"I love her not because she will love me, but because I had seen her love him." 

- HARSHAD MATHUR 

^^^

Kiara was busy typing some words when her cell rang, disturbing her in the flow. She grumbled, searching for the cell. Who even was disturbing her?

"Harshad?" Her brow knitted in question. She received the call after a wait of a minute. "Hello!"

"Where on earth are you?" Harshad grumbled sounding pissed. "It was me who had decided not to trouble you for a few days. I should have disappeared not you."

"What?" Kiara sounded confused.

"Nothing..."

"Why have you called?"

"To see if you are still alive."

Kiara rolled her eyes, "why do you even care?"

"I don't! Your friend was getting worried about you."

"Hello, Kiara. How are you and where are you? It has been days since I received any message from you." Yami was complaining making Kiara guilty for disappearing without mentioning a word.

"I was just engrossed with the work, Yami. I am sorry, I didn't inform you."

"You don't need to apologize, we had grown used to your nature." Yami giggled, "when are you coming back?"

"Hadn't planned anything. I am just busy with the novel and I am enjoying my stay over here."

"We are enjoying it as well. Our frequent hangouts with Avni." Harshad attempted to pull her legs but Kiara ignored it.

"Glad to know Avni is having a company."

"Are you fine?" Harshad inquired as he found Kiara's response lacking interest.

"You should stop asking that. It was just a cold trigger that happens frequently to me nothing of high concern." Kiara sounded annoyed with his same question.

"I wasn't questioning you about your physical health but your mental peace. Is anything troubling you?" Kiara felt taken aback by his inquiry. How could he depict without seeing her face?

"I am fine..." Kiara's voice paled a little.

"Stop lying," Harshad muttered.

"My mood is slightly annoyed please don't ask the reason because I am not aware of it."

Harshad chuckled while Yami giggled listening to her sulky response. "How can I lighten your mood?"

"Don't need to be extra sweet, I won't still consider you my friend."

"I don't even want you to consider me one. I already have enough friends and I am happy with them."

"Then why you called me?" Kiara was getting annoyed with his mocking.

"Because my friend was getting concerned about her friend and I couldn't see her much stressed." Kiara pouted she wasn't sure why those words displeased her. The fact that Harshad wasn't concerned about her whereabouts didn't go well with her.

"Fine, I talked to my friend. So, you better don't disturb me any longer." And without waiting for any more words to exchange she hang the call. She wasn't sure why was she behaving so gloomy but she no longer was in a condition to continue with the writing, she walked out of the room.

____

"Why do you have to fool around?" Yami shook her head at Harshad's frown face. "Why you had to lie to her that you weren't missing her?"

"Do you think if I had confessed the truth she would believe?" Harshad expressed in annoyance. "She would feel I was flirting with her. When does she ever take my words seriously?"

"You go flirting with every girl, how can she ever take your words seriously?"

"What do you mean, Yami?" Harshad sounded annoyed. "You are aware as well that I am just teasing and those girls know it as well. I never get that intimate with them. I had never kissed any random girl's forehead. Not unless and until I am dating them. Kiara is the first woman that makes me cautious. I had never feared asking girls out but with her, I am afraid. She makes the entire dating thing so complicated. For the first time in my life, I am scared of rejection."

"Maybe because first time in your life feelings is involved. It's no longer a game for you but something much more serious." Yami was voicing out facts and Harshad was just staring at the desk lost in thoughts.

"But she is going to reject me, she has someone else in her heart and that person shares the feeling as well. I just wish he learns to treasure her importance. He is damn fortunate to have her." Harshad had a slight smile and Yami stared at him in a pain. She was witnessing another one-sided love story.

She was witnessing a male version of Kiara, the way Kiara would wish for Aditi and Dhruv together. The way she never wanted to come in between them and Harshad was repeating the same action. She couldn't let that happen. Yami had seen Kiara suffering so much for her decision, she couldn't allow Harshad to repeat the same action. Yami couldn't trust Dhruv or was it Aditi whom she doubted? She was aware of Aditi's manipulation skills and the way Dhruv would be wrapped around her words.

