Raghav took out the blouse from between the folds of the saree, and Pallavi grabbed it from him and turned to put it on, conscious that Raghav's eyes weren't moving from her. She reached behind her to quickly button the back when she felt Raghav's fingers on hers. She withdrew her hand, and closed her eyes as Raghav's lips came to her shoulder.
"Raghav—" Pallavi started.
"Kya" Raghav responded as if coming out of a trance.
"How long are you going to pretend to button my blouse? Because if you take much longer, I'll just put it on myself."
Raghav smiled, "Itni jaldi kaiko ho raha hai, Saree ka Dukaan?" He whispered in her ear, but then finished buttoning up the blouse. He traced his fingers down to the small of her back, enjoying the little gasp of shock and pleasure she let out.
Pallavi composed herself, and still not facing Raghav, she felt around for the saree, and was about to start draping it when Raghav took it from her, and stood in front of her.
"Tum kuch nahin karogi," Raghav walked close and tucked in one end of the saree, and walked around her to finish the first loop, "Ardhamaindha?"
He set apart the pallu, and then went to work on the pleats. When he tucked them in, his eyes met Pallavi's, she was both in awe of how deftly he was doing this, and unable to hide her attraction to him.
Damn that smirk of his, Pallavi thought.
She tried to bend down to fix the pleats, but Raghav stopped her, and got down on his knees and straightened them out. When he stood up, he leaned close to her, so close Raghav could see Pallavi's breath quicken, he made to kiss her, but at the last moment he took a safety pin from the dresser behind them. Pallavi tried to hide her disappointment and confusion, but Raghav had noticed her closing her eyes.
"Kya hua, Saree ka Dukaan, tumhe kuch chahiye?" Raghav walked behind her and swept her hair to one side, "Itni bechaini kyun?"
His breath was hot against her neck as he slid his finger under her blouse and then fastened the pin swiftly.
"Mujhe kush nahi hua hai" Pallavi tried to say, "Are you done trying to put on a saree? I'm going to go see if I can fix what you did" She walked out of the closet and quickly to the vanity in the bedroom. When she saw herself in the mirror, she tried to find something wrong with how Raghav had draped the saree, but it was perfect, he had even fastened the pin correctly.
Raghav followed her and stood behind her, meeting her eyes in the mirror, "Kya hua, shock lag gaya? Maine tumhe bataaya na, mujhe sab kush aatha hai." Raghav smiled widely.
"Haan teek hai" Pallavi said quietly, turning, but then she looked at Raghav, "Ek minute, how did you learn how to do this so well?"
Raghav grinned, "What, you think you're the first woman in my life? I'm The Ragahv Rao, Saree ka Dukaan. I'm not new to romance."
Pallavi nodded, "Really? You've had so many girlfriends that you learned how to drape a saree? Come on, tell me their names."
Ragahv swallowed. Shit, he thought. He just wanted to mess with her, but Palalvi had caught his bluff.
"Bolo," Pallavi smiled, "Bolo na Raghav, tumhara ex-girlfriends ka naam bolo. Mujhe bhi janna hai. Kyun ki, mujhe un sab ko puchna hai, ki wo tumhe kaise jhelte the."
"Hey, I'm not that bad," Raghav replied, "I had such a nice saree made for you." He pulled her close by her waist, "But yes, you're very unlucky, Saree ka Dukaan, or lucky, you decide. Because, you are the first and only woman in my life. I had to...ask Krishna how to do this. Don't tell anyone else, because your friend already made too much fun of me."
Pallavi smiled, she didn't know how Raghav managed to melt her like this, even when he was acting arrogant and childish. She got on her toes and kissed him, "Main duniya kee sabase lucky ladki hun."
Then she noticed the clock on the wall, "Raghav we're going to be late, ok let me just put on a necklace and find some earrings to match this—"
Before she could start digging around her vanity, Raghav placed a box in front of her. It was a wooden box, ornate and large.
"What's this?" Pallavi asked.
"Khol ke dekho?" Raghav said, smiling.
She opened it, inside was a beautiful set of gold jewelry. A necklace, earrings, bangles, maang tika, and payals, and they were all in a Maharashtrian setting.
Raghav placed the box on the vanity and took out the necklace, "Maine socha, 'Meri Saree ka Dukaan, woh ek Marathi mulgi hai, woh yeh Andhra jewelry main accha lagta hai, lekin yeh Marathi haar, iss par bahut jachega,' good idea right?" He put the necklace on her, and Pallavi looked at it in the mirror.
"Raghav, this—this is too much." Pallavi started.
"Bakwas band karo, aur mujhe tumhara sringaar puri karne do." Raghav said, ignoring her protests. He put on each piece of jewelry, his eyes not moving from Pallavi's as he put on the earrings, the maang tiki, the bangles, and the payal.
When he stood up, finished, all Pallavi could do was stare, how had Raghav changed from the Ghamandi Raghav that she knew to the man standing in front of her.
Raghav finally snapped his fingers, "Oh Saree ka Dukaan, shall we go or do you want to keep admiring your cute husband all day?"
Pallavi shot back, "Tum itna cute nahi ho, relax."
Ragahv smiled and took her hand, "Lekin main thoda tho cute hun, na?"
Pallavi smiled and the both of them went downstairs to meet Amma and Keerthi and leave for the pooja.
