"Those cute little fights brought them closer and gave them a reason to love more each other." 

- UNKNOWN

^^^

Kiara's heart skipped a beat. She was craving to hear that deep, hoarse voice. She had never thought that she would get attracted to someone's voice. The way his voice messages could brighten her days at times of sadness. His voice would make her believe that he was present.

"Kiara," the voice got near as she no longer could make her legs move. She was a few steps away from departing from the building when the voice got into her ears. "Where are you running," soon she was grabbed by her elbow and pulled to face him.

Kiara's mind wasn't able to come up with an excuse. Why was she rushing away without meeting him?

"Kiara," Harshad called her not liking her orbs not making an eye-contact with his. Not able to hold himself, he raised her chin. The frown deepened on Harshad face glancing at Kiara's moist eyes. "What's wrong?" Harshad paused for a second cupping her face.

"Harshad, you should go and join them. They must be waiting for you." Kiara muttered attempting hard to keep the eye contact.

"Stop, avoiding me. I don't like it." Harshad grumbled sounding pissed. "Why were you running away?"

"Because I didn't want to disturb you."

"Aren't we done with this?" Harshad groaned. Pulling his hands away from Kiara in annoyance. "Haven't I mentioned it enough? You don't disturb me."

"You were having your moments with your girlfriend and I didn't want to be a hurdle. Her mood might have shifted and I didn't want..."

"Yeah, right!" Harshad muttered, not sparing a glance at Kiara. "I think she might miss my presence; I better leave." And without waiting for Kiara's response, he walked back towards his destination.

Kiara felt a deep wound on seeing him walking back to Ria. Kiara was expecting a denial, a justification but he agreed. Ria was his girlfriend and Kiara was blind that she wasn't able to see it. Harshad hadn't kept the truth from her but it was Kiara that had shaped false beliefs inside her. She was the reason behind getting hurt. Her false expectation was the reason.

Kiara wiped those tears walking out of the building unlike the heartbreak caused by Dhruv, she wasn't drowning in grief. She was walking out of the building with her head held high and a smile plastered on her face. Maybe she was much stronger to hold herself than earlier. Maybe she was getting used to her heart getting broken. Or was she learning to deal with the emotions, maturely?

____

"Why didn't you mention before about your arrival?" Avni was complaining as they had made themselves comfortable in Kiara's living area.

"Hadn't she said before?" Yami shook her head, taking a sip of juice prepared by Kajal. "It was meant to be a surprise."

"I know but still!" Avni shrugged her shoulder. "We would have planned a great event for your arrival. But it's never late. There is Harshad's birthday party and we can enjoy your arrival as well." Avni suggested but the mention of the party shifted Kiara's mood.

"No, Avni! Last time I visited my days revolved around you all. This time I want to spend some time with my parents. It's been months since I had a proper dinner with them. Mom had prepared so many dishes, I can't abort it."

"Not even for Harshad?" Yami inquired in a teasing manner.

"Not even for anyone on this entire planet. During these months I learned one thing, you don't have to ever ask for love from your parents. It is offered to you in such an abundance that you start taking it for granted." Kiara's words came in a serious manner making Avni and Yami share a look but they didn't forced Kiara.

____

"Is it only I or Kiara was really upset?" Yami muttered while glancing at the crowd invited to the party.

The hall was packed with numerous individuals. Displaying the popularity Harshad had among people. The crowd accumulated around the bar's section while some were busy enjoying themselves on the dancing floor.

"I felt the same. Her comment made it more visible."

"Which comment?" Harshad inquired getting curious as he walked towards them. "What are you talking about?"

"Harshad! Why didn't you invite Kiara to the party?" Yami was scowling at him.

"I wasn't informed about her arrival. How was I going to know about her presence in the city? I am sure she was not going to travel such a long hour to attend my birthday party."

"My doubt was correct," Yami shook her head glaring at Harshad. "You both fought, that was the reason that you walked back into the office without her."

