Kiara felt guilt as well as anger showering her. Why Harshad had to be so stubborn? Why he couldn't leave her on her own? Dhruv would have never forced her. But at the same time, he would have cared as well. Dhruv! It had been months since she had last talked with him. Even after months, she wasn't able to completely forget about his existence. Avni's mention of Dhruv at the dining table had brought those flashes back into her mind.

"Kiara, are you fine?" She felt a small touch on her shoulder as she glanced at Avni. Kiara gave a slight nod, but Avni didn't seem convinced. "What are you hiding, Kiara?" Avni urged, making Kiara stare at Avni in frustration.

Kiara moved backward, and Avni's hand on Kiara's shoulder slipped. "It will be better if we don't talk about it. I had enough arguments for today." She groaned, walking towards the bed.

"Aditi wanted to have a video call with us," Avni informed, grabbing Kiara's attention.

"Aditi!" Kiara couldn't believe her ears as she faced Avni. "Aditi?" She needed to confirm her heart. "She wants to talk to me?"

Avni had a small smile playing on her lips. Avni was aware that Kiara had missed Aditi and Dhruv in her life. Though she seemed to brush them away yet they were a part of her life and Kiara wasn't good with moving on. "She is annoyed that we are having girl's-hangout without her."

Kiara felt as if her heart was aching and tears accumulated in her orbs. She was happy, very happy but in the deepest corner, the previous wounds surfaced. Dhruv had chosen Aditi over her! Aditi had asked him to break his friendship with her. And Dhruv agreed, he broke his friendship without a word of regret. Kiara shook her head. She clenched her hand together wanting to handle herself. Kiara wasn't going to behave impulsively.

"If you're not comfortable it's fine," Avni muttered, staring at Kiara with concern. "It was just... I wanted to ask you before deciding anything on..."

"I don't have any problem," Kiara whispered not making an eye-contact with Avni. She was aware it wasn't a good idea but she wanted to give Aditi a chance. Moreover, she was scared that if she denied Aditi won't ever give it a second try and she didn't want to lose her.

"Kiara, you don't need to force yourself..."

"She wants to give our friendship a chance, Avni. I can't lose her." Kiara broke into tears and soon Avni was by her side wrapping her arms around her shoulder, and pulling her into a hug. "I don't want to miss the opportunity. What if I don't ever get a glimpse of her if I deny, it today? I don't want to regret it. I have regretted enough things. I don't want another regret to be added to the list." She was sobbing in Avni's arms. Expressing her grief on losing her friend. Her heart wasn't broken over Dhruv rejecting her but because she lost two precious people in her life.

"I can't believe..." Avni shook her head, "the bonds of friendship are deeper than those of soulmates."

___

Kiara was getting nervous as Avni dialed Aditi's number. Soon, Aditi's enthusiastic face came into view. "Hello!" She jumped as she saw Avni and Kiara on the screen. "Damn! I missed this..." she confessed, averting her gaze from Avni to Kiara in guilt. "I really messed it up, right?" It was more like a statement as if she had discovered her mistake.

Aditi never took shit from anyone. She would speak words that could crash your soul but at the same time, she never hesitated when she realized her mistake. "I behaved like a bitch."

"No, Aditi," Avni felt a need to stop her. "You were right in your place. Maybe anyone would have behaved in the same manner." Avni managed to bring appropriate words out of her mouth.

"I am sorry, Kiara." Aditi paid the least heed to Avni's words. "I am really sorry," she paused for a minute lowering her head in guilt. "I should have been apologizing to you face to face as you had returned back to the city but I didn't want to force you. I know, you won't be comfortable facing me. And I don't mind if you don't forgive me. I understand!" She slowly raised her head. "I just wanted to request you to have a conversation with Dhruv," she paused for a minute longer making Kiara panic.

"What's wrong, Aditi?" She sounded concerned, and Aditi had a slight smile. "Is he fine?"

"How could I be so blinded by my jealousy?" Aditi shook her head, as a sad smile played on her lips. "I could never understand the pure bond you both shared." Aditi sounded as if she was regretting her decision.

