"No matter how hard the past is, you can always begin again." 

- Budha

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Kiara was staring at the picture with a smile playing on her lips. "Here you are!" Commented Maya, grabbing her attention from the piece of memory she was admiring. "You still love my piece of collection." Maya sounded pleased as she made her way towards Kiara.

Kiara hugged Maya, murmuring softly in her ears. "I missed you..."

"I missed you as well, little angel." Maya voiced, pulling from the hug. "You have grown so big," she chuckled, making Kiara to roll her eyes. "Still the small and tiny one." She teased at the end, making Kiara to narrow her eyes at her.

"Maya, please you don't start it." Maya giggled at Kiara's remark. Entire life Kiara had continuously heard, how small and tiny she was compared to her smaller cousin.

"Hey, I was teasing..." Maya murmured on seeing Kiara's annoyed face.

"I know..." she murmured but sounding upset.

"What's up with this spoiled mood?" Maya inquired making Kiara caution.

"Nothing..." Kiara attempted to fake it with a smile but Maya stared at her, curiously.

"Fine, if you don't want to share it now. I will be waiting..." She assured her, squeezing her hand. "Now, come let me show you the room for rest of your stay here," Maya muttered cheering her up as she dragged her to the corner of the living area. Taking some left and right turns, Maya stopped in front of a room.

Kiara widen her eyes in horror, she stared at Maya in confusion. "You aren't gifting this room?" She couldn't believe her eyes.

Maya had a special space for her grandma's room. Maya assured her with a smile. "You often adored the room. Unlike others you not only admired its beauty but valued my memories linked to it." A beautiful smile was stored on her face. "You never questioned me for holding something like a room so prestigious. I guess I can trust you with this treasure."

"No, Maya... This room holds a lot of value to you. If I stay here, it will miss the significant. This room isn't just a wall built with bricks. You have memories store over here. You feel her presence and you shouldn't allow anyone to erase it."

"I want to allow more memories to be created, Kiara. Sometimes holding close to our past memories don't allow us to create new. I want to allow new ones to be created while appreciating the past ones." Maya's those words made Kiara to stare at her a minute longer.

Kiara admired Maya's presence as she was way similar to her, and it was easy to understand each other. Kiara could understand importance of memories one held in life. The reason, she had stored so many birthday cards still in her locker. She no longer had contact with those individuals yet those card was stored as their memory. She valued it as much as Maya did!

Kiara loved the vibes, Maya's mini-cottage provide her with. She often had loved to visit it as a child. As Maya had lived her childhood with her grandma. She was much closer to her than her parents. Kiara on her visits often had mentioned how much she adored grandma's room, never thinking in her wildest dream that Maya would ever offer it to her. Maya opposed the idea of anyone entering her granny's room. Other cousin considered her sentimental but Kiara understood the emotion's involved with the room.

"You know, Kiara," Maya whispered, taking a step into the room. "Granny used to say that we should never hold on to our past too tight. It always hinders our growth for future. I never understood her until I saw you staring at the picture." Maya's words made Kiara stare at her in curiousness. "I don't know, what is it Kiara? What moments of your past is you holding so tight but allow yourself to loosen up. Only if you loosen your grip on the past, you will be able to grab your future."

"It isn't easy, Maya," Kiara whispered, feeling a need to provide her clarification. "It isn't that I haven't tried... but it's as if I can't even move." She confessed making Maya to glance in her direction.

"You first need to understand if you are ready to consider it as past." Maya's orbs were fixed on Kiara.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think, you can let it go?"

"At times you have to let go because situation demands so from you."

"But if your inner self isn't ready to let it go, you shouldn't." Maya paused for a minute. Her eyes darting to the room, scanning it once again. "Situation demanded me to brush off granny from my mind. Move on! People around me had moved on, time was flying by. But I wasn't ready to let it go. Holding it close to my heart, the memories related to her. This room, I had grab it tightly in my fist. I knew that the world would laugh at me. Consider me sentimental yet I won't ever be able to let it go. Not so easily," Maya's eyes met Kiara's once again. "It took me years to let go and I allowed myself with that space."

"It wasn't easy when constantly the world around me was growing. They were fast to move on, but I wasn't and I accepted it." Maya took a step toward Kiara. "Don't hesitate to accept it as well. It's fine to hold on your past a little longer until your heart is convinced that it is past."

Kiara wrapped her arms around Maya, pulling her into a much-needed hug. "Thank you, Thanks to you for always understanding me without a question."

Maya wrapped her arms around Kiara as well, slowly caressing her hair. "Kiara, you have also understood me on my hard times and I am just repeating your action." She slowly pulled away from her. Blinking her eyes in assurance, "take rest you might had got tired with the journey."

Kiara nodded as Maya walked out of the room, allowing Kiara with some space. Another reason Kiara had walked to Maya was due to the personal space she was in need of. Maya wasn't in constant need of someone's presence around her. She could manage on her own as Kiara. And two introvert could allow each other with the space needed for one another survival.

Kiara took that moment to stare at the room, she had adored from childhood. She was attracted to the room due to the beauty. The antic piece surrounding the walls, giving it a sense of history but beyond that was the lively vibes the room was blessed with. The amazing combination of colours was spreading light into the dull bricks. The crafty objects decorated the walls giving them a creative look.

A small mirror has some features along with a seashell decorated as a frame. The amazing furniture was made up of some bamboo woods, showcasing an amazing skill the artist processed. The room as a whole made her believe in amazing talents, creativity and could sparkle her own curiousness to create something unique. She turned to the soft bed, eyeing it with tiredness. Maybe she was in much need of some rest.

