Wish everyone celebrating a very happy holi!

Author's note: I know I haven't been as consistent as I promised I would be and I promise it's not because I am not trying. With that being said, there won't be an update for The Rawat Brides till the 20th of April. I realize that it will be very disheartening and frustrating for several readers, but I promise it is for a crucial reason. We only have 13 more chapters after this one, so please please stick with me. Once I am back, I'll update every 2-3 days so we can wrap up this story early May.

Hope you all like the new chapter!❤

Also, how cute is this character board that @rose_new has created for Soumya. Thank you so much for such a lovely gift.

Chapter is not edited

Rudra pushed through the crowd of youngsters who had gathered on the outskirts of the city to watch the bike race. Ignoring the looks he received from a few attendees, he tried to find his brother, Soumya and Dhara.

After 20 minutes of trying to weave through the crowd, he finally found the ladies at a stall that allowed people to shoot at balloons for a prize. He felt a sudden sense of relief when he noticed Soumya laughing as she tried to aim her gun and failed miserably. He didn't know why or what seemed to be bothering her for the past two days because she didn't seem like herself. There were so many possibilities for her behaviour. Some made him happy and some didn't. The obvious solution to put his speculations at rest was to talk to her, but that was also the hardest solution and put him in the most vulnerable spot. He knew he was overthinking this and at some point, he would have to talk to her. However, he didn't know how to begin this conversation. He hoped the idea that he cooked up in his head last night would help break the sudden barrier that had seemingly developed between them.

"Rudra bhaiya," Dhara yelled his name and waved him down when she noticed his presence.

Rudra shook off his worries and inhibitions and approached them. It was subtle, but he saw the way Soumya's smile switched from genuine to a distant formality. Suddenly, his inhibitions reared their ugly head and he wasn't all too sure whether he should confess his feelings to her.

"You finally made it!" Dhara's voice cut through the argument his emotional heart and intelligent brain were having.

He cleared his throat and offered her a small smile. "I was trying to reach you guys but there was no network."

Dhara checked her phone and nodded. "Seems like it." she shrugged. "Let's go find Akash now. Di said we needed to wait for you. They announced the race will be starting soon. Let's go!"

"I wanted to apologize for today's mess," he said to them as they were walking around the vicinity to find Akash. "The meeting came up suddenly and it just got over. I-"

"It's alright." Soumya interrupted softly. "Work comes first."

He smiled, but before he could respond, Dhara announced, "I see Akash."

He looked in the direction where Dhara had trained her attention. Akash was sitting on the bike surrounded by people. Mostly ladies. He tried to muffle his laughter at the sight of women trying to flirt with Akash. Honestly, he wasn't sure if he was amused or proud. Either way, he was happy to see Akash happy.

"I didn't know Akash had such a cult following." Soumya mused as they stood in their spot and looked around at the countless posters of 'I love Akash' and 'Marry me, Akash.'

"Me neither. I really didn't know about his popularity amongst the ladies," he replied and they shared a glance which she rather quickly dropped.

Dahra who was in front of them scoffed loudly and turned around to face them with arms crossed. "He's such a show-off. I think the only reason he called us her was to show off. And what's up with these posters. So weird."

"Firstly, you invited yourself to this event and secondly there is nothing weird about the posters. If you can have 'I love Kohli' posters then they can have 'I love Akash' posters without you judging them." Soumya scolded. "Anyway, let's go and wish Akash good luck."

Akash pushed away from his fangirls and smiled up at them. "You guys are here! Farhan told me you guys were here, but I had to suit up and get my bike ready."

The only good part about today was Akash's invitation. He had received the message while he was in the meeting and he had to physically get out of the room so he could re-read the message a few times to ensure he had read the message correctly. Once, he was sure the message read what he comprehended, he immediately replied to his invitation. He was ecstatic that his brother was offering him a window to his life outside their home. He didn't know what had caused Akash to send an invitation, but he would take it and run with it. This was his brother reaching out and now it was his turn to make an equal effort to heal their relationship. Not for their parents or grandparents, but for themselves. He wanted his best friend back. Years had passed and he knew they were different people now compared to what they were back in the day, however, he wouldn't let that deter him from wanting something he so deeply craved.

"Thanks for coming," Akash said to him once the girls had wished him good luck. Although, he did notice Dhara's miffed reaction while wishing him.

"Thanks for inviting me. Appreciate it," he replied, fixing his glasses. "Good luck." He wanted to hug Akash, but he finally settled for a small handshake.

