"A friend is someone who helps you up when you're down, and if they can't, they lay down beside you and listen."

- WINNIE THE POOH

^^^

"Are you fine?" Harshad inquired, making Kiara deny it. He kneeled beside her. Maya was staring at them from a distance. She wasn't able to trust Harshad and yet could sense that Harshad held a special place in Kiara's life.

"What happened?" He softly cupped his cheek, his orbs softening as well.

"Walk away!" Kiara jerked his hand away. "I don't need you," she was scowling in anger. "You had walked away, right? Now, why are you back?"

"Kiara..." He again attempted to touch her, but she shoved his hand away.

"Don't touch me! Don't even dare to talk to me." She was blabbering, "I hate you all... you all are the same... all are going to leave me. Just go! Get lost!"

"I won't ever leave you, Sweetheart." Harshad softly muttered making Kiara raise her head and stare into his orbs. He nodded slightly in assurance. "I can't even if I want to..." Her scowl deepened on listening to the next half of his statement.

"So, you want to leave me as well?" She growled as Harshad had a slight smile.

"You don't want me to leave you?" He twisted the question back to her.

"Stop doing that!" Kiara sounded annoyed, "I had questioned you first so I get the answer."

"I need to think about it, so you answer first." He winked and received a punch from Kiara.

"Just get lost!" She groaned and Harshad chuckled in response. He was glad that she had stopped crying, it ached his heart to see those tears in her orbs.

"Never! I can't let you leave in peace so I am going to always annoy you."

Kiara's mood shifted at Harshad answer. "Dhruv used to say the same, he won't ever stop annoying me but maybe I had bothered him enough that he chose to break the friendship." Kiara's orbs were brimming with tears, and Harshad was staring at her in concern. "He just decided that we no longer could be friends," she wiped the emerging tears. "I know he did it to save his relationship with Aditi but it still hurts. It feels as if he never cared about my emotions. I can't peace out with the feeling that I didn't even deserve his friendship."

Harshad could no longer hold himself back, he pulled the broken Kiara in his arms. "You deserve the world, Kiara." He muttered in her hair. "You deserve the entire universe but that human didn't deserve a soul like you. He could never learn to value a treasure like you. He is at loss! Not you..." He was attempting to console her but Kiara's heart wasn't convinced.

"Then why it hurts me, Harshad? He simply uttered those words as if they held no importance. As if he didn't care about the consequence. He didn't even care about my opinion. Didn't I have the right to voice a word on it as well? I might have maintained the distance. I might have never attempted to call him. Why he had to break the friendship? He was my first friend, Harshad. The first person to understand me. It feels as if I lost a part of myself, why couldn't I hug him for the last time? Why he had provided me with the hope that he would keep things between us the same? Why he kept reassuring me about the future that he was going to shatter with his own hands?"

Kiara was sobbing in Harshad's arms. Expressing her misery. "I feel as if he didn't only break me but mended me, provided me with hope, made me believe that he cared, valued my existence, and yet always broke me into millions of pieces and I always believed in his fake promises. I believed in his lies... I believed that he cared... he didn't... he didn't..." Slowly the blabbers turned into murmurs, Harshad sat there allowing her to choose her route of escape from pain.

Kiara needed to let those oceans of pain flow down, the things bothering to be expressed. She needed to curse Dhruv in order to act normally the next day. She needed to walk from her past and for that she needed to hate its existence. Harshad caressed her hair, trying to calm his nerves. He was already furious over Dhruv and Kiara's state was further maddening him. If Kiara wasn't in need, he might have traveled back to the city and knocked some senses in Dhruv's foolish brain.

"She slept..." Maya whispered bringing Harshad out of his thoughts.

Harshad glanced at Kiara's exhausted face and shook his head in disappointment. "You were aware that it was going to happen. That was the reason behind your visit?" Maya inquired and Harshad provided a small nod not sparing her a glance.

"Why did Dhruv do that?"

Harshad jerked his head at Maya, furiously. "You still need an answer? Because he wanted to cut any tie that won't let him marry Aditi. I don't even think he loves Kiara. If he loved her, he would have never done such harm to her." Harshad shook his head, slowly wiping those tears from her cheek.

