Author's note: This chapter is dedicated to PiedmontSalt11. She has gifted such a cute cover for this story and I absolutely love it. 😍 Thank you!❤

The chapter is not edited

Soumya stopped mentally berating herself when she noticed all the eyes at the dinner table on her. Squirming in her seat, she smiled. "Sorry. Were you saying something to me?"

"Do you not like the food? I had the methi mattar malai prepared especially for you." Shipra commented with an apprehensive smile.

Soumya frowned at Shipra's statement. Looking down at her plate, she noticed that she had barely touched her food. "Yes, it's delicious."

"Then why aren't you eating?"

"Let her be, Shipra," Apurva said to his wife. "She's probably just tired."

Shipra gasped. "You make it seem like I am badgering her." Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to Soumya. "Beta, you eat whatever you want. It's no problem at all."

Soumya smiled gratefully at the couple before taking another bite of her food.

As the dinner went on, she tried to ignore Rudra's presence beside her. Every now and then she could feel his gaze on her, but she couldn't find the courage to meet his eye, so she had no idea if he really was looking at her or just her wistful imagination.

"What happened?" Shipra asked the help who had just returned from Akash's room.

"Akash Sir was asleep, so I didn't disturb him." the woman said, holding up the tray with the full glass of milk.

"It's okay," Apurva said to Shipra who looked perturbed.

"But,-" Shipra began getting up, but Apurva held her hand.

"It's okay, Shipra. Akash is an adult and he won't perish away if he doesn't eat for a day." Apurva joked which made Shipra roll her eyes.

"Aunty, so when are you going to take us to see the Taj Mahal?" Dhara suddenly asked making Soumya almost choke on her food.

"Dhara," Soumya scolded and hit sister's arm.

"What?" Dhara huffed. "Aunty promised me that she would take me to see the Taj. Right, Aunty?"

Shipra smiled and nodded. "Of course! When would you like to go?"

"Aunty," Soumya spluttered and narrowed her eyes at Dhara. "You really don't have to. I'll talk to some of my friends and arrange something."

"No way!" Dhara shook her head. "I don't believe you. You have been promising me for 7 years now."

Soumya glared at her. "Dhara,"

"Let me also speak," Shipra said, chuckling with amusement. "Dhara, when would you like to go?"

Soumya opened her mouth to argue, but Shipra had prevised her protest. "Dhara and I are...BFF's?" she said looking at Dhara for validation and when Dhara nodded, she grinned. "BFFs. Best Friends Forever. It's a term I obviously knew before I met Dhara, but... the point is that I will make arrangements for us three ladies to go and see Taj Mahal."

"Just ladies. Why?" Rudra asked from beside her and she finally chanced a look up at him to notice his frown.

"Yes, why just the ladies, Shipra?" Apurva spoke interrupting Rudra. "I'll come with you because I am sure Rudra has other commitments."

"No, I don't. When were you planning to go? I have few meetings that I can move around." Rudra immediately said, fixing his glasses and she was instantly reminded of last night's events where she had called him hot. All of sudden the idea of the earth swallowing her whole had a lot of merit. She was sure that she was physically cringing because Dhara raised her eyebrows as she looked at her. She exhaled through her mouth trying hard to not pass out because of embarrassment.

"You okay?"  Rudra asked, watching her with a concerned expression.

She cleared her throat and swallowed. Nodding along with a tight-lipped smile, she hoped everyone would buy it. "Yeah! Also... You don't need to move around your commitments."

"It's not a big deal," Rudra reassured with a smile. "Unless you don't want me to come?"

"Of course we want you to come," Dhara said, interrupting Soumya. "It'll be so much fun!"

"Great!" Shipra said. "When would you like to go?"

"Day after tomorrow or the day after that?" Dhara suggested.

"Maybe two days later would work the best," Rudra replied when Dhara looked at him questioningly.

"It's decided then. Two days later, we'll go to Agra. Shipra, ask Akash also if he wants to come. We'll take the SUV." Apurva said to Shipra before turning his attention to Soumya. "Also, Soumya, what are your plans for tomorrow?"

