7
Raina
THERE WAS A PIN drop silence as the chequered flag was waved, signalling the Q2 session was over.
The tension was palpable in the hospitality tent as they replayed Vedant’s timed lap. What would’ve been a perfect lap was now under review. I watched it again, hoping that I was wrong, but he had gone off at the last corner, slightly but with almost all four tyres over the white line.
‘Stay in the car, mate.’ His radio message from his race engineer displayed on the screen. But a second later, the graphic from Race Control popped up.
RACE CONTROL - CAR [PATEL] TIME 1:32.01 DELETED - TRACK LIMITS - TURN 19
There was a collective gasp around me, fans cursing at the screen while media personnel and journalists looked at each other wide-eyed.
My heart dropped.
That was his one and only timed lap. So, not only did he get knocked out, but tomorrow, he would be starting down the grid in fifteenth, at the hardest race on the schedule. The timing and place could not have been worse, especially since he was defending his championship. Axel had such a great start to the season, and he was marginally in the lead, but there was still a chance.
Everything was already on the line, and I had seen first-hand how hard he’d been pushing himself all season but to top it all, I knew that if there was any track he wanted to win at, it was this one.
Axel and Vedant had crashed last year at this very track. The year before that, he had a puncture that took him out ten laps in, and the year before that, he wasn’t even able to start the race.
Vedant shared his love of this track with me and Ma, and every year, he has tried to win it and failed. But today, when he was arguably in the fastest car on the grid this weekend and still qualifying that low, must’ve crushed him.
I glanced at my camera that was running in front of me, recording my reactions for my channels as I debated leaving now to go see him.
He had been there for me when I needed it and helped me without me having to ask.
But the question was, would he want me there?
I bit my lower lip as Axel’s words ran through my mind again.
Show up. Properly.
I decided to linger by the media pen, knowing he would stop by there first for his post-quali interview. A few minutes later, he approached the journalists with the same unreadable expression, a mask of focus and control. But I was his sister. Even if I had been a crappy one, I still saw the subtle tension in his jaw, the tightness around his eyes—the frustration, the disappointment—and the lack of his usual smile.
“Vedant, tough session out there today. What was going through your mind during the final lap?”
His gaze was focused on something random as he spoke, almost as if the answers were so mechanical he didn’t even have to think about them. “Yeah, it was difficult. We didn’t get the balance right, and with the track evolving so fast, I struggled to find the grip I needed in the final sector. But we’ll regroup, and there’s still the race tomorrow. Anything can happen.”
The journalist saw right through the textbook answer, too, and pushed a little further. “Do you think the team waited too long before sending you out on the track?”
Vedant pursed his lips, clearly frustrated, but gave a shrug, “It’s always easy to second-guess decisions after the fact, but they made the call based on the data at the time. We’ll review it as a team and see what happened; learn and go from there.”
He went around the pen, giving the same but different answers to the journalists as they focused on the team’s decision for such a late call.
Singapore was such a tough track. It wasn’t just about the right strategy, but if there was a track you want your car to be completely in tune with you, it was this one.
I exhaled as I watched him disappear in the throng of people, heading back to the garage. Normally, I would keep the professional distance on track; it was something I had maintained since I had been here. But today, that voice in my head kept tugging at me. The need to check in, to show him I was there for him too.
As I walked through the Hillcrest motor hub, some team members greeted me as I passed, a few offering smiles or nods of recognition. It wasn’t unusual for me to just randomly walk in here, just rare. But it was usually because I wanted to check in after major incidents or when I was working.
When I reached Vedant’s room, I knocked on the door lightly, still debating turning around. But then the door opened, and I saw the twins: Vedant and Dev, sitting inside, deep in conversation. They stopped mid-sentence when they saw me, their expressions flickering with surprise before softening.
“Hey Raina, C’mon in,” Leon, Vedant’s personal trainer, stepped aside. “I was just leaving.”
He gave Vedant one last nod before stepping out and closing the door behind me.
“Everything OK?” Dev asked, and I nodded.
“Yeah, just thought I’d stop by… just to check in.”
Vedant’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t say anything, just nodded. Dev, on the other hand, flashed me a grin. “ See , I told you she cares.”
The room was silent for a moment before I reached into my bag. “Well, this was supposed to be something you were going to celebrate with—as I was expecting a pole position—but this can cheer you up instead..”
Both of them watched me with curious eyes as I pulled out a small box. I hadn’t done this in years, but I remembered how Ma used to sneak these into his bags on race weekends when he was younger—homemade mithai, his favourite. He used to often preserve the traditions for race day as good luck or have it to celebrate his victories. After my talk with Axel yesterday, I’d gone to a local store to grab some things to take back home and when I’d spotted the ingredients, it was like there was something bigger that was pushing me to latch on to the chance I’d been given. By the time I’d reached back to my suite, I was exhausted, but I knew how much it would mean.
