Eternal Souls

Chapter Thirteen: Unspoken Connections

After Kirti and Amma left the mansion, a strange silence filled the air. Raghav, feeling an odd sense of unease, walked over to where Pallavi was sitting. She was deep in thought, sipping on her tea, the earlier conversations still lingering in her mind. Raghav cleared his throat, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"I have a meeting, and I'll be out for a few hours," Raghav said, his voice a little too brisk. He wasn't used to feeling so concerned about anyone. "Farhad will stay with you until I'm back. You're... my responsibility right now."

Pallavi blinked, taken aback by his serious tone but nodded. "Alright. But I don't need a babysitter, Raghav. I can take care of myself."

Raghav avoided her gaze, feeling uncomfortable under her stare. "It's not about that. Just—just stay here until I'm back. I'll be quick."

He turned to Farhad, who had been standing quietly in the corner. "Farhad, take care of everything while I'm gone. Make sure she's comfortable."

Farhad, being his usual cheeky self, couldn't resist teasing his boss. "Anna, you've never been protective of anyone like this before. Not even those girls from your one-night stands. What's so special about Pallavi, huh?"

Raghav's expression hardened, and without hesitation, he grabbed a pen from the table and threw it at Farhad. "Shut up! And don't say things like that, especially when Pallavi might hear you."

Farhad dodged the pen with a grin, enjoying how flustered his boss had become. "Alright, alright! Relax, Anna. I was just joking."

Raghav glared at him for a moment before turning to Pallavi. "I'll be back in a while. Don't cause any trouble."

Pallavi looked confused but before she could ask anything, Raghav quickly excused himself. "I have work. I'll see you later."

As Raghav made a hasty exit, Pallavi frowned, glancing over at Farhad. "What just happened?"

Farhad, still smiling from his playful exchange with Raghav, quickly tried to divert her attention. "Nothing, Pallavi ma'am. Anna's just... being Anna. Don't worry about it."

Pallavi didn't push further and let it go for now, deciding to focus on something else. But after a while, as Farhad worked on some papers, she couldn't shake her curiosity about Raghav's past.

"Farhad," Pallavi said, breaking the silence. "I've been wondering about something."

Farhad looked up from his work. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Why do Amma and Kirti live separately from Raghav? They seem like a close family, but there's obviously some distance between them. What happened?"

Farhad hesitated, knowing this was a sensitive subject. He respected both Raghav and Pallavi, but there were certain lines he couldn't cross. "Pallavi ma'am, it's... complicated. Raghav Anna doesn't talk about his past easily, but it's not my place to share his secrets. I think you should ask him directly. He'll tell you the truth when he's ready."

Pallavi leaned forward, her curiosity piqued. "But surely you know, right? You've been with him for years."

Farhad smiled faintly. "Yes, I do. But it's not about knowing, it's about respecting his privacy. It's like a bro code, you know? Or in my case, an assistant's code. I can't tell anyone about Anna's private matters without his permission. I'm sure he'll open up to you when the time is right."

Pallavi sat back, thinking about what Farhad said. It was clear that Raghav had been through a lot, but she didn't want to pry. She appreciated Farhad's loyalty to his boss, even if it left her with more questions than answers.

"Alright, I understand," Pallavi said with a nod. "I'll wait until Raghav decides to tell me himself."

Farhad gave her a reassuring smile. "He will, ma'am. Trust me, Anna may act tough, but deep down, he's not that bad. He just needs time."

Pallavi chuckled softly. "I'm starting to see that."

The room fell into a comfortable silence after that, each of them lost in their own thoughts. As Pallavi gazed out the window, she couldn't help but wonder about Raghav's life—what had shaped him into the man he was today, and why his family seemed to carry such heavy emotions around him. One thing was for sure, though: she was starting to see a side of Raghav that no one else had shown her before, and it was both intriguing and confusing at the same time.