"Do you think Dhruv will walk back to Kiara?"

"Why, not?" Harshad stared at Yami with a quizzical look. "It isn't a hidden fact that Dhruv shares feeling towards her as well. Then what is stopping them to end up together." He attempted to sound least affected but was dying inside with the mere thought.

"Love isn't enough to make two individuals end up together, Harshad." Yami sounded sad, "if love was enough maybe everyone would have married the people they loved. Life would have been less complicated and more enjoyable."

"What do you mean, Yami? Isn't the entire concept of marriage founded on love and how can you say it isn't enough?" Harshad found it unbelievable to believe.

"The matters of family come into play. Some individual doesn't choose love over family and there isn't anything bad in it. It's about one's priority."

"Rubbish! Utter rubbish," Harshad scowled sounding furious with those comments by Yami. "It's just an excuse for not having the courage to fight if you love someone, you can't ever hurt that person. You will try to choose both, your family and love. It is just an excuse not to work hard for the relationship to work." With those words, Harshad walked away from the building.

His mind was revolving around the words uttered by Yami. Harshad was of the view that Kiara would soon call him informing him that Dhruv had chosen her over Aditi. He was silently praying for it to happen when he heard her describing the 'love' she felt towards Dhruv. His heart was filled with sadness but her presence beside him provided him with unknown peace. He never wanted to leave her side. Even after Kiara and Dhruv got together but the way Yami mentioned the situation, Harshad was furious.

Dhruv won't do that. He won't choose his family over Kiara. The girl that always thought about his happiness. The girl that never forced him with anything. The girl that attempted to read behind his silence, the person that could never see him upset. How could he choose his family over such an individual? Harshad shook his head, fury was blasting his senses.

His car was waiting for the signal when his eyes went on a familiar figure. The fear emerged in his heart to a greater degree. Aditi had walked out of a familiar car. It was Dhruv's car! They had come to a familiar building, a restaurant.

He changed the direction deciding to have a conversation with Dhruv. Harshad felt a need to convince Dhruv. Make him understand what Kiara felt for him. The minute Dhruv walked out of the car, Dhruv's eyes landed on the car that rushed to park beside his. A hint of familiarity hit Dhruv's eyes when Harshad walked towards him in rush.

"I need to talk to you about something, Dhruv." Harshad sounded urgent.

"I don't have time for any discussion. I am here to meet my parents and..." Dhruv was going to brush it off but Harshad interjected.

"It's about Kiara." That suddenly grabbed Dhruv's attention.

"Is she fine?" He couldn't help himself from getting concerned about her.

Harshad had a sad smile on seeing Dhruv's care towards Kiara. "If you love her so much why are you doing this Dhruv? Why are you busy planning your's wedding with Aditi?" Harshad was sounding defeated. "You are hurting yourself as well as Kiara a lot."

"I don't need your suggestion. You're none to jump in my personal matter." Dhruv was going to walk off but Harshad stood in his way.

"I don't want to make a scene in front of this enormous building. I am just asking you to be brave enough to voice your feelings and work hard to make both relationships work. I am not asking you to choose Kiara over your dad or your family. I am not that immature. I understand the importance of parents in one's life what I am asking is, to try to make this work. Don't run from one responsibility..."

"I can't walk away from Aditi," Dhruv stated to Harshad. "She needs me at the moment, I can't leave a friend in need." Dhruv again attempted to walk away but Harshad grabbed his shoulder.

"What do you mean by you can't walk away from Aditi?" Harshad was scowling in anger. "What about Kiara, don't she need you? Isn't she, your friend? How could you be so partial over one friend?" Harshad shook his head in disbelief, "I feel as if Kiara never knew the real Dhruv because you aren't the person she never gets enough of. The person she is so proud of." Harshad was feeling a need to punch the person standing before him.

