Vodka on the rocks

What if...? [An OS - Ft Manasi]

A/N:- After Amrutha's abortion drama, Rahul's family at first denies to get him married to Manasi but then after a week they come back and agree to the wedding. Raghav and Pallavi's altercation happens like it did on the show, one day Raghav calls her and gives her the papers transferring DSE on Vijay's name again then they don't meet until the day he comes to the wedding. 

Manasi and Rahul were seated in front of the havan kund and the marriage was in process. The Deshmukh's were standing overjoyed and even Jaya and Keerti were happy with the sudden change in circumstances. 

Pallavi's mind on the other hand was in shambles. 

On one hand she was ecstatic that her sister was getting married finally, after all the drama, she has gotten back ownership of the shop and there has been an almost blessed relief from interacting with that rude Rao. But somewhere in the back of her mind, she was feeling a keen sense of loss which she didn't know whether to attribute to the fact that she was reminiscing about her own wedding or that she was missing something... or someone rather. 

She had kept a slight eye on Raghav Rao though the man for the first time since she met him seemed almost eerily calm and collected. He was standing, leaning like a lazing panther as usual, against a pillar at the far end of the festivities. For the first time, not beside Jaya and Keerti like she had expected. 

Well good for poor Keerti, the man had been harassing her friend with an inch of her life. Pallavi didn't know why Keerti never complained about him to the police. But then, what would the police even do to the unofficial Don of the city. Pallavi had already swallowed that bitter pill, no one in this city at least would dare to go against Raghav Rao. 

"Please, if the bride and groom would stand up for the pheras.."

Suddenly with the Pandit's words, as if on cue, before either Rahul or Manasi could get up, the lights went off.

"Arre! Nikhil! Ye kya hua. zara dekhna?"

"Arre dada, maine bola tha na aapko electrician ko pure paise mat dena!"

"Uff! Milind tum yaha mat shuru ho jao.."

"Samdhan ji, ye sab kya hua?"

"Aho, zara dekho toh.."

"Pallu tu kidhar hain?"

"Haa baba main dekhti hun. Pata nhi kaise light chali.."

Pallavi stopped midflow, trying to move around in the chaos when suddenly a screen which seemed like having created with the help of a projector came on the opposite wall of the Hall. All the guests started chattering excitedly thinking it would probably contain photos from the Bridal photoshoot. 

Pallavi looked confused for a second when suddenly her mind clicked and she whipped her head around to stare at her former Boss. 

Raghav Rao was still looking disinterested at the screen, but she could identify the sudden spark which had lit in his otherwise pitch black tunnel gaze. Fear hit her like a thousand arrows as she recognized that look perfectly. 

It was the look the billionaire diamond king gave to the people he was about to crush under his proverbial boots. 

"Deva.. nhi.. phirse ye kya kaand kar raha hain.."

Pallavi muttered and was about to storm towards him when everyone gasped and she whipped her head around again to look back at the screen. 

The video had started playing and the person who was seated at the high end restaurant looking slightly nervous could be candidly identified as the groom himself. Rahul was looking around the place, gawking at the expensive ambience like a fish out of water when suddenly another man came in the screen.