I thanked my stars as the weather was clear for the day, and I started my week-long break without any issues.

Mom had gotten sick again, so I forced her to rest at home only. Since Dad had gone for his long duty, Srishti needed someone at home to look after her. It didn't seem right to always trouble Akshay's family for that.

And, I had gotten a very good opportunity thanks to Eknath Uncle and Viraje Aunty. Hriaan's mother had organised a two-day charity event for the underprivileged kids, and Eknath Uncle had himself asked me to join the workforce.

The pay was even better. I was going to get paid ₹1500 per day; the work hours were longer than usual, but I was okay with it. And, the most important thing was that I did not see Jaiswal aunty at all when the event started.

Hriaan, like always, was busy saving himself from the guests trying to give him the best marriage proposals. I got curious as he totally looked pitiful but was still hosting his guests with smile. Unlike earlier, Eknath Uncle had totally refused to let him work and told me to inform him if Hriaan disturbed me.

Why is Hriaan always at these events when he is almost on the verge of crying every time? And is he really that free? Isn't he handling The Emperors in Tejas's absence? How is he able to juggle everything?

I controlled myself from laughing at Hriaan when I went to serve the guests he was conversing with. I totally ignored his signals of help because I couldn't do anything as it is. A lot of times, I caught him trying to run away, but his mother's stare was always on him.

My batch of workers got a fifteen-minute break, and I was sipping chai (tea) when Hriaan stumbled upon the cart of unwashed utensils. I didn't say anything, and once he spotted me, he charged towards me.

"I can't help you," I announced.

He huffed. "I didn't know you were a traitor, Shorty."

I shrugged. "What can I do anyways? Eknath Uncle is very serious this time, and he has told me to call him if I see you anywhere near the pantry or trying to bribe the employees to let you hide."

"Are you Eknath Uncle's friend or mine?" he argued.

"Since he is the one paying me, I will side with him this time. But, I want to ask you something. Why do you come to these events if you hate mingling with your guests so much?"

Hriaan sighed. "I don't hate my guests. There are a few that I totally want to avoid but can't because of our business relations. And I can't even make any excuses because my mother knows everything about my schedule, and thanks to me being her only son, I have to be present in every stuff. I so wish I had a sibling."

I was surprised. "You are a single child?"

Hriaan nodded sadly. "I guess my parents hated their first product so much that they completely stopped the next production."

I burst out laughing. Hriaan shot me a fake glare and mumbled how he hated not having a sibling. He said he would have loved to have a sister as she would have totally inherited his mother's social skills and he wouldn't have to suffer alone.

I listened to him ramble about his family and excused myself when my break got over. Hriaan also reluctantly left to again receive lectures from the old businessmen under his mother's watchful gaze.

After the event was over, I left for my home, and relaxed as much as I could as the second day of the charity event was going to be more hectic. The first day was reserved for the most important clients and business partners of Viraje family, and the second day was going to be open for various educational institutions, media, celebrities, NGOs, government officials, and much more.

I was already prepared as the workload was not going to be easy. And to make my mood merrier, Eknath Uncle had decided to give us bonus if he cracked another deal depending upon our performances.

Everyone was excited, and when we workers reached the venue the next day, we were totally prepared to tackle the challenge. We had good breakfast and enough breaks in-between to recharge ourselves. Over the time, I had noticed how much Eknath Uncle had improved his facilities for the employees.

He was very strict, but he made sure that his workers got paid properly. That's why, even if he liked scolding me as his timepass, he was my first choice when it came to looking for work opportunities.

The work hours got stretched, but everyone was relieved as the event got over smoothly, and Eknath Uncle was beaming with the end results. I thought he was going to melt as Viraje Aunty kept praising him for organising and handling such a big event efficiently.

Soon, it was time to leave. I looked at the sky in surprise when the rains started.

Wow, the weather was so clear throughout the whole event, and now it has started raining again. Ganapati Bappa, you also didn't want the charity event to get spoiled, right?

I got my salary, and since Hriaan hadn't left yet, I decided to finally pay off his pending fees; I was going to force him to take it this time.

He was standing beside his mother, who was chatting with a few of her guests that were leaving. He caught me waving at him, and I motioned for him to come where I was standing.

He inturn told me to come where he was, and I had to oblige because he wasn't moving an inch. I went to him and forwarded his fees.

"Don't refuse now," I warned.

Hriaan stared at the money in my hand. "Can't you give it later?"

"Oh, come on, you keep saying that every time. I am feeling your debt grow day by day, so please take it."

"What's going on here?" Viraje Aunty asked us.

Her guests had left, and now her attention was on Hriaan and me. She narrowed her eyes at her son when she saw me giving him his fees.

"Did you bribe the employees again?" Viraje Aunty scolded her son.

