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.
Pallavi kept looking at the door as she got the fruits, flowers, and other things ready for the pooja. She had talked to Ashwini Aunty again on the phone and figured out exactly what the women had to bring tomorrow, and what she had to do before the function. Luckily Aunty didn't bring up Aai again, because Pallavi was more focused on everything going perfectly and not what would happen if Baba or Aai saw her tomorrow.
It was already seven, and the sun had set, Pallavi thanked Bappa the she had made a big lunch for herself, and had a lot of water to drink before this. She thought she heard the door open, and ran to see who it was, but it was just Amma and Keerthi.
"Kya hua, Pallavi Di, koi aur ke liye aap intezaar kar rahe hain?" Keerthi grinned.
"Keerthi, tu na, bahut bolne lagi hai aaj kal, main dekt rahi hun." Pallavi said.
Keerthi and Amma laughed, as the three of them walked inside.
"Accha, Pallavi, you better go rest and then go to sleep early today, tumhara fast share ho gaya na?" Amma said, "I'll make dinner."
"Nahin, Amma, main madat kar deli hun." Pallavi started.
"Bilkul nahief, Di," Keerthi stood up, "I'll help Amma, you go rest."
"Par Keerthi, abhi na mujhe neend nahin aa rahi hai, toh—" Pallavi looked at the front door again.
"Don't worry," Keerthi whispered when Amma was out of earshot in the kitchen, "I'll make sure to send your Satyavaan straight upstairs when he shows up, Savitri Ji."
Pallavi pushed Keerthi, "Tum na, mera bahut mazak udathe ho." But then she blushed, and silently went upstairs, she had no idea why but she was in a giddy mood all day since her talk with Amma. It was the first time she was able to celebrate a festival as a married woman. She thought about how funny it was going to be when she kept her fast and she'd get to see Raghav's losing face. He looked so cute when he got frustrated.
It was almost midnight when Raghav got home, he had spent the whole day running from one weaver to the next ti find someone willing to make him the saree design he wanted on short notice. When he found someone, he waited until it was finished, and then came home. Farhad had told him he would wait instead, but Raghav insisted. When he got home he finally checked his phone, there were three missed calls from Pallavi, and two text messages, the first one said 'Tum kahaan ho?' and the second 'Teek hai, math bolo, Ghamandi Rao' with an angry emoji face at the end. He grinned and walked into his bedroom. As soon as he saw Pallavi awake, he hid the gift bag behind him and then discreetly tossed it in the closet under the guise of changing.
Raghav climbed into bed, and moved to hug Pallavi, "Why are you still awake, you're fasting, you should be sleep."
Pallavi pushed him away, "Kyun, tujhe kyun itni fikar hai? Pure din mujhse bat tak nahief kiya, ab kyun natak kar rahe ho?" Pallavi turned away from Raghav and lied down.
Raghav smiled, laid down behind her and hugged her anyway, "Jab tum wifey mode main jaathi ho na, bada cute lagthi ho."
Pallavi turned around and faced him, pulling his arm off her, "Don't joke Raghav, if you miss the pooja tomorrow because of some work thing, I really won't do any stupid pooja for you." She sat up and crossed her arms, and pouted, "Tum na, ek dum Ghamandi Rao ho, aur hamesha rahoge, ek saal nahin lagaa tujhe pure romance ko bhoolne main."
Raghav laughed, "Mrs. Rao, you are the cutest, silliest woman on the planet, sachi."
Pallavi turned to face him, angry, "I'm silly? Me?"
Raghav grinned, "But I also said cute." He leaned close to her and kissed her cheek, "aur khoobsurat" and then kissed her other cheek, "aur perfect."
Raghav took Pallavi's face in his hands, "Even if you don't do this fast, even if you don't do this pooja tomorrow, main times vadaa kartha hun, main marthe dam tak, tujhse pyaar karunga. Ardhamainda?"
Pallavi smiled, and then frowned, "Accha teek hai, par tum pura din kahaan the?"
Raghav answered slyly, "Ek surprise gift lena tha mujhe."
Pallavi blushed, "Surprise? Kis liye?"
"Woh kya hain na, meri life main ek completely crazy, very stubborn, but very beautiful ladki hai. Tum usse jaanthi ho, woh pura din sirf 'badbad' karthi hai, kabhi hindi main, kabhi English, kabhi Marathi..."
"Raghav, I'm very hungry, if you keep insulting me, main tumhe kaa jaungi, kaccha."
He continued, "Lekin kal, woh, mere liye, pura din bhooka rehene wali hai. Jaise Savitri ne kiya tha, unki Satyavaan ke liye, toh mujhe laga. Main, apni Savitri ke liye, ek toh gift le aa saktha hai, na? Kyun ki, usne sirf mere jaan nahin bacchayi, mujhe zindagi koh khushi se, aur pyaar se jeena sikaya hai." Raghav kissed her forehead.
Pallavi smiled.
"Kaisa laga, Raghav Rao ka romance?" Raghav asked, his fingers tracing up her back and down her arm.
Palavi blushed, "Thank you. But, yeh surprise kahaan hai?"
"Nope, if I tell you now, it's no fun, tumhe gift kal millegi. Abh mujhe aur romance karne ka khayaal aa raha hai." He pulled Pallavi close to him and kissed her deeply, and then pushed her back on the bed.
Pallavi giggled as Raghav's beard tickled her, "Raghav, tumhara daadi, aur bahut late hai, hum so jaathe hain."
Raghav put a finger to lips, and kissed her cheek again, whispering in her ear, "Kya hain na, mujhe abh neend nahin aa rahi hai."