"Because he won't be able to see her in tears the way you can't." Maya's comment made Harshad stare at her suspiciously. "You came all the way to Goa just because the thought of Kiara in pain due to Dhruv's stupidity made you restless. You needed to know she was fine. And Kiara further defending Dhruv triggered your anger."

Harshad didn't comment on her conclusion. "But I still don't understand Dhruv, he might choose Aditi over Kiara but why would he hurt her so much?"

"I fucking don't care. But he won't ever be allowed near Kiara from henceforth. I am taking her back," Harshad raised her in his arms.

"I can't allow you that, not until she is fine with the decision. You can't force yours on her."

"She is in a condition where she requires friends and family. She needs to feel loved, cared for, valued and for that, she needs to go back." Harshad raised his feet with Kiara in his arms.

"You can decide it tomorrow when she can answer for herself. For today..."

"I am not in a condition to argue. Things are decided and I am not debating on the matter."

"Who are you to decide for her? I can't trust Kiara with you. Her parents had left me responsible for her. I can't allow a stranger to..."

"He isn't a stranger, Maya," Kiara muttered sounding sleepy. During their heated argument, they didn't notice that they had awakened Kiara from her peaceful sleep. Harshad eyes were fixed on Kiara. Whenever she defended him in front of anyone, he felt privileged. "He is a friend," she mentioned making Maya stare at Kiara in astonishment.

"You want to go with him?" Maya questioned sounding displeased.

"I am not in a state to walk back to that city. To the beautiful but heart-breaking memories." Kiara's orbs were fixed on Maya though it was an answer for Harshad.

"I won't be able to survive with you being stressed over here. You will have your people over there. You aren't alone, Kiara. Just because one person doesn't value your existence doesn't mean others don't give a damn."

"It doesn't matter Harshad, it no longer matters if someone cares or not."

"Not even me?" Harshad those words forced her to stare into those defeating orbs. She could feel that her answer held a deep value to him.

"Unfortunately, you do..." she muttered. "But I don't know why?" Harshad chuckled at the latter statement.

"Because you're dumb."

"And you the over-smart."

"So?" Harshad raised a brow, "over-smart is better than being dumb."

"You have fully lost it, get me down." She tried to wriggle in his arms.

"Not so easily, first answer me. How did I become your friend?" He inquired in a teasing manner.

"Who said you are my friend?" She countered back.

"You just said a minute back," Harshad raised his head to glance at his proof but Maya was no longer present. "You bored her, your cousin left me alone to deal with your stupidity."

"Absolutely, wrong!" Kiara argued back, "she went inside because she won't be able to deal with you. Are you even aware of how annoying you are?"

"Please increase my knowledge," Harshad prompted her to continue as he carried her inside the house.

"You are..." she kept on blabbering and Harshad was listening to her complaints with a stupid grin on his face. He had missed her so much! And he loved the way she was getting more comfortable around him as the days were passing by. The girl that hardly muttered a word was blabbering continuously to him.

Harshad leaned down as he reached her bed. "I got it that I hadn't got manners, I keep eavesdropping on peoples' conversation. My over-friendly nature is often judged so I need to lessen my flirting session and yes I am way... annoying to be dealt with." Harshad shook his head as he laid her properly on the bed. "But you can't deny that I am a good friend." He raised a brow with a smirk playing on his lip.

"Very wrong! I guess you make a worse friend."

"But still this worse human being can make you smile." He winked which made Kiara have a slight smile reaching her spirit. She gave a slight nod, "are you agreeing that I can make you smile?" He sounded melodramatic.

"Now don't pride over it..." she muttered trying to act rude.

"Glad at least you accept it," he chuckled pecking a kiss on her forehead. "Have a beautiful sleep and don't stress yourself over it."

"Are you going back at such an hour?"

"I need to, dad will be worried about me. Might have got a notification that I had skipped my work again," he provided her with a sheepish smile.

"What was the need? You need to behave a little responsibly towards the job. The boss is very strict, she won't offer you enough opportunities." Kiara sounded worried about Harshad careless attitude.