Soumya wanted to recoil into a cocoon when she was put on the spot again. Shrugging, she replied, "I still haven't really decided anything. Why, Uncle?"

"You can go visit the hospital tomorrow. Rudra will show you around." Apurva said to her making her heart palpitate. She was banking on the fact that Rudra would be busy the entire week she was here, but clearly, the entire Rawat family and universe seemed to be conspiring against her.

"Why can't I get a guided tour?" Dhara complained. "I thought we were friends, Chintu bhaiya."

Soumya didn't need to look up at him to know that Rudra was rolling his eyes at Dhara's use of his nickname. She tried to smile when she heard both Apurva and Shipra chuckling.

"Now, I don't think I want to be your friend," Rudra said with faux anger making everyone around her laugh a little more.

"Do you not know that one can never stop being my friend?"Dhara winked at Rudra. "What time should I be ready?"

"Around 2? I have meetings till then. So, you can bring Mom's driver and he'll bring you to the hospital around that time and then I can give you and Soumya a guided tour." Rudra said with a smile in his voice.

"Done!" Dhara grinned and nudged Soumya with her elbow prompting her to react.

"I am really excited to see We Care once again," she said smiling at everyone. When she saw Rudra's smile, she felt herself being sucked back into a rabbit hole of feelings.

Akash tried to ignore the knocking on his bedroom door hoping it would stop, but it didn't. Rather it got more persistent.

Why wouldn't this girl just give up?

"Akash, it's me."

"Are you still asleep?"

"Wake up, lazybones!"

"It's time for breakfast!"

Dhara's voice accompanied the flurries of knocks. At the mention of food, his stomach grumbled. It had been almost 20 hours since his last meal and he was afraid that his stomach might start eating itself if he didn't give it some food. However, the idea of sitting in front of Dhara knowing that she was aware of one of his deep kept secrets made everything else seem trivial. He wasn't sure if it was the fear that Dhara would tell someone about his feelings for Sakshi or the fear of her judging him. He really shouldn't care what she thought of him, yet he did.

"Akash!" Dhara whined from the other side of the door and knocked much more vigorously.

With a sigh, he pushed the blanket off him and walk over to the door when he realized that Dhara wouldn't stop until the door opened.

When he opened the door, he could see flashes of worry and relief on her face which was soon replaced by anger and irritation. "What took you so long?" she demanded as she placed her hands on her hips.

"I was sleeping and didn't hear you."

She frowned. "Is everything okay? Are you sick?" reached over to touch his forehead.

"I am fine," he said stepping away from her touch. "I am just tired."

Dhara nodded empathetically and stepped into his room. "Dude!" she whistled while looking around the room. "Your room is so cool!"

Despite his chaotic state of mind, Akash nodded. "Thanks! One of my friends, Ketki renovated and redesigned the room for me."

"Oh, nice!" Dhara exclaimed and walked over to the wall that displayed some of his photographs. "And these are your photographs?"

Akash followed her to the wall and nodded once he was standing beside her. "This was my first ever professional commission for a magazine," he said, running his fingers on the photo frame that held the black and white portrait of a potter in a traditional Gujrati outfit teaching his son wheel throwing.

She grinned and punched him on his arm slightly. "Well... since you are my friend now. I can compliment you."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes at her way of appreciation.

They stood side by side studying the portraits as well. It was nice to just admire them since the photos had been on the wall for so long that they had just become a part of the wall and not something that represented his first step into the industry.

"Is there a theme to these photographs?" she asked, breaking the silence.

He nodded. "Forms of love," he said and then pointed at the portraits one by one and explained the theme and concept behind them to her.

"Wow!" she said as if she was in awe. "You're really talented."

An involuntary embarrassed smile appeared on his face. "Really? You like them?"

"I love them!" she exclaimed. "But apart from forms of love, there is another them to these photographs."

Curiosity got better of him and he couldn't help but ask. "Really? What?"

She nodded and turned to face him. "The photographer's bravery."

He raised his eyebrows and frowned. "What?"

"I mean... how many people are brave enough to switch a stethoscope for a camera and that too when their entire family is a known name in the field of medicine? So, yes. The photographer is a very brave man."

