"Sometimes people you wanted as a part of your story are only meant to be a chapter."

- UNKNOWN

{A. N: I love this quote...}

^^^ 

Kiara opened the application and a smile spread across her face. There was a notification of one chat, but upon seeing it from Avni, she pouted. She had anticipated it from Harshad.

Harshad hadn't seen her reply to the message for the past 15 hours. "What's wrong with you, Kiara?" She was cursing herself. "Everyone isn't idle to check their phone after every hour. I just don't understand when I started being so addicted to my phone?" She was grumbling to herself.

For the past few days, there were messages exchanged between Harshad and Kiara on a regular basis. The girl that hardly opened the application once a week would open it every hour. The change in behavior was troubling her as well. She wanted to have control over herself, but it seemed quite impossible.

She responded to Anvi's message walking out of the application. Promising herself that she was going to be away from it for two days but she couldn't restrain herself as she checked the phone for the next hour and again got disappointed that she hadn't received any message.

•••

14 hours later

The next morning when Kiara reached her cell, wanting to have a conversation with Avni. A message was waiting for her. A grin spread on her lip but she resists clicking on that chat. He had made her wait for a long; it was his turn to wait for her message.

She typed about her worries to Avni and walked out but she wasn't at peace. She couldn't ignore him. What! She wasn't going to let him win. He couldn't have control over her. But after so much restraint she walked back into the chat.

"Liked a message?" Kiara groaned. "Just liked a message." She was glaring at the profile Id.

"Go to hell!" She screamed to him walking out of the application.

His mere act was affecting her so much, what was wrong with her? She needed to pull herself together.

•••

Her cell was ringing but Kiara was ignoring its existence. Maya glanced at the caller Id, sparing a glance at Kiara. "Have you both fought?" She inquired about seeing Kiara purposely ignoring Harshad's call.

"I am not in the mood to have a conversation with him," Kiara grumbled, rooting her eyes on the Tv screen.

After a few minutes later her cell rang and it was from Yami. Without giving a thought Kiara answered Yami's call.

"Hello!"

"You can receive Yami's call but not mine." Harshad groaned from the other side.

"I don't want to talk to you."

"But why?"

"Not in a mood to have a fight. And I know Yami don't call me unless it's important."

"What do you mean by that?" Harshad sounded offended. "I call you for time pass?" Raised his voice to make it extra-dramatic. "I had important work to do..."

"What?"

"I wanted to listen to your voice." Harshad voiced in such a manner that Kiara melted with those words.

"Stop, flirting around. Don't forget you have a girlfriend." Kiara attempted to display that she was hardly affected by his comment.

"Don't worry, I hadn't forgotten that I have a girlfriend and a very beautiful one." Kiara for some reason didn't appreciate Harshad remark.

"Why did you call?" She wanted to change the topic. She didn't admire the feeling of jealousy.

"I had already provided you the reason, I wanted to listen to your voice."

"Shouldn't you be craving your girlfriend's voice," Kiara groaned.

"I am craving for your voice," Harshad felt the need to assure her. "You still have doubt about where my loyalty lies?"

"No... I don't..." Kiara muttered, she wasn't ready for the conversation.

There was silence for a minute. The awkwardness had emerged between them. "I am in the office will talk to you later."

"Okay, bye..."

And Kiara hung the call with an inner peace that she was craving.

"I thought he was ignoring me." Kiara had muttered her thoughts loudly getting them into Maya's ears.

"The reason I value conversation. You should talk before assuming things. Due to your assumptions, you were holding him back."

Kiara shook her head, "it isn't easy. After things I had experienced."

"Kiara, you can't doubt his loyalty due to your past. I understand your fear but he had been a constant support to you during that period. Though I don't like his nature but he shares genuine feelings toward you."

"That's making me afraid. I am not sure about my feelings what if it's not real? I no longer understand myself, Maya. I claimed that I shared feelings for Dhruv but rather than crying over him I am developing things for Harshad. What is even wrong with me? Shouldn't I be grieving over him?"

"I don't even know what am I feeling. I don't want to lose Harshad as a friend but the thought of him with someone else sparkles my jealousy." Kiara kept ranting, trying to understand the jumbled emotions.

"I do believe that you develop feelings for people at unexpected times. You can have feelings for Harshad because he stood by your side when you were in constant need of support. And his words can surely charm anyone. But you need to understand if it's just attraction or something else. Before raising his hope, you need to assure yourself."

"I get it! I had known the feeling of heartbreak. I will never want anyone to go through that cycle."

Maya nodded with a smile, "did you have a proper conversation with Dhruv? Have you attempted to listen to his story?"