"You can see the needs of Aditi." His eyes were turning red in rage. "But not of Kiara," he shook his head having a sad smile. "Because she never expressed her needs, she never voiced or demanded it the way Aditi did." Harshad clenched his jaw, he was controlling his overpowering anger. "I pity her, the girl that often notices the worries, and tension of her friend without a word exchange. The same friend couldn't return her favor. Maybe I should be glad that you didn't realize her importance because you don't even deserve her."

"Yeah, because you wanted her. You deserve her, right?" Dhruv growled, "I always knew you waited for this. You wanted to tell Kiara how bad I am! I am choosing Aditi over her. Go and tell! Celebrate your win."

"It was never a game for me. It was never about winning Kiara the way it was for Aditi. Do congratulate her for winning you over." Harshad mocked making Dhruv stare at him, sternly. "Finally, she had won you from Kiara's trap. She deserves a medal for it. And don't worry I am not going to mention a word about this to Kiara. Because maybe I understand her better than you, it would crumble her into pieces if she ever gets to know that you don't even care about her happiness and maybe she won't even believe my words. Because she trusts you so much... the trust that you don't deserve." Without wasting another minute Harshad walked away from Dhruv.

"Maybe this will help Kiara to move from me. Maybe she always belonged to Harshad." Dhruv muttered to himself before walking into the building with a fake smile. He had chosen his life, a world filled with fake happiness. A world asking him to fake happiness and enjoy the smile of his loved ones. He had chosen friendship over love and there was no looking back.

____

Harshad was continuously cursing as he was driving the car at the maximum speed. Rage powering his senses. Only if he could punch Dhruv. He wanted to knock the breath out of him. How could he hurt Kiara? How could he break her to that extreme? "What a coward man?" Harshad banged his fist on the steering wheel, numerous curses rolling down his tongue. "Can't even have the courage to fight for his love. Stupid! Asshole!" Gritted his teeth in utter annoyance.

His cell was ringing but he ignored it, he wasn't in a mental state to have a conversation with someone. His leg pressed the accelerator, increasing the speed. Honks were bursting around him as he was on verge of banging with neighboring cars. The traffic police stood in the middle of the street to stop the car but on finding that Harshad wasn't planning to stop any sooner, he chose his life over his duty.

"Fucking hell!" After hours of continuous driving, his mind rewound to the beautiful smile of Kiara. He pressed a brake, standing across a familiar street. Harshad wasn't aware of his destination until his eyes landed on the familiar cottage house in between numerous trees and a sea view.

Harshad closed his eyes, leaning on the seat. He had often walked to the forest to find peace in periods of a storm. To calm his nerves, his mother had taught him that anger was wrong and he always attempted to hide it from the world. He knew in rage he could act cruel and he never wanted to be rude to anyone. During those periods when fury was getting hard to control, he would walk among the familiar, cold nature. Among those trees, he would feel the presence of his mother.

Harshad shook his head opening his eyes. Walking out of the car, his eyes scanned for a sign of the human that could provide him with peace. Why was he so upset? Why did the mere thought of Kiara shattering into pieces knocked the breath out of him? Everything was different! He had never come across emotions so intense. He needed the sight of her to calm his nerves. He was dying to press a smile on her face so his heart could breathe freely. How had she become so important? How and why?

Harshad was lost in his thoughts when Maya's appalled voice got into his ears. "Harshad!" Maya's sudden scream make Kiara turn her gaze and stare at Harshad in horror before Kiara could register in her mind and come up with some words. Harshad had rushed toward her and pulled her into a tight hug, his hands wrapping around her neck and his face nuzzling into her neck. 

^^^

The author screams at the creator after writing the chapter. 

"When am I getting my Harshad?" Sobbing silently at the corner as the demand is ignored by the creator.