi padtha. Maine yeh sab se shaadi nahi ki, tumse ki. If I can't flirt with my wide, then what's the point? Right?"

Pallavi smiled but then remembering where she was she pulled away from him, "Teek hai, teek hai, ho gaya tera mazaak, ab mujhe plate do. I won't call your romantic gestures silly again, ok?"

Raghav replied, "Mera Baath se khaogi?"

Pallavi shook her head, "Raghav—"

"Phir teek hai, tumhe khaana nahin milne wala." Raghav laughed and took the plate with him, running quickly to get away from Pallavi who didn't take even a second to realize what Raghav was doing.

Raghav laughed as Pallavi chased him around the place.

After only a minute however, Raghav bumped into Vijay Deshmukh and Sharda.