ONE MONTH LATER...

FC Kundra Gardens, December 2028 (Present)

The first day of the week long wedding proceedings dawned bright and clear on Christmas morning. All the cards had long since been distributed, the traditional attires tailor-made for the couple (who, it should be admitted looked stunning as they stood at the arched gates of the lawn to welcome the earliest of their guests) having arrived long back, and the decoration made perfect after much effort from both the families-possibly excluding the groom himself.

Mahati and Rakesh were standing a few steps behind Aditi and Ruturaj, discussing the horrific twist in the recently concluded F1 race. The irrelevance of the topic in context with the wedding could only be attributed to both of them staunchly wanting to avoid thinking of a day, much like this, four years ago, when the two of them had stood receiving their wedding guests.

Before Rakesh said he wasn't sure it was the right thing to do, that he wasn't sure of the wedding anymore. 

In the four years since, the memory had faded from a traumatic one to a slightly sad one for Mahati.

Stop thinking of your stupid wedding, she shouted in her mind.

Her brain retaliated by telling her, Sure, because it's not Rakesh you love anymore.

It's not Rutu either, she thought angrily.

Who said anything about Rutu? asked her brain innocently.

Mahati let go a heavy breath.

Rakesh turned to her from the elderly couple he'd been handing a bouquet of flowers to.

"What's up, MC?"

The couple stared at him, scandalized. Against her wishes, Mahati couldn't help laughing.

"Abusing in a holy ceremony early in the morning, are you?" she said, once they were alone again.

"Change your initials," said Rakesh. 

"You offered me that once," said Mahati sternly.

Rakesh got flushed and confused at her directness, which to be honest, Mahati had not intended to say.

"Sorry," he said. "Sorry, MC, you know I'm-"

"I'm sorry myself for bringing this up," sighed Mahati.

In silence, they gazed at Aditi and Ruturaj exchanging a laugh at the gate.

"Rutu doesn't seem as happy as he should, does he?" said Rakesh shrewdly.

"He doesn't?" asked Mahati in honest confusion.

"Look at how he's smiling," whispered Rakesh. "It doesn't reach his eyes."

Mahati squinted in his direction and came to the same realization. What was wrong with him?

"Yeah..." she mumbled.

After a while Rutu left Aditi at the gate and walked over to Mahati and Rakesh, wiping his forehead absent-mindedly with an embroidered piece of cloth that was supposed to be hanging around his shoulder (Mahati had forgotten what it was called).

"I want to go inside and sleep," he complained.

"Visible," said Rakesh. "On your face."

"I told mom and dad to organize a smaller ceremony," said Rutu, still in a complaining tone.

"Indian parents," said Rakesh with fake sympathy. 

"Why are you being so quiet?" Rutu asked Mahati, who almost didn't hear.

"Mahati," said Rakesh. "HEY, MC!" 

"What?" cried Mahati, coming out of her daze.

"Where are you lost?"

In reality, she had been lost in the way the man in front of her looked in wedding attire, and how the brown print made his eyes seem warmer than ever, and how badly she wanted to be Aditi right now.

"The flowers," lied Mahati, pointing at the garden.

Rakesh laughed, and Rutu joined in, and Mahati had to force herself to keep looking at the flowers. 

It had been her fault, all of it. Few months after her first breakup with Rakesh, if she had not lost control like an idiot when CSK won the IPL 2021, it would always have remained platonic between herself and Rutu. Instead she had lost control, and it became hard to see him just like a friend anymore.

Mahati would always regret that day like one of those things you never should have done.

.........................

Dubai International Stadium, October 2021 (Past Flashback 9)

She had already been out of control, derilious with happiness at CSK's victory in the final in what was touted to be MSD's last IPL, and when Rutu went to accept the coveted orange cap, she felt crazier with happiness than ever. That his best friend had given her the happiest day of her life...she knew Faf also had a crucial role and so did Jadeja and Shardul but it was Rutu who had pulled CSK along from the very first match of the tournament.

