Continuation from Episode No. 147 where Pallavi agrees to leave with Vijay to Deshmukh House and Dr. Ramya is called and she berates her and asks her to take care of Mandar. I really hated what they did with this track, so I am gonna twist this to my benefit. 

"Pallavi how many times have I told you to stay close to Mandar? It is very important for you to stay near to him."

Dr. Ramya told a stunned Pallavi reproachfully. Pallavi looked expectedly miffed at her rudeness and the impracticality of her demands. 

"I have left my husband, my household, my home all, only to come to Mandar's aid. What more do you want from me?"

She countered angrily to which Dr. Ramya responded swiftly. 

"Yes, but if your so called aid would have shown some effect then Mandar would not have been in this condition. He had suffered a seizure. Do you know how dangerous that is for him in this amnesic condition? Only you can help him recover his memories. And his seizures are increasing by the day. If this is situation continues than he will go into a coma."

Evidently that was enough to shock the Deshmukhs and make Pallavi feel immensely guilty and suitably frightened. But what none of them factored in was another sharp voice cutting through the abrupt silence. 

"Oh really... what was your name again.. hah.. Dr. Ramya?"

They all looked startled at the woman who entered the courtyard of the Deshmukh Nivas, her six inch heels clacking confidently on the cemented ground. Clad in a three piece beige coloured skirt suit which matched her heels which had red undersoles, her raven hair tied in a stylish bun at the nape which allowed a few curls to kiss her shapely cheeks, she cut a powerful figure.

"Who are you? And how dare you trespass in my house!"

An enraged Vijay Deshmukh thundered while the rest looked confused while the quite striking woman gave the former an almost bored look. 

"I am Dr. Rohini Rastogi Sippy. I am a neurosurgeon and have a phd in neuropsychiatry. I own the chain of Sippy multinational hospitals and have had the experience of seeing almost more than five hundred patients by now. And let me make you aware that the media calls me Doctor Hundred Percent. I hope I don't have to elaborate why."

Her voice rang strongly and anyone with two brain cells would understand that this woman was used to talking business. With people way above their league. Pallavi noticed an interesting detail. Dr. Ramya had begun sweating profusely. 

"What the hell are you even doing here? We didn't call you!"

Vijay spat still furious while Sharda caught her irate husband's arm tightly shaking her head to shut him up. Dr. Sippy just gave a smile which resembled a hungry shark. She was looking straight at Dr. Ramya who was now visibly shaking. 

"No you didn't Mr. Deshmukh. But I was under the impression that you needed a brain specialist for your son? Isn't he suffering under retrograde amnesia? I mean, that's what Mr. Rao told me as per his claims of not remembering anything except Pallavi's name?"

"Raghav Rao! I knew it! Only he can be behind this! See Pallavi, your so called husband couldn't even deign it within himself to let you go for a moment. He send his lackey instead."

"Hold your tongue Mr. Vijay Deshmukh! I haven't come here to tolerate your bullshit. I am no one's lackey. Raghav is my friend and I am doing him a favour. Or else my time is very very expensive. People pay a lot for one visit and only for consultation and I have achieved all of this based on my years of toiling hard work and merit. I have international patients who spent a lot of their valuable time and earnings only to get their loved ones treated by me. I do not need to blow my horn because I hardly need credibility from the likes of you. But I it is my duty as a friend to help your son and a medial practitioner to expose this fraud of a doctor."

Rohini spat acerbically. Her words were like bullet shots aimed to hit this time, anger marring her beautiful features. Dr. Ramya blanched and the rest looked stupefied. 

"Wha.. what what do you mean? See, Mandar is my patient.. you cannot just come in and.."

"Really Dr. Ramya? What had you said just now? Mandar suffers from seizures and he can only remember Pallavi's name so if Pallavi stays near him, he won't get affected by the same? Which branch of medical science says this? What kind of an undiscovered rare disease is this that needs such a peculiar medication? No.. tell me. I need to get educated too.  You see, neuro is my branch, my specialization and I routinely confer with the best names in this field regarding up and evolving diseases and disorders. What kind of a disorder did you diagnose which none of us have been able to see yet?"

Dr. Ramya was fidgeting horribly now, all the pretence of over confidence was snuffed out like a candle and Pallavi could feel the cogs turning inside her mind furiously. The Deshmukhs looked visibly perturbed leaving only Vijay who was also looking strangely nervous. Rohini crossed her arms and glared at Dr. Ramya now. 

