Chapter 20

unicornwriter

@unicornwriter

CHAPTER 19 : I'LL BE THERE

9 A.M.

Pallavi glanced at the now decorated house due to the Ganpati festivities as she rubbed the towel on her wet hairs. Ganesh Chaturthi had always been one of her favourite festivals with all the fun and laughter, that joy of getting Bappa home, the swets and unity of family during the aarti. She made her way to Aaji who was busy preparing the list for necessary requirements.

"Aaji list ho gayi?" Pallavi asked her.

"Ho ho iss baari toh bahut samaan aana hai. Tu na jaakar subah wali mandi se sabzi le aa aur yeh dusra wala samaan main Shiva ko bolti hoon woh layega apni gaadi se." Aaji replied kissing her forehead.

"Han theek hai main na bass yeh towel bahar daal doon phir nashte ka final karke jaati hoon nahin toh taazi sabzi nhin bachegi." Pallavi answered going out towards the lawn but instead shrieked.

There in all his glory was the new greek God of town of Banglore aka Raghav Rao, with no shirt on and trousers at the edge of his hipbone. Was he planning her death already? She turned around wishing that her voice wasn't loud enough for him to hear but looks like Bappa has started to be in his favour rather than hers lately as he called out to her.

"Pallavi, sab theek hai na?" he asked with concern in his eyes and for just a second, just one, she melted right there.

"Han woh kuch nahin." she replied with a nervous smile and turned back to leave again only to stop right dead in her tracks. Why should she not voice her opinions? After all it was her house so in an instant she was back facing him as he scrunched his eyebrows togetehr confused over her behaviour.

'By the way yeh koi garden nahin hai jahana tum yeh aise bina shir pehene apna gym samajhkr ghoom rhe ho yahan shareef log rehte hai aur chhoti ladkiyan bhi rehti hai . Samazla" she pointed her finger at him trying to get her voice to come out as a warning tone but it was anything apart from that and so he chuckled at her attempt.

"Achcha aur main na manun toh tum kya karega?" he asked raising his one eyebrow at her.

"Oh hello tumhe kya lagta hai aisi hot celebrity body lekr mere saamne aoge toh main pighal jaungi. Mana ki tum handsome dikhte ho lekin that doesn't mean ki tum jo chahe ho karoge. Dekho tum-" she snapped back at him only to stop midway when she realised the words she had spoken.

"Toh main tumko handsome lagta hai? Hot lgata hai?" Raghav asked coming a bit closer to her.

"Aisa nahin matlab han- i mean mujhe kaam hai tumhari tarah faltu nahin hoon." she fumbled with her sentence and hence ended up running back inside the house but not before covering his body with the towel she had been using.

"Pichchi Ammai" Raghav laughed at her cute antics as he too made his way inside the house.

Pallavi stopped from her marathon when Aaji called out to her.

"Dekh Shiva toh shaam ko le ayega samaan usko bol diya hai maine. Abhi office gaya hai woh. Tu pakka sabzi le ayegi na?" Aaji asked.

"Ho Aaji list dikhao?" she took the piece of paper from Aaji's hand whihc was, let's just say it felt like a list for some wedding.

"Itna sab Aaji. Poori baraat ko khilana hai kya?" Pallavi joked.

"Bhul gayi na. Are aaj ka khana hume khilana hai. Ussike liye itna sab hai.' Aaji slapped her forehead and Pallavi's face formed an 'o'.

"Par Aaji yeh toh bahut hai scooty par itna sab kaise ayega." Pallavi spoke with a concerned voice. Aaji too thought for a minute until she saw someone.

"Raghav. Raghav beta idhar." Aaji called out to him before he could make him way up the stairs to his room.

"Ji Aaji?" raghav asked coming closer and Pallavi looked at Aaji with horror filled eyes , she knew what was coming next.

'Teri gaadi aa gayi hai na?" Aaji asked him.

"Han Farhad le aaya tha. Kuch kaam tha?" Raghav was confused.

"Han agar tu free hai toh Pallu ke saath na sabzi mandi chala ja woh kya hai na yeh scooty par itna sab akele nhin laa payegi." Aaji replied.

"Aaji it's okay main auto se le aungi. raghav ko kaam hoga." Pallavi tried to deny but raghav bugged in.

'Main le jayega ab yeh ghar mera bhi toh hai. Kyun haina Aaji? Ab ghar ke kaamom main haath toh bata hi sakta hai main ." Raghav gave a smrik.

"Are lekin" Palli tried to reasoned but she was shut by Aaji's one glare.

"  Toh theek hai main shower lekar aata hai phir chalte hai." Raghav suggested and went away leaving behind a grumpy Pallavi.

An hour later

They both stood at a distance from the humongous crowd surrounding the vegetable stalls. The entire drive was a light affair as Pallavi got busy with some class meeting and Raghav too informed Farhad of the day's schedule.

"Hum gaadi idhar kayko roka hai?" Raghav asked.