"RUTURAJ!" screamed Mahati, so loud, so loud her voice tore and broke and her throat stung.

"Ouch," said Aditi, covering her ears. "Control, Mahati-"

"RUTU, I LOVE YOU!"

This time Rutu heard her all the way from the prize distribution ceremony, and he turned to grin at her and Aditi.

Which was when Mahati realized that her heart was racing not just because of CSK's victory, but also because of the way Rutu looked with his hair messed up from three and a half hours on the field, drenched in sweat, with the whole country's attention on him, but his eyes as warm and smiling as he when was drinking tea with them on a roadside stall.

............................

Mahati, Aditi and Rakesh were all there in the after-match party bash, of course, where everyone was adorned in yellow, everyone was laughing and as insane with happiness as anyone else.

"Mahi bhai, Mahi bhai," they heard Rutu saying as he brought over the captain to them. "See, these three are my best friends...you've met Rakesh, the others are Aditi-and Mahati-she's a huge fan of yours."

MSD grinned down at Mahati, shook her hand and asked them something about how they knew Rutu, or maybe something about whether they had enjoyed CSK's performance in the final...they all sounded the same to Mahati, because in what should have been the HAPPIEST moment of her life, as she got to meet her idol, she was staring at the adorable childish way Rutu behaved around his Mahi bhai, the hero worship in his eyes. And how desperately hot he looked even when he was fanboying over his idol.

She wasn't sure if it was the champagne getting to her head. Surely it was, because she suddenly craved to do stuff to Rutu she was never supposed to want as a friend.

..........................

A few hours later, Mahati realized Rutu wasn't in the auditorium. Leaving Rakesh and Aditi talking to each other, she slipped out, head spinning both from the alcohol and the thoughts running inside her head.

Crazily worked up as she was, she finally hunted Rutu down in one of the acloves of the maze-like stadium.

He must have been on call with either of his parents; he was stuffing his phone back into his pocket and looked surprised to see her there.

"You here?" he asked.

"Looking for you," said Mahati, wishing her head would stop spinning.

Rutu smiled so wide again, like he had been doing all evening, like he couldn't hold back his happiness.

"Aren't you happy to see me here?" Mahati asked, voice coming out strangely low.

She didn't know if he heard anything unusual in her voice, but his face flushed suddenly.

"You know I'm always-always happy to see you, I mean," he said, a slight stammer in his voice.

That was when she lost the precarious control she had managed to impose upon herself.

It had clearly been the last thing Rutu had been expecting, because he stumbled back as Mahati grabbed his shirt and pulled his head down. 

"Mahati," he gasped as his back hit the wall, and then went silent because Mahati could not even make herself wait to confirm if he wanted the same thing and was kissing him.

Maybe alcohol increased the capacity of your lungs; it could not have been humanly possible to kiss as long as they did then. Her gaze was hazy when they had to pull away at last, gasping. To her satisfaction, Rutu's gaze was unfocused too as he untangled his hands from her hair.

"Are you drunk?" he said, still gasping for breath.

"Not enough to not know we shouldn't be doing this," said Mahati, suddenly feeling horrified.

They could never see each other platonically again-not after this-and what would that mean for their friendship?

"Yeah," said Rutu, sounding terrified as well. "Sorry, we shouldn't have, we-we should forget all about-" He backed away, preparing to retreat.

Mahati had never felt so weakened with desire before. And that for Rutu. Her best friend.

"One kiss more," she blurted out.

"W-what?"

"If you d-don't have a problem..."

Rutu didn't seem to; Mahati found herself pressed between his body and one of the pillars of Dubai International Stadium, moaning.

For the first few moments, she went blank as his hands travelled from her waist to her hair and down again. Then gradually, as if on autopilot, her hands started working too, and she felt the muscles of his arm and his chest which made her press herself against him harder.

"What are we doing, Mac?" said Rutu breathlessly at some point.

"Rutu-don't-stop," was all Mahati could manage to get out.

So he didn't.