"Let me say it for you honey, there is no such disorder which can have such a ridiculous treatment. If keeping a person close at all times with an amnesic patient with schizophrenic tendencies resolved the problem then are all psychiatric drugs been sold are worthless? All us certified neuropsychiatrist and surgeons are fooling around?"

"And you Dr. Ramya.. aren't you a general physician? You do not even belong to the neuro branch let alone qualified for giving such medical advice to severe brain defected people."

Dr. Ramya now terrified tried to do damage control.

"No.. no.. I am not prescribing any drugs see... I just.. you can't cancel my license. I am a doctor.. I know.. what I am doing.. you are just bluffing.. "

Rohini prowled towards her suddenly, her eyes narrowing in wrath and her face white in an anger so potent that for a scary second Pallavi thought she would shoot lasers from her eyes at Dr. Ramya who almost fell over her feet stumbling back. 

"Don't try to lie to me. I am the member of the Board of the Indian Medical Doctors and can have your medical license cancelled with a single phone call so don't try me lady. And I will not rest with that, I will have your name dragged all the way to hell and beyond! You won't remain worth showing your face to anyone in proper society. You know how the paps love a nice juicy scandal. So stuff your nonsense where the sun doesn't shine and spill your guts right now! Who the hell are you and what the actual bloody hell is happening here in the name of medical science?"

To all the Deshmukhs horror, Dr. Ramya started sobbing hysterically as she started speaking.

"Please.... please don't cancel my license. Yes.. I.. lied....I don't know what is wrong with him.. I can't diagnose his problem... but... I.. love him like a son... my own son died years ago... and Mandar reminded me... so much... of him.. so... and he wanted Pallavi near to him.. so.. so.. I tried to give him that... I genuinely hoped that he might recover.. if she stays closer.. I had no evil intention.. please.. believe me.. madam."

Pallavi gaped at her horror struck while Rohini just shot her a disgusted stare. 

"Of course you thought that. This a movie right.. an itv serial.. not real life. What Mandar's preliminary reactions I have heard from Raghav gives a clear indication that he might have a serious personality disorder. Scizophrenia.. most likely.. such paranoia.. such violent reactions.. its not only amnesia.. if that is true..."

Vijay lost his cool... again and started shouting at Rohini much to the other Deshmukh's chagrin.

"That Raghav Rao has misled you Doctor! My son is not mad! It is all his evil machinations to make my Mandar suffer more. A brute two timing goon like him ought to rot.."

Before Rohini could snap back Pallavi cut her to it. And with such aplomb she did. 

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Baba are you even hearing yourself? Instead of being grateful that he got such a reputed and experienced certified doctor for your son, indirectly helped expose this fraud Dr. Ramya, you are cursing him? At least have the decency to not do it in front of me! I am his wife!"

She screamed exhausted at the end only for Vijay to finally reveal his true intentions and the dirty game he had played with all of them.

"You are Mandar's wife! That monster might have deceitfully married you but it is my Mandar who has all the rights over you and not him. And he is not ill or nothing. This was all a charade. We knew that Raghav would not have let you come back to us for nothing.. we had to make sure you come on your own accord. And is exactly what happened but no! This useless doctor friend of his had to come and ruin everything. Who knows what he might have done to convince her to threaten Dr. Ramya like this. Did he sleep with you too?"

Rohini was so taken aback by the sheer crudity and utter crassness of that filthy retort that she couldn't find any words to respond back. But she didn't have to as a hand came visiously to strike Vijay's cheek, his spectacles almost falling off his nose. 

"Sharda!"

"Not a word from you! Not a single word! I have tolerated enough! Enough of your rudeness, of your absurd anger, of your insensitivity but I won't have this devilry done under my nose. No! I can't believe you just said those... those.. filthy horrible words! How could you! How could you fall so low Vijay! How!"

Sharda had tears in her eyes and an innate repulsion formed against the man she called husband. Pallavi who had been stunned into silence also felt tears rolling down her cheeks. She couldn't take it anymore. Here she had come running back to them only for Vijay's sake and Sharda's sake only to have all her trust shattered like glass... by the man she sees as a father, again. And she could feel an almighty disgusted sense of embarrassment colouring her cheeks, inflaming her insides. 

Dr. Rohini must be the first amongst her husband's close associates she had invertedly met. Such a glorious, successful, admirable, vibrant personality only to get humiliated in the worst way possible by someone she considered family. She turned to the other woman and gave her a heart wrenchingly apologetic look.

