Fragile Hearts

Chapter 4

Pallavi was lazily standing in the lobby of the 5-star hotel while Raghav was busy arguing with the receptionist. It was past midnight when their flight had landed, surprisingly the weather was cold at this time of the year. She had not packed anything suitable and was already shivering. She overheard Raghav screaming at the poor girl at the reception, he said something like 'This can't be possible', 'Check again' and ended with 'I am Raghav Rao'.

Raghav was tensed. He knew he had messed up this time and was trying to hide that by acting as the 'angry customer'. He had told Farhad- his assistant cum friend to arrange their trip to Paris. Farhad had booked just one room thinking that they are a couple since Raghav hadn't told him anything about the circumstances of his marriage.

"I am sorry sir. No other room is available." The receptionist said one last time. Raghav stomped his feet angrily and came to Pallavi, "Pallavi there is only one room available. You can stay there I will arrange something for myself" he said with a frown. Pallavi realised he too was exhausted due to the long flight and it was way too cold to even step outside now. "It's alright Raghav. We can share the room." She offered and he gladly accepted.

The room was huge and so was the bed, it could easily accommodate both of them still Raghav chose to sleep on the couch and she took the bed. They were too tired to even change their clothes and dozed off wishing a quick goodnight.

"I am on my honeymoon Farhad, so it better be good. Yes I have the presentation ready on my Laptop" Pallavi's sleep was disturbed when she heard Raghav on the phone. He seemed really anxious. "How much are they offering?" Raghav burrowed his eyes in frustration and pressed his temples. Although his expressions relaxed after a while, "That's a generous amount. We have to get this deal" Raghav ordered. Pallavi was still laying in the bed, her eyes closed. "At any cost" He added.

It was never a part of her plan but when she sensed the desperation in his voice to bag this deal, all Pallavi could think of was to ruin it. She discreetly hid his laptop when he went inside the washroom. It would appear as if he had forgotten it at home and she would act all innocent.

However she looked outside the window and realised she had another problem to deal with, she didn't have appropriate clothes befitting the weather.

"What happened Pallavi?" Raghav inquired when he found her sifting through her suitcase. "I don't have any clothes" she whined "you never told me it was going to be so cold here" she crossed her arms in front of her chest to keep herself warm.

"Oh.." he realised he had forgotten to tell her about the weather. "Let's go for shopping then." He tried to cheer her up "you can wear some of my clothes if you want"

Paris was a beautiful city. Although bustling with tourists, the city had its own charm. One of it's name was the 'City if Love' she laughed at the irony. The picturesque beauty around her was breathtaking and beautiful she noticed when they were driving to the mall. A few hours later at the mall, they were walking from one shop to another. Pallavi had planned to tire Raghav so that he would just leave her alone yet he kept following her enthusiastically, even she was getting tired now. "See Pallavi, that seems like a good shop" He pointed at a random store in front of them and pulled her inside. She had worn a saree and covered herself with his trench coat.

"Do you always wear sarees?" He had asked her before leaving the hotel. "I was never allowed to wear anything else as a widow but white sarees. I got used to them"

She had changed into comfortable clothes as soon as she reached their hotel. Raghav had bought her enough clothes for a month even after she resisted. He was looking for his laptop when she came out dressed in a camel trouser and a black shrug under which she wore a white cardigan. 'She looks so damn pretty' he complimented her inside his head but continued looking for his laptop. She sat down on the couch near the window and picked up her phone.

'I should call Baba and tell him I am here' Pallavi thought. Although the Deshmukh's had told her to keep distance after her marriage she couldn't help it. She didn't have anyone else she could share her feelings with, Baba always listened to her, no matter what. She looked at Raghav who was getting tensed with each passing second, 'I will call Baba when I am alone'. Just when Raghav exited the room she dialled his number. He picked it up at the first ring. "Hello...?" The voice at the other end spoke. "Baba.." she whispered back in a low voice. "Pallavi....how are you beta?" He asked emotionally. How was she really? Was she happy? Was she sad? She was numb to feel any of those emotions. Tears started flowing from her eyes as she heard his voice and tried to hold herself from having another breakdown. 'I'm fine' she was about to say but her phone was snatched away from her and smashed into the wall.

"Raghav!" She was surprised by his sudden appearance and stood up to face him.
"You. Will. Not. Talk. To. These. People." He pushed her into the same wall he had smashed her phone into. "Why not?" She questioned fearlessly.

"Because I told you so" he grabbed her face in his palm and inhaled her scent while clenching his jaw. "And who are you to tell me what to do?" She spewed at him. He idiotically grinned at her confidence and replied, "I am your HUSBAND & If you don't start recognising this FACT then I will be forced to exercise my right on you and make you believe it, sweetheart" That sentence sent a chill down her spine. What would he do? Rather what 'can' he do? Pallavi was curious to test his limits and deep down she wanted him to do something, good or bad she didn't care. She just wanted him to do something so that she could rub it in his face later and tell him that people like him should not be given 'second chances'.

Her breath hitched the moment he spoke the next few words, "Where is my laptop wifey?" The loving husband had long vanished and what she could see in front of her was the Raghav Rao who people feared. Words were scratched in the back of her throat yet she was unable to speak them, she knew she had to say something. "Which laptop?"

"Oh don't play games with me sweetheart. Two can play this game too." He tightened his hold around her jaw, pulling her more into him. He was so close to her that she could feel his hot breath on her lips. "Tell me or else.."

"Or else what?" She challenged him. If he chose to hit her, his facade of the good husband would end right there and so would this so called marriage, Pallavi thought. Yet what he chose to do was unexpected. In a fury he bent down and touched her lips with his for a quick daring kiss. His hold on her relaxed and he pushed her into the wall when she kissed him back. Raghav was amazed by how her body reacted to him but didn't want to waste any second of this moment thinking about anything else but her. Pallavi was astonished by his sudden action yet how her body reacted to his touch was unexpected. Her own body had betrayed her and kissed him back with equal fervour and passion. He kissed her like her lips were air and he couldn't breathe. Her hands traveled up to his hair and pulled on them while his hand circled her waist and the other cupped her face. Pallavi moaned his name into his mouth, she had longed for physical proximity since a long time and couldn't hold herself back anymore.

In a jolt, Raghav picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, he started placing open mouth kisses around her neck and shoulder when a vase beside the table fell down due to their commotion. That was when they both parted, embarrassed to not face each other. He looked away, 'What have I done?' They both thought.

Finally in a low whisper he said, "I am sorry" she nodded at him as if accepting his apology. "It's alright" she said and he couldn't help but wonder how many times she'd said that to people in her life who screwed her over somehow. What else could she have said. She sat down at the couch again. "It's behind the cupboard" she spoke.
"What?" Raghav had completely forgotten about his earlier question and asked her genuinely.

"Your laptop" she got up and picked it up for him.

She handed him the laptop, her mouth was open as if she was about to say something but she didn't. He half expected her to lash out at him yet she just gave him a slack expression and looked at him blankly.

He recognised that look for he had seen it in the mirror everyday, she was broken. She was tired. Just like him. Her eyes hungry for love. Asking to be cared for. Just like his.