Raghvi TS - Regret

Chapter 1

Pallavi found him sitting at his bar, with a glass in his hand. She wondered if he had just started, or was drunk already.  She was not up for another verbal attack from him.  She was tired, both physically and mentally. She placed her bag down and went to the closet to get a change of clothes, without uttering a word to him.

“Are you plotting with ACP Laxmi Singh to send me to jail, wifey?”

“What nonsense are you speaking….”

He did not let her finish

“Enough Pallavi!” he shouted as he threw the glass on the ground sending its shards all over the room.

Pallavi jumped back in fright.  She can see the fury in Raghav’s eyes. She was accustom to his anger, but today something was different, which scared her.

“I saw her dropping you off, and your little interaction outside the vehicle.  My own wife plotting with the police to ruin me” he screamed at her, while stalking closer to her.

Pallavi started taking steps back as he moved closer, until her back hit the bathroom door. She had nowhere to escape. 

Raghav caught her arm in a tight grip.  She winced as the applied more pressure when she tried to shake his hands off. 

“Raghav you are hurting me in your drunken state, let go” she begged.

“What about the hurt you have given me wifey.  Can you erase that.  I regret every minute I fell in love with you. If you hate me that much that you are willing to send me to jail, why the hell are you still in my house.  Get out, go back and be a slave to the Deshmuks.  I don’t need you Pallavi.  I have my mother and sister and my money to keep me company. Get out, just go” he shouted the last words, while pulling her away from the bathroom door and pushing her towards to room door.

When his hand left her, she stumbled and fell to the floor a few feet away from the room door. She looked up at him, with tears running down her face.  She saw no remorse from him for his deeds.  She got to her feet. Her heart hurt so much with his words. She couldn’t face him anymore.  She turned and ran out the open door, passing Farhad on her way out. 

Farhad heard shouting and ran to his Anna’s room as he saw the door ajar.  He saw as Pallavi fell to the floor, being pushed at the hands of his Anna. Before he could enter, she picked herself up and ran out the door.

“Anna, what you did was not right!”

Before Raghav could answer, they hear a scream from downstairs.
The both ran downstairs and what they saw had them freezing on the steps.

Ved stood with a gun pointing at Amma.  Kerthi and Sunny stood behind Amma.  Pallavi stood at the base of the steps, which was right of Ved.

“How good of you to join us Raghav my friend” Ved said with a laugh.

Raghav instantly sobered up looking at the scene in front of him.  Lion held those important to him at gun point. 

“This enmity is between us Ved.  Let them leave” Raghav said.

“And where is the fun in that my friend” said Ved with a sneer.

During their exchange Pallavi began slowly moving to Amma. Raghav saw her, and his heart skipped a beat. There was no trusting what Ved would do if he saw her.  His words and actions from earlier, came rushing back to him. As if reading his mind, she looked straight into his eyes.  He saw her tear stricken face and red eyes. His stomach churned at her look. Raghav pleaded with his eyes for her to stop but she tore her gaze away from him and she continued moving towards Amma. 

Ved caught on to her and moved his gun a few inches to point it directly at her.  Sunny taking the opportunity of Ved moving his target, held Kerthi’s hand and ran out the living room, leaving the rest behind.

“Pallavi my dear.  Always the savior.  What are you planning to do? Are you willing so save his mother, in exchange for your life?
Without hesitating she answered.

“Yes”

 “Ved!” roared Raghav.

Ved let out a scary laugh.

“Oh Raghav what a wife you have gotten. I must say you chose correctly.  Willing to trade her life for her mother-in-law’s. Not many will do this.”

“You touch any of them Ved, and I swear I’ll rip your damn heart out with my bear hands” Raghav warned.

“Not before I take what matters most to you. Say goodbye Raghav.”

He turned the gun to Amma and fired, just as Pallavi moved quickly to shield her, taking the bullet in her upper chest. The impact sent her flying against Amma who grabbed on to her.

Raghav screamed as he jumped down the remaining steps. Farhad drew his gun and fired at Ved hitting him straight to the back of the head.

As Amma's grip loosened on Pallavi, Raghav caught her before she fell to the floor. Her eyes began to close.

“Pallavi please keep your eyes opened" he said as he shook her.

She open them slightly, as tears slowly dripped.She saw Amma standing next to Raghav.

“Amma…..are you……”she couldn’t finish as the pain became unbearable. Her tears now freely flowing.

Raghav wiped them away, as he caressed her cheeks. He is own eyes now filled with tears.

“Pallavi please keep your eyes open. I’m so sorry my love. I didn’t mean anything I said. Please, don’t leave us. Give me a chance to make it up to you. Please, I beg you.”

She looked at him, unable to form her words. It was becoming difficult to breathe. She felt Amma hands replaced Raghav’s on her cheek.

“Pallavi my child, if not for him please for me, keep your eyes open. Don’t leave me. I would never forgive myself. Please…..” cried Amma.

“Don’t blame. …..yourself. Thank …..you for the love….” She couldn’t finish as she started coughing up blood.

“Shhh…” Raghav rocked her while kissing her forehead.

Farhad came rushing in.
“Anna the ambulance is here" he said.

Raghav picked her up and ran outside. He placed her on the stretcher and sat next to it holding her hand. The attendants started working on her immediately. After hooking her up on some machines and working to decrease the blood flow, they started on the way to the hospital. He watch as she slipped in and out of consciousness.

He never left her hand. His kept  hearing his last words to her before this nightmare played out, continuously in this head. The look of fear as he held her arms in a tight grip kept flashing before him, parallel to her jumping in front of Amma. He glanced at her arms and there were the prints of his fingers marking her skin.

He couldn’t stop the tears that came. He brought her hand to his lip and placed a light kiss.

“Your Devil is here my Angel. Please don’t leave me. Fight for us, give me another chance by love. "