"I don't think I am in a condition to listen to his story. He is regretting his impulsive decision but it's difficult to forget about it. I can't fake to him that I had forgiven him. I hadn't expected him to behave in such a manner. I would have never come in between their relationship. I might have walked away and never attempted to contact him but him expressing those words stabbed my heart. It makes me feel I meant nothing... nothing to him, Maya. That realization hurts," Kiara wiped her tears off.

"Maybe in the future, I might have a conversation with him. Our friendship might reunite but if I talk to him at this moment, the grudge would only deepen."

Maya slowly nodded her head not wanting to force her on the matter.

•••

"Why do you keep on bringing the girlfriend that doesn't even exist?" Yami groaned on seeing them ending the call.

"I don't bring it up. Complain to Kiara about it, I don't understand why is she so obsessed with my girlfriend."

"She is in need of assurance, can't you simply deny Ria's existence? You keep on flirting with strangers but having a hard time confessing your feelings to Kiara." Yami rolled her annoyed eyes at Harshad.

"Flirting is done for fun and at times to annoy her." Harshad smiled, "but confessing feelings to her is risky. She loves Dhruv, Maya. She hadn't moved on from him properly. Expressing my feelings will shove her away from me. I am fine with being her friend, I don't want her to ignore my existence because I hold feeling for her."

"But why do you have to motivate her assumption of you still dating Ria? You can simply voice it out that you aren't interested in her."

"Have you seen her fuming in jealousy? The way she deep inside hates the existence of Ria that's the only hope that proves to me that she considers me more than just a friend."

"Dude!" Yami shook her head, "just look at you?" She was amazed at Harshad's words. "The man that walked around carrying his heart on his sleeves is taking one step at a time. Kiara had surely changed you."

"I just hope that I will be able to change her view on love." Harshad winked, walking towards his desk.

•••

A FEW MONTHS LATER... 

"Stop," Kiara instructed the driver when he passed the familiar office building. Kiara stared at the building with adoration as she walked out of the cab and paid the bill.

Often as an employee, she hated visiting it. But after visiting it almost 8 months later, she realized that she missed it a lot.

Kiara had decided to walk back to her town. She was prepared to face the world after her first heartbreak or maybe she was confident that she had pillars of support. And she had come to visit one such pillar of her life.

She climbed the stairs with a smile playing on her lips. She was excited to surprise them, especially him. During these months Harshad had constantly visited her but she had never paid a visit to him. That was the reason upon reaching the city within half an hour she had come to meet him.

Some colleagues passed a smile at her as she strolled into the department. Her eyes were searching for the presence of Yami and Harshad but rested on a familiar woman. Ria was having a wide grin as she was dragging Harshad towards the table. A cake was placed over the table and a huge crowd accumulated around.

It was Harshad's birthday! The biggest reason behind Kiara deciding to plan that day for her arrival. She hadn't mentioned it to anyone. She wanted to gift him with her presence on the day. Harshad had been constantly urging her to come back and Kiara had always pushed it aside. She wanted to surprise him with her decision. She wanted to glimpse at the delight with her eyes.

Kiara was in contact with Harshad and even at times scolded him for visiting her bunking office hours but deep within, she had missed his presence around her. She had missed the same little thing that she had often taken for granted. Not able to see him smiling when her message might make him smile. The way he might have smirked seeing that she was annoyed. At moments she missed his voice when he won't call her for days. At times she would listen to those voice messages sent by him. At times she even recorded those calls made by him.

Harshad had made her realize what importance he meant to her but at that moment seeing Ria holding his hands while cutting the cake made her heart shatter into pieces. The feeling of envy spread to every corner of her body.

They were together! And once again she was coming in between a couple. The thought made her ashamed of herself. She forced a smile on her face, trying her level best to force her leg out of the building before anyone would glance at her. She wasn't in a condition to face them. She won't be able to hold her tears back if she heard Harshad's voice.

Kiara had visited him to surprise him but not to be offered a shock for a lifetime. Kiara's heart was aching as she turned herself from Harshad. Once again she was walking in familiar territory. Once again she had allowed her heart to feel things for a friend. Harshad wasn't wrong neither was Dhruv. It was always her fault; she always misunderstood their care. They considered her friend but she had to take it for love.

Harshad had constantly mentioned his girlfriend yet Kiara wasn't able to take the clue. Why was she such a fool? Why she always thought that he was teasing her? Why was she so optimistic? Dhruv was correct her optimistic spirit was the reason behind her every fall.

She hoped that Dhruv loved her the way she did. She hoped that Dhruv would soon realize her importance in his life. She hoped that she won't fall again in love. She hoped that she would be offered love as well. She hoped that she would find a soulmate. She hoped that Harshad won't break her apart.

He was happy and she should be happy over the fact as well. Harshad had his happiness and it was in Ria. She brushed the emerging tears as a voice was heard in her ears.

"Kiara," it was rather a sigh of relief. As if he was craving to have a glance at her.