"I am so so sorry Dr. Rohini. That was.. not something which should have ever been said.. leave alone insinuated.. I am so ashamed. I don't know what to say, how to apologize.. you came all the way on Raghav's insistence to help my family and got nothing but insults and humiliation in return. I am so.."

Rohini came and put a friendly arm around her shoulders and gave her a pretty bright grin.

"Oye! Raghav was right... you madam are far more good than what one should be. Forget it. I have heard a thousand mud slinging insults of this particular variety before. Occupational hazard... plus when you are a woman in a predominantly man's world, this things are an every Tuesday thing. And... Raghav's friends are my friends. Now, the question is.. this is the second time I'm in Hyderabad. I was hoping you would show me around..  if you are not much busy by the off chance you wanna stay back... here?"

Pallavi gave the closed door and a still whimpering Dr. Ramya a cool look and turned back to give Rohini an identical smile. Feeling genuinely happy after a long time. 

"I am sure you have seen the places Raghav loves. Let me show you the places I love."

"Yasss queen! Lesssgoooo!"

Pallavi chuckled hearing the grown up surgeon with more degrees than probably what made the English alphabet cheer like a sixteen year old and practically drag her out. She heard Vijay's voice again which made her stop for a moment. 

"Pallavi! Come back! I know, maybe I went too far but Mandar really needs you. We need you.. please.. you are my daughter.. right? Listen to your father once.. please.."

She turned towards Vijay while Sharda shook her head violently at her to not listen to him. Pallavi gave her mother an assuring glance and retorted back to the man who had once been her father. Her words frostier than her tone. 

"Don't ever come to my home calling for me again... Mr. Vijay Deshmukh. Not unless you are truly repentant and have come to bless me and my husband."

With that Pallavi and Rohini came out of the house to the open sunshine and the latter laughed aloud startling the former badly with her mellifluous but loud voice. 

"Did I ever tell you about the time me and Raghav got so drunk that we mistook the CM's car for a sugarcane lorry and went in it in pursuit of an imaginary horse rider pretending to be batman?"

Pallavi goggled at the other woman for some time thinking she was pulling her leg only to find her dead serious. Pallavi couldn't remember laughing so hard ever in her life and having collected enough blackmail material against her husband for a lifetime she could almost forgive her new best friend for being such a beautiful badass bitch which might have definitely attracted Raghav once. 

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

It was late in the night when Rohini dropped a slightly tipsy Pallavi in the front porch of the Rao Mansion after the duo exchanged numbers and promised to each other that they'll keep in touch and keep exchanging blackmail material against Raghav as they get it. 

Pallavi stumbled her way through the mercifully empty hallway and someone managed to climb the stairs without toppling down and reached the bedroom she shared with her husband. She entered the dark room and her eyes took time adjusting to the moonlight filtering in through the glass window and she saw him standing in front of it, his back facing her. 

She trudged towards him and wrapped her arms around his tapered waist and leaned heavily against his muscular back. She loved feeling his powerful wiry muscles moving against her skin through the silky material of his robe. And his cologne was intoxicating as usual. And she loved him so. He had not reacted to her sudden touch with as much surprise as she had expected but then her senses were a bit muddled. 

"I didn't put the tracker in because I didn't trust you Pallavi. I put it in because I didn't trust Mandar. I didn't trust him to not hurt you or manipulate the circumstances in the way I will not be able to contact you again. I trust you more than I trust myself. You should know that. I thought you knew that."

His voice was slightly off kilter. Not completely hoarse but repressed with emotion. She kissed his back lightly having no idea the sudden havoc that simple action had created inside him. 

"I know."

She whispered against his back. 

"I love you."

He said simply and felt her smile against him again. 

"I know."

He smiled at her innocent reply. 

"I like Rohini."

She said finally yet refusing to leave him. 

"I like her too."

He replied warmly. 

"But not more than me."

Pallavi said matter of factly which made her husband chortle. 

"No, not more than you. I wanted you to meet the only other woman who can kick my ass all the way to kingdom come just like you. In case you ever needed backup."

Pallavi felt tears burn behind her closed lids at his gentle admission.

"I love you."

She replied emotionally, kissing his back again. He squeezed her palm which was resting against his stomach lightly and she could feel the smile in his teasing words.

"I know."

A/N:- Dr. Ramya ka ho gaya post mortem. Could you guess the crossover?