Pallavi spoke to her Baba after going to the shop. He was okay with meeting Raghav in the evening. He asked her to bring him at 6 in the evening. Pallavi immediately messaged the same to Raghav. As soon as he saw the message he called Pallavi.
"Hello, Pallavi. Waha pe jaane se pehle tum ghar aayega kya?" He asked.
"Mujhe laga hum saath mein jaayenge."
"Haan to saath mein hi. Mein puch raha tha ki tum mera ghar aayega kya?" He cleared.
"Accha, mujhe laga ki tum mere ghar ki baat kar rahe ho kyunki tum hamesha tumhare ghar ko mansion bulate ho na isliye."
"Woh toh pehle ka baat hai. Ab toh woh mansion ghar ho gaya hai sirf tera wajah se Saree Ka Dukaan. Thank you so much. I love you." He said.
"I love you too. Par tum mujhe waha kyu bula rahe ho?"
"Woh kya pehnne ka hai woh decide karne ke liye. Ab three piece mein toh nahi aa sakta aur kurta overdressed ho jaayega isliye bulaya tereko. Tum jo batayega woh pehenega toh atleast tera woh Baba mera dressing se toh impress hoyega varna, dekhte hi reject kar dega." He said laughing.
"Accha ji? Theek hai aajaungi mein 5 baje tak."
"Thoda jaldi aajao na matlab thoda romance bhi kar sakta hai hum."
"Byeeee." She screamed laughing.
They hanged up and continued doing their own work.
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Pallavi reached RR Mansion by 5. She greeted Amma.
"Aao na beta. Aaj iss wakt?" Amma inquired.
"Woh actually Raghav ka kuch kaam tha." Pallavi said not lying but not telling the complete truth also.
"Waise Raghav kaha hai?" Pallavi asked.
"Woh apne room mein hai." Amma told.
Pallavi went to his room but he was nowhere to be found. She was about to turn when she heard the clicking of the door knob.
"So, here you are!!" He said huskily while walking towards her.
"Yess. You called me so, I had to come." She said encircling her hands on his neck.
"Accha. As far as I remember, I told you to come early." He said putting his hands on her waist.
"I had some work. Btw, why have you locked the door. Aunty is in the house."
"That's why." He said winking.
"Shut up. Open the door otherwise she would get to know."
"She already knows."
"Howw?"
"She guessed it."
"Of course she had to, because when she came to wake you up yesterday you considered her Farhad and said not to play with your hair as only Amma and Pallavi have the right to do so."
"Ohh.... She asked me yesterday while having breakfast and I couldn't lie. I did try to avoid the topic but then she made me spill out the truth." He said.
"Doesn't she have a problem? I mean we have cultural differences."
"No. She loves you more than me and cultural differences don't matter to her."
"That's fine. I know she loves me but accepting me as her daughter in law is a different thing."
"Why do you have to be so dramatic? She loves you more than her own children at times and has accepted you. No need to worry."
"Did she say this?"
"Not everything should be said. Somethings are shown by actions also. If she would have not accepted you then, she wouldn't have even let you enter the premises of the mansion. I am experienced. So chill!!!" He explained.
"If you are done, can you please tell me what should I wear." Raghav asked.
"Okay."
She saw his wardrobe and everything was formal with a few casual clothes and a few kurtas that he wore during Mansi's wedding.
"Ghamandi Rao, all of your clothes are formal or too casual. There's nothing in between." She said.
"I never had anything to attend except for meetings and my dealings. Whatever clothes I wear for business events were by designers so, I had to return it to them. The clothes I wore for clubs are too casual so can't wear them." He told her.
"Don't you have some prints?"
"No, I like plain ones."
"We can pair up the red shirt with this black jeans." She said placing the combination on him.
"No, this shirt is too silky. This won't look good. Give me that white shirt." She took the white shirt and it looked good.
"Haan, this looks nice." Both of them said together.
"Fine, wear this and don't tuck in the shirt." She told him.
He went and changed his clothes and they went to meet her Baba.
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They reached her place and Baba was already waiting for him in the living room along with other family members.
"Wow!!! Finally, 'The Raghav Rao' decided to make an appearance." He said air quoting The Raghav Rao.
"Waise, you are 5 minutes late." Vijay said to him.
"Actually, I had a meeting lined up." Raghav said covering up because he couldn't tell him that they got late as they were busy choosing an outfit for him.
"This means that you will keep my daughter waiting like this always?" Vijay asked.
"Baba, actually we got late because of me. We had decided to come together and I got late because of a client. He was there on time." Pallavi justified.
"Don't try to defend him Pallavi." Vijay said.
"Now, let's go inside. I want to speak to you. No one will come inside." Vijay warned everyone.
The three of them left towards Vijay's room.
"Why are you here Pallavi?" Vijay asked.
"This is about my relationship so, I feel the need to come here." She said fumbling as this was the first time she was back answering him.
"Fine. But I won't talk to you. I only want to talk to him."
"Okay." Both of them said in unison.
They went inside and all three of them sat on the chairs.
"Tum pyaar karte ho Pallavi se?" Vijay asked.
"Haan." Raghav answered.
"Kya tum uske baare mein serious ho ya koi timepass kar rahe ho? Meri beti un ladkiyon mein se nahi hai jo tumhari timepass bane." Baba asked.
"Baba, meine aapse..." Pallavi couldn't complete her sentence as Baba showed his hand to stop her.
"Meine tujhse pehle hi kaha tha ki mein sirf usse baat karunga. Tum jawab do."
