Downstairs, Amma and Keerthi were setting the table, "No Amma, I can do that, you sit," Pallavi said.
"Pallavi, didn't you spend the whole day at the shop, it's fine, we're just setting the table, I'm glad Reddy gave you a break from cooking today."
"One day I'll beat Reddy to the kitchen before he cooks dinner," Pallavi said, shaking her finger at Reddy. Who grinned and said, "Akka, one day we should cook together, now that would be fun. You can teach me some M aharashtrian dishes that Anna likes so much."
Pallavi smiled, blushed a little, and looked uncomfortably at the stairs, hoping Raghav hadn't heard that. Amma and Keerthi smiled at each other.
"Are you waiting for someone, Akka?" Keerthi asked knowingly.
"What, no, no. Let's eat."
And then Raghav came down the stairs, no laptop in his hand as Pallavi could see.
They ate dinner relatively quietly, Keerthi interjecting with stories of her day dealing with different stores' accounts. Amma asking Pallavi how her mall preparations are going, and Raghav spending most of dinner with his mouth open staring at Pallavi describe all the new saris she's stocking.
"One of the designs was so good, that even Baba—" Pallavi stopped, "everyone liked it." Her mood reverting back to the sadness, loneliness, and anger she felt leaving the shop today. Raghav clenched his fork.
That stupid Rambo Sanki Uncle, it wasn't enough that he threw Pallavi out of his house that night, but then he only let Pallavi work in the store, even though she deserves to be the full owner. Wait, why did he care, that whole shop was the definition of bad business sense. But Pallavi had made it possible to grow the shop, she did it online and offline, and managed to convince the mall owners to go against his blacklist. Though technically, he had decided not to pursue the blacklist after Amma's surgery.
"Raghav...RAGHAV."
Raghav jumped back into reality, "what?"
"I was just asking what you're so lost in, but I think I might know," Keerthi sang, as Pallavi was still in conversation with Amma about her mall showroom.
"Shut up."
"Oh, I was just going to say you're lost in planning those new jewelry designs you're releasing right?" Keerthi added, innocently.
Raghav sat up straight, and looked at his plate, "Yes, One of my designers is interested in making the designs look like flowers sort of connecting over each other...but I suggested adding budding leaves..."
"Oh, like pallavis..." Keerthi asked, grinning.
"No, no, I might stick with flowers."
As everyone finished dinner, Pallavi got up to clear the table, when Raghav jumped in and said "No, I think Reddy can do this, right Reddy"
"Yes Anna!"
Pallavi was taken aback, this wasn't chivalrous as just plain annoying, there was nothing hard in clearing the table, it's not like Reddy every let her wash all the dishes herself or anything.
"Ok, it's early tonight, and I've talked with Amma, we're watching a movie tonight." Keerthi said.
Pallavi and Raghav were both about to protest, but Amma said, "no, today we're watching a movie."
"Teek hai Amma," both Raghav and Pallavi said in unison. Keerthi giggling as the two of them stared at each other.
"I'll just go make popcorn," said Pallavi, and she went into the kitchen, blushing furiously, with no idea why.