When the four of them, Amma, Keerthi, Ragahv, and Pallavi, reached the venue for the pooja, they were overwhelmed with the color and excitement in the air. Almost immediately Ashwini aunty saw Pallavi and went over to introduce herself to Pallavi's family.
"Pallavi beta, you came! Also, what an amazing saree! Won't you introduce me to your family and this...very handsome man standing next to you?" Ashwini asked, seriously taken aback by Raghav's handsomeness.
Pallavi laughed, "Ashwini Aunty, meet my Amma, Keerthi, my sister-in-law, and do not blow up my husband's, Raghav's, ego too much please. He already thinks he's the only handsome man in all of Hyderabad."
Raghav smiled and shook Ashwini's hand, "Don't listen to her Ashwini Aunty, my wife just doesn't want to admit that I'm prettier than her, but it's nice to meet someone who understands my unique handsomeness" He looked at Pallavi and winked, she shot back a sarcastic smile.
"Pallavi, why didn't you come with Sharda Ji and the rest of the Deshmukhs? I saw them just a little while ago...there they are." Ashwini pointed out Aai to Pallavi, as well as the rest of her family.
Pallavi fell silent, and Amma was about to come up with some excuse, but before that Raghav interrupted Ashwini, "Aunty, we decided to come separately because we just live in different parts of town now, too much hassle to come in the same car, right? Pallavi, shouldn't you go with Ashwini Aunty to get ready for the pooja, I'll find seats for Amma and Keerthi, no problem."
Pallavi nodded absentmindedly, still glancing at Aai and Baba and the other Deshmukhs, wishing that she could have gone over to hug them, to talk to them, even just be nearer to them without Baba yelling at her. But she composed herself quickly, this was her first festival with her new family, it had to go well, because this pooja was just as much for her as it was for Raghav. "Yes, Ashwini Aunty, I brought all the items, but could we double check them, and could you tell me where everyone else is setting up and the like?"
Ashwini Aunty nodded, a little confused at the tension she was noticing after mentioning the Deshmukhs' name, but thinking nothing of it. The both of them went off closer to the big banyan tree at the center of the venue where other women were gathering.
Raghav quickly found seats for Amma and Keerthi and was about to go have a word with the Deshmukhs, especially that Sanki Buddha, when Amma grabbed his wrist, "Ragahv, don't create a scene. I know what happened with Pallavi was wrong, but she's trying to make a fresh start. Don't misunderstand her, she definitely didn't come here just for Sharda Ji or Vijay Ji, I can promise you that."
Ragahv replied, "Amma, you don't have to tell me to trust Pallavi, I do, what I don't trust is that Sanki Buddha who will no doubt find a way to hurt my wife today, and I don't want that." Raghav walked towards the Deshmukhs, wondering and hoping that Amma was right. Even if Amma wasn't right, so what if Pallavi came here to meet her family, she had kept a fast for him not for them, she loved him too, even if it wasn't as much as she loved her family, she did love him. He had to trust her.
He approached Vijay and Sharda from the side, who hadn't noticed him until he was standing right next to them.
"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Deshmukh, how are you and your family doing today?" Raghav asked, keeping his voice quiet and as level as he could.
Vijay clenched his fists and turned to Raghav, "What in god's name are you doing here?" Vijay had hoped that Pallavi would have been sensible enough to not come to this event, to do whatever pooja she wanted to do at her new mansion of a house, but no, she was just as rude and cruel as he had thought.
Raghav put on a thin smile, "Sharda Ji, I hope your fast hasn't been too hard to keep this year, I know that it must take a lot of effort to beg God to keep a man like your husband alive, seeing as nothing but bitter and idiotic words come out of his mouth."
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.