Hriaan shook his head. "Mom, I don't do it every time, you know, and she is my friend."

Viraje Aunty blinked rapidly and directed her gaze on me. "Bhoomi, right? Is he telling the truth? You don't need to lie to me."

I nodded. "Hriaan didn't bribe me, ma'am. He had helped me with my dance choreography, so I am paying his fees. He kept refusing continuously, so I was forcing him to take it before I forget."

Viraje Aunty looked at her son. "I didn't know you started dance classes, Hriaan," she said calmly, but Hriaan gulped nervously.

"I... didn't, Mom. I just... helped her a bit," Hriaan replied.

"And you take money in exchange for helping your friends?" his mother asked more calmly, and Hriaan gulped more nervously.

For a minute, he didn't say anything. But suddenly, as if his personalities were switched, he grinned.

"You are right, Mom," he said. "Friends should help each other. So, it is totally okay if I invite Bhoomi to our house, right? I mean, she is the one who keeps forcing me to take the fees; I am innocent."

What the fuck? How can he blame me for everything?

"Bhoomi, it is not good to force your friends for something, beta," Viraje Aunty said with a smile.

She was smiling, but I didn't miss the intimidating aura, and I got reminded of my father. Unlike Mom, he was silent and rarely scolded me and my sister, but when he did, we knew not to mess with him even if he looked calm and collected.

Now I understand why Hriaan fears his mother even when she speaks so sweetly. It is better not to wake up the sleeping beast.

"I am sorry, Aunty," I said. "But, I feel bad as Hriaan has helped me a lot. I only want to pay his fees."

"If you really feel like that, then I will let Hriaan decide what he wants. You kids can have this discussion at home. The weather is turning bad, so we should leave now," Hriaan's mom said and told her drivers to take out the cars.

She left before I could argue with her. Hriaan smirked and told me to follow him.

"Why did you invite me to your house? What will I do there? I have to go home. Moreover, you put all the blame on me. Oye, Hriaan, I am talking to you," I complained, but Mr. Viraje kept walking forward.

"Just come on, Shorty. We aren't kidnapping you," he teased.

"But what will I do there?!" I retorted.

"You really ask a lot of questions," he grumbled.

I ran towards him, and when I noticed that his mother wasn't looking at us, I pushed the money in his hands. He rolled his eyes and gave the notes back.

"You want me to get killed or what?" he accused. "And if you really want to pay me back, you can do it in some other way too."

I scrunched my face in annoyance. "How?"

He pushed me towards his car. "You will get the answer at home."

Hriaan said that I wasn't getting kidnapped, but it looked like a half kidnapping. I got inside his car as I really wanted to just clear his debt for once and all. Also, I was curious about what other ways he meant in which I could repay him.

My curiosity was soon cured when we reached Hriaan's house. Mahreen was already there playing with Roxie, and she was very happy to see me.

"Boomer, what a nice surprise!" she squealed.

"We just met two days ago," I said.

She grinned. "So what? I can miss you any time I want."

"Mahreen, if you keep pulling her cheeks every time, only her skull will be left," Hriaan commented.

Mahreen ignored him, and I asked Hriaan what he had in mind as I had come to his home now.

"Yeah, why did you call me too?" Mahreen asked him. "I was going for shopping, you know."

Hriaan told us to first relax and chill before he announced his plan. Mahreen and I let him do whatever he wanted and binged on the snacks Hriaan's butler got for us. We were chatting randomly when Hriaan threw a clothing bag on me.

"Get ready, Shorty," he told me.

I eyed the bag in confusion. "What's this?"

Hriaan didn't respond and checked the hall. He shifted some sofas and nodded. "This much space will be enough."

Mahreen threw her heels at him. "What exactly are you doing?"

Hriaan shot me a mischievous look. "Okay, Shorty. I am giving you a chance here. Accept my next offer, and I will consider it as my payback."

"Really?" I asked in surprise.

He shrugged. "Have I ever lied?"

Mahreen told me to take on the offer as she was really excited to see what Hriaan was going to do next. I also didn't see any issue as I was going to be able to save my money.

"Okay, I accept your offer," I told Hriaan.

A wide grin spread across his face. "That's awesome. So, Shorty, I mean, Miss Bhoomi Devarkar aka Boomer, I challenge you to a dance battle."

"Excuse me, what?"

"He challenged you, Boomer," Mahreen repeated gleefully. "Show him who's the boss!"

I looked at Hriaan doubtfully. "You really serious about this?"

He started his warm-ups. "You can quit if you are scared."

Scared? Me?

"I accept your challenge," I said confidently.

"Go and get changed then."

I took the clothing bag Hriaan had given me and went to a guest room. When I wore the comfy clothes, I was totally amazed at the quality. The three-fourths were lightweight and the t-shirt was so airy and breathable. I instantly compared them with the clothes I had bought recently.