___

Kiara opened her eyes, her mind registering her surroundings. Her sleepy orbs were admiring the environment and soon she jerked herself from the bed. The light of moon was spreading in her dark room. She had slept longer than she had planned. She rubbed her eyes, cursing herself as she made her way to washroom. She had spent her entire day sleeping. How could she act so unproductive? She was turning lazy with each passing day.

Washing her face, she made her way out of the room. The living area seemed vacant but near the dining table there was some dish kept but Kiara overlooked it. She wasn't in a need of food but maybe a few silence moments with Maya. "Kiara," Maya called her out as she walked from kitchen with a bowl in her hand. "You are going to taste my food." She had a hopeful smile as she kept the bowl on the table.

"I am just sorry, I slept the whole day..." Kiara apologized grabbing a chair.

"Oh! Come on! I am not Kajal Mausi, to scold you about it. You can sleep as long as you want. Sometimes we should allow ourselves with rest even if it's considered unhealthy to rest for so long. Maybe our physical feature doesn't require it but our mental feature is much in need of it." Maya reasoned making Kiara smile wide.

"I wish you weren't my cousin but a sibling." Kiara expressed, "things would have been far better with you by my side."

"I am still by your side..." Maya made her aware but Kiara shook her head.

"It's different, cousin and sibling can't be the same. The way sibling can be with you forever, cousin can't. Not in much needed situation. You stay so far and you can't be there at times when I need you as an emotional support."

"People don't need to be close physically to be close by heart." Maya muttered, "it's often irony that people far away are much closer to you than people you encounter on daily basis."

Kiara stared at Maya with curiosity, "is there something I am kept hidden from?"

Maya had a mischievous smile playing on her lips. She nodded slightly, "I have realized sometimes people far away from you understand you better than nearby."

"Are you talking about online friends?" Kiara inquired getting curious and Maya confirmed her doubt with a smile.

"I never thought, I could meet like-minded people online. They are fun to share your life with. A friendship that I always craved and got it in them." Kiara could glimpse at the pride Maya had toward her online friends.

"Are they more interesting than me?" Kiara couldn't help herself from envy the bond they shared with her cousin.

"Aww... don't be jealous, they are so proud of you."

"Do they know about me?"

"Yes, they are aware about each individual that exist in my life."

"And we are kept hidden from them." Kiara rolled her eyes at Maya.

"You know how protective my parents are..."

"Not more protective than mine. Maya they are allowing you to stay by yourself, none could have such a cool parents." Kiara shook her head, "my parents are continuously going to ask me to come back." And as a clue Kiara's cell rang. She gave Maya 'I had told you' look before answering her mother's call.

___

Kiara walked out of her room after a peaceful sleep. Maybe change in atmosphere was helping her. She was able to distract herself from things providing her with anxiety. Days were flying on maximum speed. Two weeks had passed by and Kiara had allowed herself to rest.

Initially, she stressed a lot that she wasn't able to behave productively. Even after seating in the balcony, while gazing at the beautiful dark sky. She wasn't able to force herself to plant a word on her laptop screen. Later she understood forcing wasn't going to help. It never had worked on her. So, she allowed herself a break. It wasn't like she had entirely abandoned the idea of writing a novel. But she was allowing herself with the break. Allowing the characters to plan in her head. Whatever that wanted to be created, listening to some of her favorite soulful music. Concentrating on the lyrics, that was her favorite part of songs. The lyrics!

She was strolling in the garden, music playing in her earphone. Her tongue rolling down the lyrics. But her legs came to halt as her sight went on the individual standing before her. She had least expected to glance at the person, shooting daggers at her. Kiara gulped in fear, she hadn't anticipated that he would grow impatient so early.

She knew she would encounter him but had least expected that the visit would be so early. "What are you doing here?" He inquired as his arms folded around his chest. His stern orbs staring at Kiara.

"Dhruv..." Kiara faked a smile, trying to suppress her building anxiety.

"Why your cell is unreachable?" He inquired further, spying at the phone in her hand.

"I..." Kiara hesitated for a minute. "I had changed the number..." she felt guilty while confessing it to him.

"Oh!" Dhruv had a mocking smile, "changed the number..." he sounded wounded. "So, we couldn't reach you." Dhruv eyes were staring straight into her orbs. "And there the rest of them are going crazy in your worries." He shook his head, "you don't give a damn." He took a step forward making Kiara to lower her gaze. "You are enjoying your holiday away from us." He paused a minute, standing an inch away from Kiara.

"I had never thought you would disappoint me in such a manner." Kiara raised her head to glance at his annoyed self. "Aditi was far better than you, at least I was aware about her whereabouts when she walked away from my life. You didn't even allow me to know whether you was fine or not?" His orbs had softened, Kiara was feeling guilty as she glimpsed at the inner-pain he was hiding under his stern feature.

"I wasn't even aware if you were fine? I was dwelling in worries, I was scared... and you... you were least interested in informing about your whereabout. I am not aware what compelled you to take such a decision but you aren't allowed to act in such a manner. I won't allow you to hurt me in..." The look Dhruv was staring at her, made her shiver in fear. "such a manner. I hate you, Kiara. I hate you for this..." A sudden coldness reached her spirit, she found it unbelievable to breath. She was afraid of this, she couldn't let Dhruv to hate him. That wasn't happening! She couldn't let it happen but before she could react Dhruv had walked away from her. 

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Author Note: The story will gain its pace as it moves forward. Don't lose hope over it if it's getting boring. I assure you will enjoy the upcoming chapters.