"What are you even talking about?" Inquired confused Avni. She was looking from Yami to Harshad in need of some clarification.

"I told you that Kiara had visited our office." Avni nodded encouraging Yami to continue. "But she had walked away without meeting us. Harshad got a glimpse of her and rushed after her but when he returned, his mood was sulky. What had happened Harshad?"

"Nothing..." Harshad avoided their spying gaze on him. "Today is an amazing occasion and I want to enjoy it." Harshad had turned to walk away from them but Yami's words halted him.

"And you're going to enjoy knowing that Kiara is upset. Are you fooling me, Harshad?" Yami was fuming at his foolishness.

"What do you expect me to do?" Harshad groaned, pressing his forehead in frustration. "Walk behind her! Leave my birthday party and see if she is all right. I am not going to babysit her."

Yami and Avni stared at Harshad in horror. He never lost his calm easily if he sounded frustrated there was a bigger issue to tackle.

"What is the matter Harshad?" Avni asked getting concerned.

Harshad rolled his eyes, gritting his teeth in anger. "Your foolish friend thinks that I was enjoying my moment with my girlfriend and she didn't want to spoil it."

"What?" Yami was sounding shocked but Avni was staring at Harshad with a blank look.

"Your girlfriend?" Avni was sounding clueless, "does she still thinks you have a feeling for Ria?"

"I don't think so but definitely, Harshad had said something." Yami paused for a minute, "I could feel that she was hiding some pain inside. Did you utter mean things in annoyance?"

"Yes! I agreed with her that I didn't want to spoil my beautiful day and I want to spend beautiful moments with Ria." Harshad was groaning as he confessed his deeds.

"Couldn't you assure her that there wasn't anything like such?"

"Can't she see it by herself? If she wasn't important would I rush before cutting the cake? Isn't my action enough? How much more does she need the assurance?" Harshad was sounding frustrated with his feelings. He was finding it difficult to handle Kiara.

"But, why in the first place she doubts there is something between them?"

"Haven't you seen how Ria behaves around Harshad? She behaves as if she owns him, any girl will have that misconception." Yami pointed out to Avni. "And Harshad had never attempted to erase that doubt from her mind."

"Don't you dare blame me for all the mess! Shielding your friend. Who even asks her to bring Ria between us? Why does she keep bringing Ria into our conversation? How would she have reacted if I had brought Dhruv between us? She at least had feelings involved, I wasn't even invested in Ria. She was a friend and will always be, if Kiara doesn't appreciate her presence she can just voice it out. She doesn't even confess it."

"The way you don't confess it out that you hold feeling for Kiara and not Ria." Yami shook her head, "why don't you understand that it's not easy for her." Yami paused for a minute seeing Harshad exasperated mood. "I know you have emotions as well; you get hurt when she considers that you hold feeling for someone else. When she brings someone else into your conversation. Getting frustrated, and annoyed is natural but her having doubt is natural as well."

"I agree with Yami. Kiara always had trust issues; you can't blame it on her. The experience taught her not to trust people easily. She invests in very few and when those few betray her, she feels devasted. Kiara recently had the experience. So maybe she was trying to confirm with you. And you had never directly confessed your feelings. People have issues when their partner confesses feeling for each other when they promise to never leave their side and here you are, none of you have confessed things. None of you want to accept what the hell is between you two. So, these doubts are born to happen."

"I really don't want to talk about it." Harshad muttered walking away without waiting for their response.

"Dude, these relationships are so complicated," Avni whispered to her companion, staring at Harshad's retreating figure. "I am not going to jump into it. They really test your patience and I have no patience to deal with it."

"So, you aren't going to fall in love?" Yami smiled at Avni's ideas.

"No! I am going to spend the rest of my life with my fictional characters. It isn't difficult to love them." Avni giggled making Yami shake her head at her stupid thought.

_____

"What the fucking hell!" Harshad banged his fist on the steering wheel. Harshad had walked out of his party as he wasn't in the mood to attend it. The host of the party was out of the venue.