"Kyun tum itni bheed main andar gaadi lekar jaoge. Mr Raghav Rao yeh ek sabzi mandi hai koi Mc Donald's ka drive through nahin ki ba sek counter pr order kiya aur agle par samaan le liya. Yahan se aage paidal hi jana hoga." she taunted making her way to the crowd.

"By God yeh itna log. Sabko aaj hi samaan lena tha kya?" Raghav cribbed squeezing himself among the people who were almost over stepping onto each other.

"Offo tum aise dheere dheere chaloge toh kho jaoge. idhar aao." Pallavi got back towards him as she slipped her hand into his dragging him across to the other side , easily tackling the crowd while Raghav couldn't help but smile and blush over their interwined fingers as he held it more tightly than intended to.

"Idhar pehle Shamu kaka se samaan le lete hai. Theek hai?" she stopped infront of an old man handling out the list to him. Raghav couldn't help but get lost in her beauy as she talked to the old man, time and again instructing him of the foul vegetable. the way she kept warning him to give her the best.

He felt lack of warmth when she took her hand back from his but the smile came back as he saw her binding her beautiful curls into a loose bun with some loose strands dangling infront and after succesfully accomplishisng her task , she slid back her hand to where it belonged.

"yeh lo" she turned to him handling him a bag as she paid the said old man. Raghav huffed as the heavy bag got laid in his one hand while the other was still secured by her. She got them through to the very end of the market standing infront of another stall, a fruit one this time,

"Bhaiya yeh nariyal kya hisaab diya?" she asked. 

Raghav couldn't help but imagine the life they could have if they were still together, as she dressed up in her plain simple sarees and they would shop for their house together, just like this. Getting back home, he would indulge into some meeting when a slight knock would disturb him as she will stroll down a cart with lunch items in it. Scolding him fr being late for food as they sit in his den together feeding each other.

"Kidhar kho jaate ho?" Pallavi snapped her fingers infront of him, getting him back from his dream.

"Kahin nahin. Ho gaya tumhara?" he asked .

"Han Shamu kaka ne baaki sab pack krwa diya hoga. Unka delivery wala gaadi tak le ayega. Bass yeh nariyal pack ho jaye phir chalte hai. i know tumhaari meetings hongi-" she started with her explanation when he shushed her with his fingers.

"Shh bass yeh idhar yeh sab perfect hai." he whispered and Pallavi realised their form. Them being a homely couple amidst the market, holding hand and so she took it all back.

"Pallavi tum" 

"Kitna hua bhaiya?" Pallavi asked the vendor.

"200 rs madam." he replied.

"200 bhaiya sone ke nariyal hai kya" Pallavi snapped back startling Raghav.

"Madam yeh imported nariyal hai. Ab mehenge toh honge hi." the vendor fought back.

"Achcha ji imported hai. Isko tumhaare sar par marungi toh Indian nariyal ki tarah hi chot lagegi na, kaunsa toot ke bikahr jayega." Pallavi mocked and Raghav tried so hard to control his laughter.

"Yeh kya bol rahe ho madam. Dekho achcha aisa karo 190 dedo." he tried reasoning with her.

"160 main dena hai toh do warn rakhlo. itne saare liye hai 40rs discount toh dena pdega" Pallavi too wasn't less.

"Are Pallavi yeh tum kya keh raha hai . Bhaiya main 200 rs deta hai tumko ruko." Raghav turned to the vendor trying to save the poor man.

"Oh hello sheikh chilli. Kya 200 rs deta hoon. 160 se ek rupya zyada nhin dena hai." Pallavi stopped Raghav.

"Sheikh Chilli? Pallavi tum 40 rupee ke liye usse ladd raha hai." Raghav laughed moving his head sideways.

"Tohh!! Aise bhao tol karna na ek bhartiya naari ka haq hota hai. Tum Mr Raghav Rao nahin samjhoge. Aur bhaiya aap 170 se zyada nhin dungi ab bolo?" Pallavi whined.

"Theek hai madam le jao." The vendor too gave in and Raghav warmed up watching her beam with a lovely victory smile.

"Dekhaa" she mocked him taking the bag and making her way to his car.

"Tum na saree ka dkaan ek dum unique piece hai." Raghav taunted.

"Koi shaq." Pallavi laughe dsettling inside the car as they drove back home.

Raghav helped Pallavi get the supplies in as they kept it in the verandah.

'Saara samaan aa gaya?" Aaji asked wiping her hand with her saree pallu.

"Ho. Iske baad na main bahar set up lagwa deti hoon bawarchi ka." Pallavi replied making her way to the backside when she bumoed in Shiva.

"Araam se" Shiva stabled her.

"Tum office nahin gaya?" Pallavi asked.

"Ek file bhul gaya tha. Tu kidhar thi?" he asked her.

"Woh Raghav ke saathsabzi lene gayi thi." pallavi replied when kaku called her from the kitchen so she left.

Shiva looked at Raghav who was already glaring at him. He pointed his two fingers at his eyes and then towards Raghav givign him the i am watching you look to which Raghav gave him a slight mockign laugh keeping his thumb up and then turning it down the next second.

Oh to be those guys in war.