Her reply left him perplexed because usually, people had the opposite opinion of his choices. "Thanks. I guess."

"You're very welcome," she replied with a wide smile which for some reason made him smile. It was so strange how easy it was for him to mirror her mood.

"Anyways... breakfast is ready. Now that you are up... Come down and have breakfast with Aunty, Di and me."

His smile dropped and he couldn't meet her excited glance. "I am really not hungry. And where are Dad and Rudra?"

She placed the miniature of the London Eye  Ferris Wheel back from where she picked it up. "Uncle and Rudra Bhaiya left early. And how can you not be hungry? You haven't eaten since lunch yesterday."

"Well..." he walked back to sit on his bed. "Like I said. I am not hungry. You should go eat."

He played with his phone trying to ignore her presence in hopes she would leave.

"Are you ignoring me?" she asked quietly.

"No, I am not. I just have things to do," he said trying not to look up at her because it reminded him of how much of a messed up person he was to have feelings for his brother's ex-girlfriend.

He heard the shuffling of her feet, but to his surprise, she didn't leave. Instead, she came to sit beside him on his bed.

"I am not blind." she snapped. "I can feel it. It's like you don't even want to acknowledge my existence."

"There's nothing like tha-"

"Stop lying!" she interrupted. "Clearly it is  something. Something is bothering you. Tell me what's wrong? Did I do something wrong?"

"What? No!" he said immediately. The guilt of making her feel like this was all her fault weighed heavy on him.

"Then what's going on?" She asked waving her hands in the air. "You haven't spoken to me properly all day yesterday and even right now you are so distant."

"Dhara, please." he sighed. " Just go eat your breakfast."

She quietly stared at him for a few moments and then suddenly stood up. "Is this about that thing you told me? About Rudra bhaiya's girlfriend?"

Akash opened his mouth to lie again, but he couldn't get himself to do it, so he stayed silent. Dhara immediately let out an annoyed huff.  She paced the length of the room, running her fingers through her hair in annoyance while murmuring something about him being an idiot.

" I thought we were friends." she snapped in an accusatory tone.

"We are!" he blurted out.

"Clearly not!" she scoffed. "Because friends tell each other their secrets without being embarrassed about it."

"Did you not hear what I said to you?" he asked anger lacing his voice.  "I told you that I had-have- feelings for my brother's ex-girlfriend.  How do you expect me to behave normally with you as nothing has happened? Or meet your eye knowing that you think of me like some creep?"

There was silence in the room as he sat quietly trying to process his feelings. It wasn't until she came back to sit beside him on the bed that he focused his attention back on her.

She placed a hand on his knee that was bopping up and down. "First thing first... I don't think of you any differently than what I did before you confessed anything to me. You are my friend and it's my job to have your back and to keep your secrets. No matter what they are. Also, if you are afraid that I'll tell someone... then you're wrong. I really value our friendship and I wouldn't put you in that sort of position where you are embarrassed. And I would never judge you." she said softly. This was the first time he was hearing her use this tone of voice and it immediately put him at ease. The level of comfort he felt with her was slowly returning. It was the fact that she had reassured him that she wouldn't think of him differently than made him happy. "Secondly, feelings are complicated. You can't choose who you fall for, but it's what you do with those feelings that matter."

"So you don't think I am a terrible person for having feelings for Sakshi... for my brother's ex-girlfriend?" he asked quietly. He was aware of the fact that he sounded like a teenager rather than an adult. Talking to someone about his feelings made him realize how childish his behaviour may have been to both Rudra and Sakshi.

"Like I said... It really just matters what you do with those feelings." She gave him a weak smile.

Guilt ripped through him. "What if I didn't handle those feeling well?"

She looked him in the eye for a moment before lifting her shoulder. "Then I suggest you change that as soon as possible. Not for just their sakes, but also yours."

"What if it's too late?"

"And what if it's not too late?" she countered.

The weight of her words made a lot of sense to him. Wiping the tears that had pooled in his eyes, he smiled. "Wow, Mrs. Kholi. I didn't realize you give such great advice."