How can there be so much quality difference? I feel like I am wearing nothing.

After checking myself in the mirror, I came out, and Mahreen whistled. I felt like I was getting a wrestler's welcome as I walked towards the temporary arena Hriaan had built.

Roxie was jumping up and down adorably, and Mahreen had her camera set up.

"Do we really need to go this far?" I asked.

Mahreen patted my back. "Just focus on your battle, Boomer. Show Hriaan what girl power is."

Hriaan chuckled as Mahreen provoked me. I slowly understood why he had called her. She was really good in adding fuel to the fire instead of resolving the matter.

Hriaan was prepared, so I did some warm-ups and confirmed that I was ready too.

"I won't be going easy on you, Shorty," Hriaan informed.

"It will be my pleasure," I replied.

Damn, I am going against The Emperors' vice-captain. I never thought that Hriaan would challenge me and that too so unexpectedly.

Bhoomi, don't hold back. It is not just about your image but your crew's too. Don't let Vibhan and others down. Even if this is just a casual match, it is still a dance battle.

"Alright. On one side, we have Hriaan Viraje, the vice-captain of The Emperors, and on the other side, we have Boomer!" Mahreen announced like an anchor. "Please shake your hands."

Hriaan and I shook our hands, and I noticed the same predatory glint in his eyes that I had seen weeks ago when my dance training had started.

"You guys ready?" Mahreen asked.

"Yup," Hriaan and I replied.

She counted till three, and since I was going first, I took a deep breath. I touched the floor and prayed to God Shiva.

The beat dropped, and I attacked forcefully. We were going to include all dance genres close to b-boying, so our dance battle was a mix of everything.

Mahreen cheered for me, while Roxie was supporting his owner. When Hriaan's turn came, I instinctively took a step back as he was going all out. It was a treat to my eyes, and I felt very lucky to go opposite him.

He was second-in-command in The Emperors, but his prowess was on par with Tejas. The battle arena felt like a danger zone.

You have battled against him before, so why are you worried? Just relax, and let your body talk.

Hriaan challenged me to do better, and I smiled. I muted the distractions in my head, and slowly, I felt energy seeping into my every nerve cell.

The moment it was my turn again, I didn't hold back at all. I was conserving my energy for further rounds, but I discarded that thought soon. I was going to go all out - every time.

(Check the above video as a reference to Bhoomi's moves👆🏽)

"Wow, Boomer, you are on a roll!" Mahreen shouted. "This is fucking awesome! Hriaan, you are getting a tough fight. Do something."

Hriaan's face glimmered as he watched me pull out the stunts and moves that I had recently watched in their YouTube videos.

"You surely deserve to be called a Copycat," Hriaan mumbled. "We just invented these moves, and you have already made them yours. Damn you, Shorty."

"Then you should have done it better," I teased and ended my round.

Hriaan charged up and blew the stage with his stellar performance. I didn't miss how his moves were provoking in nature, turning the tables in his favour.

(Check the above video as a reference for Hriaan's moves👆🏽)

"Hriaan, that was really cool," Mahreen confessed. "But it will be a waste since Boomer is going to defeat you soon!"

I laughed at her in amusement. She was more hyper than Hriaan and me. The battle was turning intense by each passing second, and none of us felt like taking a break.

All of my fatigue was washed off, and the fun was so much that I even forgot that I had to return home. Me and my rival kept going on and on as we enjoyed Mahreen's cheers mixed with Roxie's excited barks and upbeat music.

Finally, after an hour, Hriaan and I dropped down on the floor. We were totally out of breaths, but we still wanted to continue.

Mahreen stopped us before we got up, and Hriaan looked at me.

"How does it feel like to lose to me, Shorty?" he asked proudly.

I raised my eyebrows. "Come again? Who lost to you, mister?"

"Just accept your defeat. What's the use of whining?"

"As if. We both clearly know that I am the winner."

"In your dreams for sure."

I moved to hit him, but Roxie barked and stood in front of Hriaan protectively. I laughed as Roxie tried to scare me.

"Who's the winner then?" Mahreen asked.

"How can we decide?" I asked. "Weren't you the judge?"

Mahreen raised her hands in air. "Judge and me?! I am always for the fun, girl. I don't do such serious stuff of judging and all."

Hriaan smirked. "I guess we won't ever know then."

"Why not?" I argued. "I was better than you, and it is the truth. Right, Mahreen?"

Mahreen nodded. "Yup. Boomer is the winner."

Hriaan shot up from the floor and pulled Mahreen's hair. "I can never trust you."

I went to fight from Mahreen's side, but Roxie obstructed me. He roamed around Hriaan, telling me to back off. I narrowed my eyes at him, and he also did the same.

I was going to distract him, but my phone rang up. My eyes widened when I noticed the time and the caller ID. I picked up the call.

