Pieces of a cracked mirror #ReadersChoiceAwards

Chapter 1

AnushkhaA

@AnushkhaA

So as I am quite a writing fanatic. So I thought to write scenes on Raghvi on certain words. I chose the first one. You all could also give me suggestions on the words or scenarios you want me to explore.

--------------------------------

MISUNDERSTOOD

Pallavi and Mansi were busy enjoying a quiet evening gorging themselves on the spicy chaat, Sharda Aai had explicitly forbade them from eating. Well, Pallavi usually never cheated on her diet, she was very particular about her fitness but some times.... read very rarely, she just couldn't torture her olfactory lobes by not giving in to the temptation of that fantastic chaat from the nearby thelewalaa.

Mansi on the other hand was a perfect Devil's advocate. She had no qualms about eating whatever she liked and whenever she like it. Today she had come to Deshmukh Saree Emporium to force her sister in law to participate in the miscreant activity with her. In Pallavi's defence she did try to resist but then Mansi could be very persuasive.

And as they chatted together amidst mouthfuls of the tangy savouries in their hands Pallavi saw a car zoom pass them in such speed that she doubted whether the driver had mistaken it for a jet and not a vehicle on the road. But what shocked her was the car hit a scooter with an old man on it. It wasn't too big an accident cause the driver had put on the brakes with admirable skill to avoid skittering the scooter away or running over the poor old fellow but it had hit him making him topple over the road unfortunately.

She squeaked and tugged Mansi along sprinting towards the commotion but stopped short at the other side, on the pavement recognizing the expensive three piece suit clad man coming out of the driver's seat fluidly like a panther. She noticed the number plate then and sighed in exasperation. Of all the bloody people! Why wasn't she surpised?

Raghav Rao surprisingly though looked none of his usual suave and smug self. He looked immensely disturbed and visibly perturbed. An expression of concern and guilt on his handsome.. wait.. why was she calling him handsome? No... ugly face.. which looked almost alien on it. She was so used to seeing the perpetually furious or that wicked smirk on him that she had thought he could not express any other emotion.

Raghav was kneeling beside the old man on the road instantly and Pallavi saw him speaking to him while he helped him up. There were packets and stuff rolling all around the place and Pallavi felt a pang in her heart for the poor soul. That must have been a week's worth of groceries. But what would Raghav Rao understand of needing to make ends meet? Though she was a bit shocked seeing him handle the guy gently... even coming down his filthily costly car. She had thought he would zoom away.

Maybe the guy wasn't so inhuman. She went near the duo trying to help pick the stuff which weren't ruined for the old man. When she was near enough she heard the old man speaking. He sounded furious. Obviously.. but she feared the return of Raghav's infamous temper and probably the poor man had no idea who he was dealing with. A self serving monster to whom this city veritably bowed.

"...... flying on the road! You youngsters! Have no regard for traffic rules... all the stuff are ruined now! I was taking these for my wife.. it is our anniversary today and you... bloody oaf!"

Pallavi giggled internally thinking how the old man so clearly admonished this egotistic idiot. But she grew sombre the next moment expecting the burst of that acerbic tirade she had been the receiving end for some weeks now. But to her absolute astonishment Raghav didn't burst into flames spontaneously like expected. He didn't even grow irritated and talked back rudely. He just smiled at him sheepishly like a scolded ten year old and apologised again in a voice which she had never heard from him before. A voice she thought Raghav Rao could never emanate.

It was a guilt ridden small voice, soft at the edges having a weird tone which somehow resembled Nikhil's when he asked for his father... Vijay's forgiveness when he committed a mischief.

"Sorry tata... I was in a hurry so I didn't see you take a turn. I am really sorry..."

"But what will I do now? Look at the necklace... it broke. I'll again have to go back and buy a new one....sab barbaad kar diyaa... ufff.."

Raghav had made him sit at the chair outside a nearby shop on the other end of the road. The people surrounding them had long since abandoned the sight loosing their curiosity yet Pallavi stood rooted at her spot seeing the sight in front. Mansi tugged at her arm but she quietened her with a shush.

Raghav made a silly face , another new expression which she could gauge was a mock attempt. He looked the broken necklace over like he was indulging a child and nodded his head sharply.

"Arre tata.. this necklace! Thank God it broke.. did you look at the design? It's so bad.. Amam'maa would hate it. I am a jeweller... I have a necklace in my car wait..."

He ran back to his car and brought back a dark maroon velvet box from the back seat and Pallavi squinted to see what was inside it as he opened it. She gasped recognizing the necklace.. a design from Jayati Jewell's latest collection which was supposed to have been designed by Raghav Rao himself. Each piece was unique and exemplary in it's built. She remembered salivating with Amruta over the pamphlet and wishing hey had enough money. But she could never dream to afford it even with a year's salary. The price ran in tens of lakhs.

The old man looked at him defiantly.

"I won't take it for free.."

You won't be able to pay for it dadu...

Pallavi thought still shell shocked seeing the necklace glittering in the late afternoon sun like a beautiful rainbow of gold and green. It was simple and elegant she would kill to have it.

Raghav smiled at the man almost affectionately and said something which Pallavi would never forget and would get reminded of the same many a times in future occasions.

"It's only a thousand rupees. You could pay for it. Aur waisa bhi.. paisa kya matter karta hain.. pyaar aur khushiyon ke saamne... accha lag raha hain kya aapko.. ye walaa?"

The old man looked over the necklace critically as if he himself was a great jeweller while Raghav looked with a unique childlike anticipation which somehow broke something inside her chest. What the actual hell was happening? He was practically giving away such an expensive piece of jewellery for free. That also to avoid a situation which he could very well have not bothered about. Pallavi wasn't that naïve. She knew his extent of power. He owns the Hyderabad Police, the hit and run case would never get filed.

"Fine! This looks okay. Here is your thousand rupees.. and make sure you look next time before running like a mad horse on the road. Bach gaye tum isbaar main case file nhi karunga.."

Raghav smiled happily and nodded as if in genuine obedience and promised never to speed so fast again as he helped the man with the rest of his stuff and sent him on his way. He turned back and Pallavi thought she saw a different emotion in his usually empty eyes. A slight moistening of the inky blackness of his irises but to her disappointment he covered it with his jet black sunglasses again.

And as Pallavi Deshmukh still stood there gaping slightly Raghav Rao had already boarded his car and had vanished into the edge of the road not noticing her at all. She stared at the indistinct spot where he had been standing a few minutes ago looking like he was adjusting an invisible sword stuck in his chest grappling with a mysterious heartache she hadn't ever imagined resided in those furious pits of his blackened soul.

Mansi finally snapped her from her trance.

"Ho gaya tera..? The old guy is fine. Can we go now really? Its getting late and I have to catch the repeat telecast of the show we watch.. Pallu!"

"Yeah.. yeah chalte hain.. lets go.."

She walked back to her little saree shop smiling like an idiot thinking she had never been so happy to have misunderstood any person. She must be going mad.

Well better mad with the rest of the world than sane alone..

As her brother always told.

She looked at the red and golden sky lighting one last time before the advent of the purple which marked the night. The vestiges of the stars shining brightened her mood more than it should have. The mix of the night and the day at this hour never ceased to amaze her. It reminded her of that man.

That rude, insensitive, perpetually angry, snobbish, humble, kind and heartbroken man.

Who are you Raghav Rao? Will I ever understand you?

Index:-

2. BROTHERHOOD

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/158466439

3. Femme Fatale

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/158516973

4. Care

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/158716744

5. Cramps

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/159203449

6. Scarred