Petrichor to his heart – 5 (mhrw ff)

chapter 5

The samples were ready for dispatch and her family has already gone through every box of sarees. Once they have gone through one hell of experience when sarees were misplaced in the boxes designated to them. it didn’t cost them big but as an authentic saree manufacturer, they needed to be consistent and precise to everything. And that was the reason she was here from the morning to get everything done accordingly.

The business had boomed in the last couple of months and she had the opportunity to just take the important decisions but she loved the whole experience of designing, selecting the colours and materials and that was the reason she never paid heed to her baba’s words.

In her words, she was Pallavi first and Pallavi Raghav Rao second… her existence was because of Deshmukh sarees and she could not disown it rather take it to more heights.

And in her heart, she knew if it was not because of Deshmukh sarees she was never going to become Pallavi Raghav Rao.

The thought earned her a smile and a tinge to her cheeks which she hid quickly, she didn’t want to give Manasi another reason to tease her about her already glowing face.

Raghav was out of the city for a few days for some off-sea deal and today he was about to land in the city so she had to complete the work the soonest and get home.

The customised ringtone told her about his call before Nikhil handed her the phone and she flipped the cover to his smiling face on the screen and excused herself.

“hello…” the voice came as she swiped the screen.

“Hi… when are you reaching home?” she asked him before he asks her anything.

“We are still stuck due to the weather here, tum apna batao, kaam khatam hua?” he asked.

She was that habitual of a rude and mocking Raghav Rao that sometimes this sweet and caring Raghav puzzled her and she smiled which reached him.

“Nahi… she stopped her laugh. “abhi time lagega.”

“kya hua…” he asked her.

“There are a lot of packets and the heavy rain last night ..ufff, I was afraid last night,” she recalled how the crackling and thundering of clouds kept her awake most of the night.

“you should have called someone na… that’s why I told you to call someone to stay with you… keerti could have come, arey… chipkoo ladki could have come” he sounded concerned.

“No , no … it is just I was not able to sleep and the heavy thundering supplemented. And by the way, you still call her that… her name is Amrutha.” her voice turned stern.

“achha baba, so did you call someone from house help, they could have stayed with you rather in their quarters?” he changed the topic before they headed to a new argument.

“No, why trouble anyone, everyone might have been sleeping and I walked to the hall and completed a few designs,” she replied in a small voice fully knowing he would burst on house help in a few minutes.

“and please, it was my fault I didn’t call anyone…you are not going to shout on them,” she warned him.

“okay…” he replied.

“achha, abhi mujhe aur sare packets dekhne hai… see you in the evening.” she told him when Manasi waved at her.

“okay… and listen we are going to have dinner somewhere and then we’ll head to Amma’s place, so don’t leave from Aai’s place.” he nearly ordered her.

“wow… kabhi agar tum thoda soch samjh lo to tumhara BP na kam ho jaye… ab main yaha kucch leke aayi hun jo ready rahun?” she forced her voice down otherwise people were going to think they were arguing.

“arey Saree ka dukan… tumahra Saree ka dukan hai aur tum bol rha hai ki tumhare pas kuchh nahi.” he loved irritating her but he had a point.

“why not… jiski dukan ho vo har roj nayi saree aur nayi jewellery pahan ke ghume…” she was getting irritated now.

“kitna natak Pallavi… alright, choose the best saree and I’m paying for that and now no more discussion, customer bhagwan hota hai aur abhi mai bhagwan hai yaha.” he ordered her again.

“of course Pati parmeshwar.” she taunted him before cutting the call.

“pichi Ammaii…” he smiled seeing the screen and looked at Farhad.

“Farhad, call Ramya and tell her to pick something good from the latest collection… we are first heading to the main store in city and then to home,” he ordered her.

“Okay Anna.” Farhad smiled knowing his boss very well.

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He kept his index on his mouth to shush them all as Sharda opened the door and he spotted others in the hall.

He took her blessings and handed her the bag of sweets and delicacies and entered inside with the other bag.

“you are early…” Sharda smiled at him.

“yeah, the flight was timely.” he smiled back.