"Where are you?" Mom screamed.

"I am coming home, Maa," I replied nervously.

Shit, I got so lost in the dance battle that I didn't even hear my phone ringing earlier. It has gotten so late. How will I go home now?

"Bhoomi, are you listening?" Mom asked. "When will you reach home? It is raining very heavily here, and the news is showing the trains being cancelled on our route. Where are you then?"

Hriaan poked me. "Is it your mom?"

I nodded sadly. "She will kill me," I whispered to him.

He told me to give my phone to him. I refused, but he snatched my mobile from me.

"Hello, Aunty. Don't worry, Shorty- I mean Bhoomi is at my place," he told Mom. "I apologise for keeping her this late, but rest assured. I will drop her home safely. Yeah, Mahreen is also here, so you can relax."

He gave my phone back to me, and Mom was calm now, but I knew she was going to ask me a lot of questions later. She told me to return home soon and advised to not trouble Viraje family much.

She hung up the call, and I sighed. Mahreen scolded Hriaan for not taking my schedule into consideration, and I told her that it was actually my fault for being careless.

"Why are you so worried? I will get you home in a snap," Hriaan said.

Mahreen agreed. "Boomer, don't frown or you will get wrinkles. It is Hriaan's responsibility to drop you off safely and escort you tomorrow to my mom's new bakery's inauguration."

I nodded but stopped when her last words registered in my mind. "What did you say?"

Mahreen took out a small business card and gave it to me. "My mother has opened a new branch of her bakery. I am inviting you to the inauguration. You can't bail out."

"But I am tired," I grumbled. "And the location is very far too. Thank you for inviting me, but I can't come."

Mahreen wrapped her arm around my shoulders. "I know, I know, but you have the whole night to rest. The inauguration is in the afternoon, and you only have to come to Kurla. Hriaan will pick up you from there. Right, Hriaan?"

Hriaan blinked rapidly. "Kurla? That's totally opposite to where I live."

Mahreen glared at him. "Oh, so that's how you are going to be now? You called me to your house at such a quick notice, and still I came in such a harsh weather without complaining. And you can't even listen to my one request?"

Hriaan rolled his eyes. "Fine. Don't start your melodrama. If I am not able to go myself, I will send my driver to pick up Shorty."

I interrupted them. "Please don't trouble yourself for me. I won't be coming."

Mahreen pouted. "I knew you didn't like me. I have seen how you try to avoid me. I won't force you, Boomer, but I am hurt to see that you only see Hriaan as your friend and not me."

"Mahreen, it is not like that," I tried to convince her. "I can't keep taking help from you guys every time. If you want me to come so much, then I will try my best, but I can't promise."

She twisted her lips. "Okay."

Hriaan told me to not mind her as she liked being dramatic, but I didn't want to see her sad. I decided to check the news forecast for tomorrow and do something for her in case I missed her mom's bakery's inauguration.

I left Hriaan's house, and Mahreen left for her home before us. I waited for Hriaan to get his car, and my eyes almost popped out when my gaze landed on his sports car.

After I got inside his car, I felt like I was sitting in a hotel. The atmosphere was amazing, and when the dashboard lit up, I thought I was in a dance club.

Hriaan turned on the engine, and as he started driving, his phone rang up. He had connected his mobile to the car, so I saw who was calling him. I glanced at him when the caller ID 'Devil' flashed on the car's monitor.

I instantly realised who the caller was, so I didn't disturb Hriaan.

He picked the call. "Hey, bro."

"Did the team complete the assignment?" Tejas asked from the other side.

Hriaan nodded. "Yup, and I have already told Joy to look over the team in our absence tomorrow. I have also given the newcomers a leave as they were grilled for three days. As for our entry into the upcoming tournament, I need to discuss the details with you."

"Okay," Tejas replied. "Thanks for the updates. What you doing now? If you are free, join the clan. I am starting the game."

Hriaan clicked his tongue. "You and your wrong timings."

"Did aunty give you another responsibility?" Tejas laughed.

Hriaan smirked. "Na, man, I am just dropping off Shorty. It will be quick, so wait for me."

"Shorty?" Tejas asked.

"Yeah," Hriaan confirmed. "I have to get her home quickly, so can we talk later?"

There was complete silence on Tejas's end. Hriaan called his name, and after what seemed like eternity, we heard jittering from his side.

"Fine," Tejas said and cut the call.

Hriaan snickered, and I stared at him in confusion.

"Do you have personality disorder?" I asked him.

Hriaan flicked me on the forehead. "You don't want to go home alive?"

I closed my mouth before I cursed him. My mood started turning sour as I replayed the earlier conversation between Hriaan and his best friend.

Tejas cut the call as soon as he heard my name. Well, what's there to be surprised about? I am not experiencing anything new, am I?