Vedant’s eyes softened as he stared at the box, recognition flickering across his face. He hesitated for a moment, then took it from my hands.
“You… made it?” He asked, his voice quiet, almost as if the memories of Ma making it for him came rushing to him in that second.
I nodded, biting my lower lip. “Ma taught me… for you .”
When he looked back at me, his eyes were filled with more than just the touch of grief; there was love and the pain he felt.
Vedant opened the box, the faint scent of cardamom and sugar filling the small room. He picked up one of the sweets, studying it for a second before popping it into his mouth. His eyes closed, and his shoulders instantly relaxed.
“It tastes the same,” His voice was thick with gratitude and emotion, and I smiled, sitting down next to him.
“She taught me a lot of things you guys loved. It was her favourite pastime activity with us, and then she would quiz me on the measurements,” I chuckled as I stared at the mithai in his hands. “But this , we made it so many times, as if she could care less if I forgot any of the other recipes; she wanted me to know this one by heart.”
“You never told us that,” I could feel both of their gaze on me, but I couldn’t look back at them. Talking about Ma and our memories felt like they were my secrets to keep. Like I was keeping her protected in some weird way.
But for the first time, talking about her didn’t feel strange. My throat wasn’t closing up; my heart wasn’t beating like I was running a marathon.
It felt just right.
I shrugged, unsure if saying anything could justify my actions.
“Thanks, little storm.” I froze, the nickname hitting me like an unexpected wave, crashing over me with memories of him and Ma calling me that, the ones I thought I’d tucked away. I hadn’t heard him call me that in years—it was a nickname he’d come up with when we were kids, which Ma absolutely loved. They both loved to say that there was always a storm brewing in me, and it took was one moment before I raged, what I thought was cute for a second, irritated me and they only laughed because I’d proved them right. “You didn’t have to, but it helped.”
I looked at him; his eyes were searching mine as if remembering the same memories. The chaos we used to create together, the shared secrets and the same connection we had with Ma.
I gave him a small smile, the warmth of the moment settling between us.
Dev leaned back in his chair, watching the two of us with a genuine smile. “I’m just glad someone managed to cheer him up. He was sulking like a toddler before you walked in.”
Vedant shot him a look. “I was not sulking.”
“You were definitely sulking,” I added, grinning at the bickering between the two of them.
“Great, should I expect you two to gang up on me every race weekend from now?” Vedant rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair and inspecting the box in his hands. “Leon will have my head for this.”
He took out another mithai, debated for a second and stuffed it in his mouth with a shrug, making me chuckle.
“I’m gonna lose the weight off tomorrow anyway.” His mouth was full as he justified his actions, and I shook my head.
We sat in a moment of silence before someone knocked on the door. Vedant sighed, standing up and stretching. “I gotta head back for debrief.”
He placed a hand on my head, ruffling my hair, and I gave him a stink eye. “Glad you came, Raina.”
I slapped his hand away, brushing down the fringes he had created. “You’re so annoying. Please leave.”
His grin widened, and the warmth in my chest grew. It wasn’t often I let myself step into the sibling role anymore, but today reminded me that no matter how much I distanced myself from them, the bond we had once shared was still there.
Vedant left, closing the door behind him, and I leaned back in my chair. Dev was still sitting opposite me, watching me closely.
“I know you can’t see it, but that meant more to him than you think.” Dev’s tone was quiet, but there was an edge to it, one that made my chest tighten. For a moment, he sounded so much like Dad that it took me by surprise. I bit my tongue hard, holding back the words that almost slipped out.
Comparing him to Dad wouldn’t just be hurtful; it would be cruel. “To both of us,” he added, his voice softer but still carrying that weight.
I nodded, “I know I haven’t been around much, but Vedant was there for me when I needed him, and I wanted to make sure he knew that I was there for him too. Even if I couldn’t exactly help him,”
“That’s where you’re wrong. You being here helps him. You have no idea how difficult it has been for him to watch you be on the sidelines. He doesn’t expect you to come in and fix things for us, neither do I; we just need you to be here. Not just… show up and be polite.”
I frowned. Axel had used those exact words, and a part of me wondered if it was merely a coincidence or something more.
When I didn’t say anything, his gaze flicked to the floor for a second before he looked back at me. “Vedant told me that you had to move in with him, Rihaan and Oliver,” He spoke slowly as if testing the waters. “How’s that been like?”