The music grew louder and the announcement asked everyone to gather around the big screens that been set up for the race.

"This is my first time watching a live race," he confessed to Soumya in her ear because of the loud music around them.

"It's actually quite fun," Soumya replied as she leaned over the barricade to get a better view.

"Any tips for first-time watchers?" he tried to joke. It worked because Soumya smiled at him. Thankfully, it wasn't forced or distant.

"Just clap whenever you see a fan of the person you supporting clapping," she said, laughing.

It was strange how much the woman beside him had affected every factor of his life. He didn't know what the future held for him, but all he hoped was that Soumya was a part of it.

The crowd waited with bated breath as the racers lined up at the start line. "3... 2...1..." they announced and the towel was dropped. Engines roared, the crowd screamed and the bikers took off leaving a gust of dust behind them. The first thirty-five minutes had pretty much established Akash as a winner because he had the lead, but the forty-minute mark, three and then four and then five racers went ahead of Akash.

"Come on, Akash!" someone yelled from somewhere and several others joined including Soumya and Dhara. While he didn't know how to cheer like them, he resorted to clapping and watching the screen like a hawk.

His anticipation and nervousness grew when Akash still wasn't seen on the screen.

"Do you see him?" Soumya asked as she unknowingly moved closer to him.

"No," he replied shaking his head while not moving his attention from the screen. "Did his bike stop working or something."

"Don't worry," Dhara said to them as she climbed on the wooden barricade. "Did you guys forget? Akash is a Dhoni fan. So, he's probably just waiting to you know... finish it off in style."

Just as Dhara completed her statement, they noticed Akash and his bike zipped through the other three racers that appeared on the screen. Just like Dhara had predicted, Akash easily overtook the other two contenders and ripped through the finishing line.

The crowd erupted in joy and he could hear screaming and laughs over the music which was playing loud enough to be considered sound pollution. He laughed while watching his brother pull off his helmet and wave at the crowd. Clapping loud enough for his plans to protest, he cheered on his brother's victory. So, when Soumya was shoved into his body, he really wasn't prepared and almost toppled over.

When he looked at her, she looked just as taken aback as him. Dhara on the other hand was totally oblivious as her intentions were to hug both him and Soumya at the same time.

"Dhara," Soumya admonished as pushed her back and moved away from him.

"What?" Dhara asked, still just looking ecstatic at Akash's win. Who would have thought these two crazy personalities would actually end up being friends after their initial meeting?

"It's okay." he tried to reassure Soumya who was looking flustered and frustrated.

"Let's go congratulate Akash," Dhara said and then suddenly stopped when a group of girls from earlier rushed to Akash.

"Looks like we'll have to wait in line," Soumya said, appearing just as amused as him at the female attention Akash was getting.

"Yeah right!" Dhara scoffed. "Let's just go get something to eat. If he wants our good wishes then he can come to get us."

"We are not moving without congratulating him," Soumya said, shaking her head.

"Fine." Dhara huffed and they all waited for Akash in silence. Thankfully, it wasn't that long. Seemingly, Akash appeared like he wanted to be with them rather than his 'fans.'

"Congratulations, Akash!" Soumya said to him with a wide smile. "It was nail-biting race and the finale touch. Mind-blowing."

"It really wasn't." Dhara interrupted what Akash was going to say. "I have seen better races and finishes."

"Really?" Akash asked, raising his eyebrows in amusement. "Which ones?"

"I'll give you a list later." Dhara rolled her eyes when her attempts at being petty were foiled.

Rudra held his hand out once again. "Great job! Well-deserved."

Akash blinked slowly as if he was coming to terms with his compliment. Was he such a terrible brother that Akash was this shocked by his compliment? "Thanks. I am really glad you came to watch me." Akash said while shaking his hand.

"Now, what? You sign autographs or something?" Dhara asked with a small frown.

Akash laughed and shook his head. "Sometimes if they want me to, but clearly no one is interested right now, so let's go get something to eat?"

"Dhara was hungry anyway," he said, patting Dhara on her back.

"There's a truck with some killer sandwiches. That's probably where half of the crowd is."

"I want to see your bike, Akash." Dhara blurted out, blocking their path.

Akash scowled. "Right now? Can't-"

"Please?" Dhara grabbed his arm and began tugging. "Why don't you guys go find us a table and order the sandwiches while Akash shows me the bike?"

"We'll wait or we can all go and see it and the go," Soumya suggested.

"No, just go and order. Akash is hungry. Did you not hear him?" Dhara yelled as she tugged a confused Akash with her.