"Uncle, mein sachmein aapka beti se bohot pyaar karta hai. Mein aapna life mein itna serious aur sure kabhi nahi hua hai, jitna mein usko lekar hai." Raghav spoke with honesty. Pallavi just stared at him with love filled in her eyes.
"Kabhi agar tum logo ka kisi bohot bade baat pe jhagda hua jo I am sure ki hoga hi, kyunki uske zindagi mein kuch principles hai unlike you, aur agar tum dono ki sulha nahi ho rahi hai toh tum kya karoge? Usse manaoge ya apna ego ko importance deke usse baat nahi karoge." Vijay asked.
"Aaj tak koi aisa mard hua hai jo aurat ka aage jeeta hai? Aap toh experienced hai fir bhi mujhse puch raha hai." Pallavi gave him a glare but surprisingly, Vijay let out a small chuckle. He immediately made a straight face once he understood that he had laughed on Raghav's joke.
"Filhaal toh kuch nahi aaya hain, par pehle bohot baar tumhare bohot saari ladkiyon ke saath photo aaye hai, uska kya justification hai tumhare paas? Aur ab yeh mat kehna ki woh saare photos edited hai." Vijay said.
"Woh sab kuch mera past tha. Mein deny nahi karega ki mein kuch ladkiyon ke saath raha hai par abhi aisa kuch bhi nahi hai. Ab aur iske aage mera life mein sirf aur sirf Pallavi hi hai. Jo media mein aaya hai woh sachmein galat hai kyunki woh log kuch ek photo kahase to leta hai aur uspe kuch theory banake publish kar deta hai. Kabhi kabhi rival company edited photo bhi de deta hai." Raghav explained.
"Yeh edited waala natak mere saath nahi chalega."
"Jo sach hai wahi mein bol raha hai."
"Tumhara sach tum hi jaano." Vijay said in a taunting way.
"Tumhare family mein kon kon hai?" Vijay asked.
"Mera Amma aur mera behen Keerti. Wohi joh Pallavi ka best friend hai." He spoke.
"Tum Keerti ke bhai ho? Usne kabhi bataya nahi."
"Kaise batata woh. Humare beech mein abhi tak kuch bhi theek nahi tha. 10 saal pehle ek haadse ka wajah se woh dono mere se door hi rehta tha. Kal hi woh dono mere saath wapis aaya hai. Pallavi ki wajah se mera family mereko waapas mil gaya hai. Usne mereko mera family se milaya hai." Raghav expressed his gratitude.
"Kya hua tha 10 saal pehle?"
"Mein woh batane mein comfortable nahi hai. Pallavi ko sab kuch pata hai. Hum dono mein sab kuch transparent hai. Usse kuch nahi chupaya hai."
"Theek hai."
"Agar kabhi aisa hua ki tumhari Amma ka aur Pallavi ka jhagda hua toh tum kiski side loge?"
"Mein aapko phone karega advice ke liye. Aapka itne saal ka happy marriage hai toh aapko pata hi hoyega." Baba wanted to laugh again seeing his witty side but, kept his composure.
"Tumhare business mein smuggling bohot common hai. Aur tumhara toh itna bada naam hai toh tum toh karte hi honge." Vijay spoke.
Raghav now gulped his saliva in fear. He and Pallavi had already argued on that and she was not at all okay with his smuggling and now her father asked the same question. He feared to loose her. Pallavi looked at him and indicated him to go ahead.
"Mein karta hai smuggling par, mera pura business uspar nahi hai. Business ka kuch part smuggling se karta hai mein. Mein jaanta hai tum log ko mera smuggling se problem hoyega, Pallavi ko bhi hai par mein usme kuch nahi kar sakta. Agar industry mein rehna hai toh yeh sab karna padta hai. Mein tumko itna assure kar sakta hai ki Pallavi ko ya aap log ko isse koi problem nahi hoyega. Aaj tak mera ek bhi aadmi ko ek kharoch tak nahi aaya hai. Aur agar aaya toh bhi main un logo ko aisa nahi chod dega. Unka medical ka responsibility mein lega." Raghav spoke.
"Meine pucha kya ki tum kiski responsibility loge ya kiski nahi?" Vijay asked.
"Nahi par phir bhi mein bataya taaki tumko aise lagega nahi ke mein irresponsible hai." Raghav said.
"Last sawal tumhare shirt ka size kya hai?" Baba asked confusing both of them.
"Kayko?"
"Taki tumhe ek shirt gift kar saku matlab next time aate wakt kuch dhang ka pehenke aao." Vijay replied.
"Tumhara hi beti ka choice hai." Raghav spoke without getting the hint that Vijay actually said Yes to their relationship.
"Baba, aapki taraf se Haan hai?" Pallavi asked.
"Haan." Vijay said and that's when Raghav understood. Raghav hugged Pallavi only to be separated by Baba's fake coughing.
"Abhi tak shaadi tay hui nahi hai toh thoda limit mein." Baba warned.
"Tay hua nahi hai toh kya hua, ho jaayega. Chill maro, Sanki Sasurji!" Raghav spoke and Pallavi hit him on his shoulder.
"Baba iski aadat hai aise faltu ke jokes maarta rehta hai woh. Aap bura mat maniye." Pallavi spoke covering up for Raghav.
"Nahi, ab kyu bura manunga mein. Kya bola tumne abhi... haan sab chill hai." Vijay spoke chuckling.
They went into the hall and Vijay told the family about his decision. All of them were happy.
Author's Note - Vijay has accepted their relationship and I couldn't be any happier. There is till time for their wedding. Also, you all will get to know about Raghav's past with Esha in the next chapter.
Date - 20th May 2022.