After greeting and taking/giving blessings he excused himself to use the washroom and walked to Pallavi’s old room there.

The door was shut but when he pressed it it started opening and he controlled its motion so she does not know about his arrival.

Inside she was nowhere in sight but in a moment the washroom door opened and she emerged working on some gold bangles pressing them down her wrists.

He hid and after a few moments, peeped inside and she looked engrossed in her saree pleats.

“Hī sāḍī … she huffed. “ samasyā āhē.” the pleats slipped again from her palm and she thumped on the bed in frustration. (this saree is trouble).

“i wonder now his majesty would come and help me pleat this …?” she was annoyed on him and he smiled at that.

“Mī kōrika nāku, nā bhārya.” he spoke and hid again smiling on his own childishness. (“your wish is my command, my lady.”)

Her eyes opened instantly and she looked around for his presence but he was not there and she sighed.

“aise hi nahi kahte sab, a good sleep is important for brain… ab tujhe awajen bhi sunai dene lagi hain.” she looked around her again and then walked to the mirror to resume the pleats.

She was busy in the pleats when he walked behind her and collected her hairs on one side.

“kōṇa āhē? She turned with a jolt. (who is it?)

“Mai hai…” he shushed her, fearful she would shout.

“tum.. itna jaldi… flight to der se.” she started her string of questions.

“kitna bolta hai… sab answer karega… abhi turn first.” he told her and pushed her shoulders.

“Arey , kya kar rahe ho… abhi I have to make the pleats.” she was holding the saree in her hands.

He didn’t pay heed to any of her questions and faced them in the mirror.

“ab hilna mat…” he warned her and grabbed the small bag from the bed.

“kya kar rahe ho, koi aa jayega.” she checked the door in a glance and then waited for him.

“tum do minute chup nahi rah sakta…hamesha train ki tarah bhagta hai tumhara ye jaban (tongue).” he clicked his tongue and came behind her.

He collected her hairs again and put it aside and then the glittering stones caught her eyes.

“ye kya…” she gasped.

“Someone suggested to me in the morning that I don’t gift them at all.” he mused securing the lock in place.

“and who was that dumb person.” she touched the stones and appreciated the designer’s vision.

“a woman with a saree ka dukan.” he was done and he looked up in the mirror.

“achha jee.” she nudged his side with her arm lightly.

“Dekho ye piece kitna sundar hai?” his eyes fixed on her in the mirror.

“bilkul, meri shan me char chand laga diye isne.” she gave him back.

“arey, I was genuine this time.” he defended his earlier words as he grabbed her waist.

“Raghav… wait, my saree is not done,” she whispered again, alert if someone came and saw them like that.

“arey, they should knock the door na…” he bent to her nape.

“bilkul, par ye mera kamra hai hamara nahi..” she tried to untangle from him.

“Pallavi come…Raghav…” Amrutha’s uninterested voice suddenly changed into an interesting tone.

“huh.” he sighed.

“Chipkoo ladki…” he called her cheerfully, straightening and turning to her and earned another nudge to his side.

“ab kya Hua… he whispered to her.

“No one told me you were coming today… come, I’ll bring you something.” Amrutha smiled as she walked to them.

“arey tum chalo, mai aata.” he plastered a smile on his lips.

“why can’t you say her name, it’s such a beautiful name – Amrutha.” she told him angrily gathering her saree in her hands.

“arey if she cant call me..what do Mansi and Nikhil say…Haan, bhau or something then I am also not going to call her anything other than that..and this name is perfect for her,” he explained with a smirk.

“i can not win on your lame explanations, now please go and send Mansi or Aai here.” she huffed and turned to work on her pleats.

“i’ll go if i want… okay ,Saree ka dukan.” he brushed her lips lightly.

“it was such a long week …” he whispered as he leaned to her face not giving heed to her words.

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Hey everyone ! the next part is updated … get yourself ready for more of them in this second series of theirs moments.

and thank you to every new reader, who is voting, commenting or even reading the story and making me feel overwhelmed…touchwood.

with love 

Morusya.♥