"She isn't always this inconsiderate," she said to him as they were walking to the busiest sandwich truck hoping this was the one Akash was referring to.

He laughed. "I know."

"So this is my bike that you really wanted to see," Akash said to Dhara who was hardly looking at the bike. All her attention was in the direction that Soumya and Rudra had disappeared into.

"Dhara," he shook her by her shoulders and her eyes finally snapped back at him.

"Sorry," she said, wringing her fingers in front of her.

"Is everything okay?"

Dhara took a deep breath before nodding. "I... I... I didn't want to see your bike. I just wanted to give Di and Rudra Bhaiya some time alone." she said in a single breath.

He frowned and his gaze oscillated between the direction she was staring in and her. "Why?"

She nervously licked her lips and stepped closer to him like she was about to reveal an intimate secret to him. "Well... I don't know if it's entirely true or I am reading too much into it, but I have a feeling that my sister likes your brother."

"Likes him?" he asked as his frown grew deeper.

"Yes, romantically. At first, it was just a little crush and I know this. But now, I think she has developed feelings for Rudra bhaiya."

Okay? What the hell was he supposed to say to that. Soumya was a great girl and he was sure that his family would be ecstatic about the revelation, however, he didn't know about Rudra. Did he have an inclination about this?

She sighed and leaned against the bike. "I know this is really insensitive and you would probably think I am the worst friend on the face of this earth, but I don't know who else to talk about this to. I don't want to talk to anyone who would ruin the situation with their over-enthusiastic methods, you know."

"What is it?" he tried to keep his tone gentle and nonchalant. Dhara was right. If someone from their families found out they were bound to make an ordeal out of this which could lead to complications that no one needed.

"You know I really care about you, right. And-"

"Just spit it out. Don't worry. You can never win the title of the worst friend even if you wanted." he reassured with a smile.

Returning his smile with a small weak smile of hers, she spoke, "Does Rudra bhaiya still have feelings for Sakshi?"

The mention of Sakshi and Rudra's pinched his heart. He tried to remind himself to not be so hard on himself because he couldn't just flush years of built-up emotions out of his system in a day. "I don't know," he confessed.

Dhara sighed. "No? Not even a little bit?"

"Well... I know my grandparents and mother have been trying to convince Rudra to date Sakshi ever since she returned to India, but he has refused." he said and when he noticed hope flicker on Dhara's face, he quickly added, "Now, I don't know if it is because he doesn't have feelings for her or he is upset about the fact that she broke up with him to go abroad."

"Although, something I can confirm is the fact that my brother does really care about your sister. Don't know if it is something romantic or friendly or acquaintance. But, he would never hurt her."

"What should we do to help them?" Dhara asked, running her fingers through her hair.

"Nothing," he said, shrugging.

"What?"

"They are adults and I think they can sort this issue out themselves. Give them some time and then you can decide to play cupid."

"Do you think I am a little overbearing?" she asked, flat-out.

Akash's lips twitched with amusement. "A little? I think you're not giving yourself enough credit."

Dhara pinched her lips to hide her smile. With faux anger, she lightly punched him in his stomach. He bent over and groaned in exaggerated pain which made her laugh and when he stood up straight he too was laughing. They stood laughing at their silliness till someone called out her name.

"Vartika?" Dhara greeted a woman who looked older than her with a hug and grin.

"I thought it was you," Vartika said once they pulled away from each other.

"What are you doing here?" Dhara asked.

"Avinash has recently got into bike racing, so he thought it would be a good date idea, so here we are." Vartika looked over at him and smiled. "Great job by the way. You were amazing. Next time I know who to cheer for."

Akash laughed and placed his hand against his chest. "Thank you!"

"So," Vartika drawled looking between him and Dhara. "Where did you both meet? And how come you didn't tell any of us about this little secret of yours?"

It took a moment for him to realize what Vartika was asking. He laughed and began shaking his head. "Actually-"

"Two months ago. We are family friends." Dhara interrupted. "We're just taking things slow so we haven't really told anyone."

"Aah! I see." Vartika smiled smugly. "So will you be bringing Akash to Preetika's wedding?"

Dhara glanced at him before turning her attention to her friend. "I don't know. I haven't asked her yet."

"Obviously, she won't say no," Vartika said, rolling her eyes. "You must bring him."

"Akash is a really busy photographer. So, I don't know." Dhara shook her head in disappointment.

"Really? How cool?" Vartika gave him an appreciative nod.