His hands started the engine, bringing the automobile back to life. The source that could take him away from agony towards his peace. The conversation with Yami and Avni made him realize what a fool he was. For a minute, he just thought about his emotions. He didn't consider that he had hurt her with his words.

The uneasy feeling that wasn't giving him rest was an indicator that it hurt him more, unconsciously. He was aware that she was in pain but he had chosen his emotions over her. He was amazed when he got a glimpse of her at the entrance. Though he wasn't ever a fan of birthdays. But he was longing to hear her birthday wish but she hadn't called. He had received a message from Dhruv but Kiara wasn't even on the list.

The slight hope of finding her at the entrance of the office had driven him crazy but rather than listening to wonderful wishes from her melodious voice. She suggested him, walk back to Ria.

Couldn't she glimpse at his inner satisfaction on seeing her before his eyes? Couldn't she listen to his heart driving crazy at her mere sight? Did he have to voice it out? Couldn't she just know it? The way his heart was aware of her feelings?

____

"What on earth?" Kiara was grumbling as she was forcing herself to sleep. "Stop, thinking about him!" She was scolding herself. "He is enjoying his evening. Can you simply go to sleep?" She was showering her anger on her over-sensitive heart and her over-thinking brain.

Her cell started ringing, she wasn't in the mood to have any conversation with anyone. At the dinner table, she had forced some words out of her mouth. She had already worried her parents a lot. She wanted them to believe that their child had moved on and was enjoying her life.

As the cell beside her was stubborn not to give up. Kiara reached the cell, only if she had remembered to silence it. With frustration covering her, she glanced at the caller ID.

"Harshad?" Her brows knitted in confusion. She looked at the time popping on the screen. Why was he calling her at such an hour? Wasn't he at his birthday party?

"Should I answer it?" She asked herself and sighed in relief when the call ended. She was on the verge to silence the phone when her cell rang again indicating that Harshad was calling.

"What's wrong with him?" Kiara grew concerned. Her mind averted to Avni and Yami that were attending the party. Maybe it was urgent or Harshad won't have called her.

"Hello!" She answered the call, hesitating a little.

"Come out of the house." Harshad grumbled and hang the call.

"What?" Kiara was stunned by his command. "Why?" She waited for a minute for a response, "hello! Are you listening?" And soon discovered that Harshad had ended the call.

She dialed him again due to her emerging curiosity. Harshad received it on the second ring. "I had asked you to come out not call me back." He was sounding frustrated.

"Why are you calling me out?" Kiara expressed her concern. "Is everything, alright?"

"Are you coming out or should I walk in?" Harshad was warning her as he was losing his patience over the interrogating-Kiara.

"You won't do that!" Kiara warned back.

"Are you challenging me, Kiara?"

"Fine," Kiara accepted her defeat. "I am coming down. You stay outside." With submission, she got out of bed. She considered for a minute to change into something as Harshad had never seen her in pajamas but she wasn't in a state of mind to dress up at mid-night. Wrapping a scarf around her neck, she rushed out of the room.

She had managed to slip out of the house without disturbing her parents. Nothing could match the nervousness she was undergoing as she had never sneaked out of the house before.

Kiara's orbs searched for the source of the problem. His car was parked in the corner, he was leaning on it. His eyes were rooted on her room balcony. Kiara shook her head walking in his direction.

"What are you doing over here?" Kiara growled as she stood in front of him. "Shouldn't you be enjoying the party? Not disturb me in my sleep."

"You weren't sleeping just forcing yourself." Harshad muttered not sparing a glance at her.

"Have you called me to talk about my sleeping habits?" Kiara mocked folding her arms around her chest and staring at Harshad with irritation. "Why did you call me out?"

"I want to take you to my birthday party," Harshad announced making Kiara stare at him in disbelief. Was he for real?

^^^

They kinda give me Rahul Anjali vibes, the only difference is Rahul's choice is clear but Anjali is still in confusion.  (Talking about Kuch Kuch Hota hai movie)