He would have missed her short yet sweet shy smile if he weren't watching her so closely. "I give the best pieces of advice. So, next time instead of ignoring me or worrying about me judging you. Just talk to me. I'll have you know that I have great EQ."

"I am sure you do!" he mused. Although he was teasing her, he knew how emotionally sensitive Dhara really was.

"Shut up!" she snapped with faux anger and stood up. "Go brush your teeth and let's have breakfast."

He laughed at her demands and followed her to the door. Suddenly, she turned around and surprised both of them with their proximity. Feeling conscious about his morning breath, he took a step back.

Clearing her throat, she asked. "What are you doing in the afternoon today?"

He was planning to escape to his office and get a head start on the preparations for the shoot, but now he didn't need or want to. "I don't have a lot of plans for today. Why?"

She grinned. "Great! Uncle has instructed Rudra bhaiya to show Di and me around, so you are coming with me."

His brain immediately connected We Care to Sakshi. "Sorry, I can't... I-"

"Come on, Akash!" Dhara whined. "I volunteered myself to go see the hospital but then realized how boring it would be with the two doctors talking about medical jargon while I struggle to keep up."

"Did you forget I am also a doctor?"

"Yeah! But you're fun and I enjoy spending time with you," she confessed before realizing what she had just said. "I mean..."

He felt a surge of happiness at her confession. It was nice to know that she too enjoyed his company as much as he did hers. "I would have, but Sakshi works at We Care."

Dhara's face dropped. "I see."

Looking at her dejected face, made him feel terrible. "You know what... I'll come with you."

"Really?" she asked as she hopped in her spot in excitement.

He inhaled deeply and nodded. "Yes," It was time to do the correct thing with his feelings anyway. He didn't know what to do or how to begin, but he needed to do it.

"Good! That's the way to go." she punched him lightly on his shoulder making him laugh.

That afternoon, he jogged down the stairs getting ready to break the bad news to Dhara. She may think of him being cowardly but he really couldn't help it. As he made his way to the living room, he was glad that it was just Dhara there. It would be much easier to explain to her why he wasn't coming with them to the hospital. When she saw him, she said bye to the person she was talking to the phone.

"Ready?" she asked with a smile which immediately disappeared. "You're not coming."

Akash gave her an apologetic shake of head. "Sorry. I just got a call and they need me for a race today as a sub."

She frowned. "Race?"

"Yeah... A bike race."

Dhara gasped. "And you aren't going to invite me?"

He spluttered and shook his head at her offended stance. "I wasn't because the race is outside the city and it will be quite late when we get back home. Are you sure you want to come?"

"Seriously? Is that even a question?" she rolled her eyes at him. Knowing her it really shouldn't have been. He knew her enough to know that craved the same things in life that he did.

"Well... Great! I can have one of my friends pick you up or something since I have to be there way before the match starts." he suggested, pulling out his phone to message Farhan.

"Can Di come too?" she asked excitedly. "I am sure she'll like it. Not as much as me but maybe a little."

He laughed and nodded. "Sure. If she wants to. It's an open event."

"Is Rudra bhaiya coming?"

His fingers stopped typing the message and he looked up at her. "No, he doesn't really like these things?"

"He doesn't like them or you think he doesn't like them?" she challenged.

Akash sighed. They both knew the truth. Trying to remind himself of the promise he had made to himself a few hours ago, he drafted the message to Farhan before typing out a message for Rudra.

I have a race today at 11PM. Dhara and Soumya are coming. Do you want to come too? It's a forty-five minute race. There's other activities and food stalls as well. If not, I'll have one of my friends pick them up and they'll come back with me.

He immediately hit send before he contemplated why he was trying to make the invitation so enticing for Rudra.

"Rudra bhaiya did say he had meetings in the morning." she said and that's when he realized he had been anxiously staring at his phone.

"Right." he nodded and stuffed his phone in the back pocket. "I need to get going. Apologize to Soumya and say bye to my mom for me please."

She nodded. "Okay."

Just as he was about to exit the house, he heard Dhara say "All the best for preparation. Remember you have to win since I am coming so far to watch you. And I can't be associated with you if you lose."

"Done!" he replied with a wink.