He wondered if he should play along or let Dhara do whatever she was trying to do. Following his advice, he kept mum.

The women talked for a few minutes while he tried to control the rumbling of his stomach. When Vartika finally left, Akash quickly used the opportunity to tease Dhara. Wrapping his arm around his shoulders, he said. "So, Ms. Girlfriend-"

"Shut up!" she tsked and pushed his arm away only to look at him, calculative. "What are you doing in the evening of the day after tomorrow?"

"Nothing much. Why?" he asked. As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized why she was asking what she was asking. "You want me to go to your friend's wedding as your boyfriend?"

"Yes, it won't be too long. You can just show your face at every event and then leave. Also, Preetika's father is a caterer and the most amazing food at any event and you'll get to eat it. Free of cost."

"Wow! But, I really don't think free food will cover the cost of dating you. Even if it just for a few hours."

"Come on! Help a friend out," she whined.

"Why did you lie to your friend though? Clearly, it was an impulsive decision."

"I realized that this would be the best opportunity to show Rishi that I have moved on," she said after a few moments of silence from her end.

"Rishi will be at the wedding?"

"Yes, And I want to show him that I am happy and I have moved on in life," she explained with her best attempts at puppy dog eyes.

Akash sighed. "Fine. But, only because you're my friend. Also, I don't really agree with this entire jealousy thing. I mean it's not entirely healthy for you."

"You're the best!" she hopped in excitement completely ignoring the last part of his statement.

"I know!" he raised his imaginary collar.

"So you want to tell me what exactly we are going to say to your friends at the events?" he asked her as they were walking through the crowd, which mainly moved away to give him room, to find Soumya and Rudra.

"I'll figure it out." she waved her hand. "Also, I want you to watch both Di and Rudra Bhaiya very carefully. Okay?"

"Dhara," he shook his head.

"What? We are just observing. It's not like we are interfering in anything." she argued.

He wondered if there was a way for him to win against this woman?

Rudra tapped his fingers against the wooden table that they had to fight for since Akash wasn't with them. Getting these four sandwiches had taken almost thirty minutes and yet their siblings were nowhere to be found. "If you want, you can start." he finally said to break the silence surrounding them.

"Huh?" she looked up and then back the sandwich before shaking her head. "I am good. Let's just wait for Akash and Dhara."

"Sorry again about today," he said after another beat of silence.

"As I said, work always comes first," she said playing with the ends of her scarf. "Plus, Aunty kept us busy today."

"What did you guys do?" he asked with a smile. He knew that his mom was taking over as their tour guide, but he didn't know what they did.

She smiled back. "Akshardham."

"Nice! How was it?"

"It was beautiful. Even when I was studying here I didn't really get an opportunity to visit so thanks to Aunty I was able to."

There was silence again. He hated it. It wasn't even like this when they had first met. It was now or never. He took a huge deep breath. "Would you like to go out with me tomorrow?"

She looked up at him with a confused expression. "Sorry?"

Smooth, Rudra. Real smooth. "There's an event where new and upcoming singers are going to be showing off their talents. It's a retro Bollywood night. I obviously won't go alone, so if you came with me then I could purchase the tickets."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes, do you have plans for tomorrow?"

"Yes... Actually, Nakul invited me for dinner."

"What?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound as alarmed as he felt.

"Yeah. Nakul is organizing a movie and dinner with old collegemates."

Rudra sighed in relief because he thought Nakul was asking her to a dinner date. "Sounds fun."

"Do you want to come?" Her voice barely a touch over a whisper.

He studied her for a heartbeat, before asking, "Do you want me to? Because you really don't look like you want me to. Are you afraid I'll embarrass you?"

Soumya appeared horrified before she laughed nervously and shook her head. "What? No, that's not...I... It's just that all my friends aren't... I just don't want you to feel out of place."

He let out the breath he was holding and smiled. "I would love to if your friends are okay with it."

She chuckled and shook her head. "They will be more than okay."

"Great! Let me know and I'll be there," he said resisting the urge to lean over and hold her hand.

"There you are!" Dhara yelled causing everyone around them to look at Akash and her.

Akash cleared his throat and bowed slightly at everyone. "Thank you for coming out and supporting me. I really appreciate it," he said to them before settling down beside him.

"Did you get ketchup?" Dhara asked as she grabbed one plate.

The conversations were taken over by Akash and Dhara thankfully. Even if it was some silly argument that he wasn't paying attention to.

If not the concert then he will have to talk to her after the dinner with her friends.