I let out a half-laugh, holding myself back from rolling my eyes. “You mean living with Rihaan or having my place destroyed?”
He winced, the discomfort clear in his expression. “What even happened that night?”
“I wish I could tell you,” I joked, forcing a smile. “At this point, I think life hates me,” There was a hint of sincerity in my words, and Dev didn’t miss it.
“Hey, don’t say that,” He leaned forward, pulling me in a hug. I took a slow breath, caught off guard by his actions. “I know it’s been rough, but life does not hate you.”
“Everything is falling apart at once. I don’t know how to handle it.”
“That just means something better is coming. And you don’t have to handle it alone. You’ve got us. You can lean on us.”
“I don’t know how to do that. Not anymore,”
“Then we learn,” He whispered, tightening the hug. “We start small, and even if it’s messy and uncomfortable, it’s better than whatever we’ve been doing.”
His words chipped away at my defence, and I let myself admit the truth. “He doesn’t want me there. After all these years, he still hates me.”
Dev tensed at my words, but his voice was controlled when he spoke again. “Rihaan has his own issues, Rai. He may have a horrible way of showing it, but he still loves you. In his own way, but he does.”
When I stayed quiet, he just sighed. “What about Oliver, how’s he been like?”
“Not too bad,” I said, hoping my voice was convincing enough. That was another thing I had been avoiding. “Been busy, so I’ve mostly missed him. Seems nice, though.”
“He is,” Dev gave me one last squeeze before pulling back. “It’ll all work out, Rai. Believe it.”
And for the first time in a long time, I did.
THE SHIMMERING LIGHTS reflected off the wet surface of the track, the towering skyscrapers of Singapore creating a dramatic backdrop. The race was nothing short of a movie, and after a long time, the luck was on Vedant’s side.
The day started with unexpected rain, delaying the race start. After an hour of waiting for the circuit to dry, the race was on for a total of 10 seconds before it all went south. The track had dried up faster than anyone had anticipated, making the wait excessive, but then it was pure chaos. A car was aquaplaning, clipping two cars as it spun, and that triggered a chain reaction. Between spray and debris flying everywhere, a red flag was inevitable, but while everyone was frantic watching the stranded trio of the cars, my eyes went to the grid, which displayed that Vedant had managed to climb up to 9th, and they hadn’t even made it past turn one.
When the race resumed, the restart was nerve-wracking. Every corner looked like it was an invitation for disaster, but he didn’t seem to care as he made overtakes and capitalised on the mistakes ahead of him: from light taps and tyre lock-ups to drivers crashing into the tecpro barriers, there were two more safety cars. A mix of skill, luck, and, frankly, with some of the moves he had made—sheer audacity, Vedant was now in 3rd, and there were another 10 laps to go.
Six cars were already out of the race, and a part of me hoped that he would be more careful now.
But as the Ascari he had been chasing down runs straight on at Turn 15, my heart hammered in my chest. Vedant narrowly avoided the contact as he turned.
“This is carnage,” Dev whispered next to me, and I turned to look at him. His gaze was filled with a similar mix of fear for him and awe of the show Vedant had put on. But we both knew that even though he had put on a show for everyone, going from 15th to 2nd, it wouldn’t be enough for him.
The crowd was roaring, absolutely loving the energy of the race, but as Axel’s orange car sprinted down the straight in front of us, over 13 seconds ahead of Vedant, I knew that either we would see a recreation of last year or a race finish to one of the most amazing drives done by Vedant, even if he finished in P2.
Lap after Lap, he closed down the gap, making his way through the traffic. And then it was a last-lap showdown.
With every corner, Vedant was right on Axel’s gearbox, almost urging him to make a mistake. The commentators in my headphones were losing their minds, but I had tuned everything out.
My breath caught as Vedant pulled alongside Axel, the two cars almost touching as they reached the finish line. Fireworks exploded, and the crowd cheered around me at the chequered flag.
My heart was in my throat as I started at the screen for confirmation.
“YES!” Dev yelled, as the graphic flashed on the screen.
RACE WINNER - VEDANT PATEL
He had done it.
Dev hugged me as everyone around us celebrated, but I couldn’t help the laugh that flew out of me. It was a relief, disbelief and pure joy.
I had seen him win races before, but to be here and watch him win the one race he had wanted to for the longest time ever, and that too from 15th in the grid? It was one of the most special things ever.
I watched as Vedant’s car slowly rolled into the pits, the crowd racing down the track to be near the podium. He climbed out of the car, the exhaustion and elation evident in his body, but as he took off his helmet and gave a once over to the camera. His eyes glistened, and I knew that it wasn’t just pride or relief in his eyes. It was something more, and I couldn’t help but wonder what it meant.