"Don't worry she won't able to dismiss me."

"And why is that so? You aren't the king of the nation." She mocked making Harshad laugh.

"You sound like my mom while scolding, he used to always argue with my dad in such a manner. Making him disciplined when he wanted to wander around."

"So, it's like father like son. Your mom might have a tough time handling you both. I can't even tolerate you for a few hours and she had been handling you both for years."

"Maybe not able to handle us anymore she left us. We had exhausted her," Harshad shook his head. The before glow washed away as a sad smile played on his face.

Kiara got concerned with his change in mood. She could sense his sadness and wanted to inquire if he was fine. Why did the topic of his mother often sadden him but she felt that she would be prying too much in his personal life? If he wants he would share with her.

"I better get going," With those words, he walked out of her room. Kiara lay on the bed, staring at the white ceiling. Her mind wandered around the latest events happening in her life. Dhruv mentioning to break their friendship, Maya's assumption that Dhruv was aware of her feelings, and then Harshad.

Intentionally or unintentionally, he had diverted her mind from the worries prevailing around. She smiled at the thought. She wanted to walk away from people as the fear of attachment was slowly building in her heart but at the same time, she felt the need to display her gratification towards Harshad.

She took her cell that Harshad had kept on the lamp table. Searched for his contact and typed a message. "Thanks..." She kept the cell aside but within a minute a message popped on her screen.

"Haven't you slept yet? And stop doing formalities with me."

Kiara had a broader smile on seeing his reply. "Aren't you driving? And aren't you aware of traffic rules?"

"No! Can you please enlighten me?"

Kiara rolled her eyes knowing he was teasing her. "Keep the phone aside, now!"

"Or?" Harshad was challenging her but Kiara ignored his message.

"Okay, fine won't touch my phone till I reach. You better go to sleep, good night."

"Good night," Kiara responded back.

___

"Good morning, and don't disturb me because I am very particular about my office hours. "Kiara smiled reading his message that was sent two hours back.

"Good morning Mr. Drama King." I typed back.

"What is it? I am glad to see you in a happy mood." Maya commented bringing a plate full of breakfast. "Yesterday you hadn't eaten a thing so you better finish this off." Kiara made a face but didn't comment on the matter. "So, how are you doing?" Maya inquired further on finding Kiara not speaking a word.

"I am fine," Kiara masked a smile. "It isn't like I had a breakup. Dhruv and I weren't ever in a relationship."

"Friendship is a relationship as well. We do invest our emotions and efforts in it. He had broken a relationship in which you had invested for years and you will feel heartbroken due to it. That's absolutely fine," Maya encouraged her to open up. Not to consider her emotions unworthy, she wasn't overreacting.

"Thanks for being there for me, Maya." Kiara smiled at her. "I really don't know what I feel at the moment. I no longer hold any grudge toward Dhruv. Last night I was mad at him. I felt betrayed but maybe I understood him. He had to choose either of us and he had made his choice. Maybe only if he had voiced it in a more considerate manner it would have made me feel that he valued our friendship as well... he was sorry to break it. And maybe I didn't allow him to voice anything more, provide justification. I was so wrapped up with my grief, with sorrow that I might have never considered his points." She wiped off the emerging tears.

"Maybe I am ready to let my past go..." Kiara muttered staring straight into Maya's orbs. "Maybe if it wasn't for him I would have never taken the first move. I am not furious over him rather glad that he had left me free. No longer I will be having that hope of everything sorting out between us. No longer I will be sandwiched between moving on and holding my past close to my heart. He had set me free by announcing that he had chosen his path and it's high time, I chose mine."

"So, what are you going to do? Are you going back? As I think it isn't good to leave the rest just for one person."

"I know, I am not going to leave the contact. I will be in contact with Avni frequently, and maybe visit them at equal intervals. Harshad isn't going to leave me easily so I am going to be disturbed by him and maybe Yami or Avni would accompany him at times. And about looking towards my future, I want to concentrate on my passion. I want to answer those people that had constantly questioned my view on life. I want my dream to turn into reality."

"And I am going to be by your side in the entire journey." Maya's words filled Kiara with motivation. She was going to make it!