"Aditi, please what's wrong? Is Dhruv...?" Tears had started flowing down Kiara's eyes. Worse scenarios were playing in her mind.

"Nothing is wrong with him but he is no longer the Dhruv Rathod I was friend with," Aditi's eyes were brimming with tears, regret was visible in those orbs. "He had lost interest in cricket, he doesn't even glance at the screen." Kiara's heart shrinks at each word coming out of Aditi. "It feels as if I had pulled him away from his soul. He is a perfect fiancé, he takes into account each detail of the upcoming wedding but seems like I had lost him, Kiara. I had lost my friend forever. He makes me happy. He takes into consideration my every need. He even laughs, joke, and smile but it never reaches his eyes. Those orbs no longer sparkle the way they did around you." Kaira's heart clenched.

"Aditi, are you even listening to what you're talking about?" Avni squeezed Kiara's hand in a gesture of support. "You can't push and pull people in your life as you please. You were the reason; Dhruv broke every relationship with Kiara. Now after crushing her into pieces, you can't simply ask her to return. I supported you in the decision because I thought you wanted to apologize. This isn't happening! Kiara had gone through a lot..." Without giving Aditi to provide an opportunity to justify, she ended the call.

Avni glanced at Kiara that was still staring at the screen in pain. "I made a bad decision. It was better if I hadn't informed you about her request. I don't know how she can be so silly..." Avni grumbled and was going to wipe Kiara's tears but Kiara stood from the bed.

"I just need some minutes of rest," she muttered walking into the washroom. She needed time to recollect the things that happened before her. Aditi expresses her guilt, asking her to jump back into Dhruv's life. Was she some toy? Why were her emotions never considered by others? Aditi didn't even find it necessary to ask her how she was doing. Why Aditi was so detached from others' emotions? Why everything was about her? What she thought! What she wanted! She never considered someone else feeling.

That was the reason she never attempted to understand Dhruv. But she was slowly trying to understand him. Wasn't that the reason behind her contacting Avni? She was getting concerned about Dhruv. Maybe Dhruv's selfless side was able to melt her strong-iron heart. She wasn't bad in nature, but she found it difficult to understand others' emotions. She was much like Atul but she had the courage to apologize when she realized she was on the wrong path.

Kiara was standing in front of the mirror, staring at her reflections. Those round-black orbs were swollen due to her continuous cries. Her face looked pale, and she sighed in exhaustion. She leaned on the sink, brushing off those tears. "Why does it has to always be like this?" She groaned as the thoughts of Dhruv kept revolving in her mind. "I am not going to allow him to win. He can't keep ruining my life." She yelled, as her heart was once again in the driver's seat.

"He needs me! No! He doesn't! He had chosen Aditi and he doesn't value me. You are very much aware, that's not true. You feel it in your heart, even when he voiced it out. You know that... you always were and will be special to him." She was fighting between her thoughts, the logical and emotional sides of her brain. "I can't just allow him to play with my feelings in such a manner. He didn't even attempt to contact me. Haven't you shoved him away? You just walked off from him Kiara when he came to apologize to you. What else could I have done? He just broke our friendship as if it wasn't... as if it wasn't... anything to him." She broke into tears, her head started aching but her tears weren't stopping.

"I am not going to forgive him. He can't simply shove me away from his life." She muttered trying to act determined, "but still your heart can't hate him." The truth came like a cold sudden wave knocking her down in the pull of tears once again. "I never allowed anyone to harm me the slightest, I always walked away. I never had a problem cutting off from people but with him, it was always different. But why?"

Only if she could answer her doubts!

___

"What! Get it again?" Harshad groaned, "she went to meet Dhruv." Harshad shook his head in annoyance. "I can't fucking understand this girl. That piece-of-shit crumbled her into pieces and yet she went to..."

"You take into consideration the words you're using. Don't forget that Dhruv is my friend as well," Avni warned but Harshad hissed in rage.

"I fucking don't give a damn! That moron had broken her..." Harshad fisted his hand on the desk, as he stood from his chair.

"You aren't going to follow her. She won't like it."

"I can't trust that asshole." Harshad was already on his toes walking out of the building.

"Have you forgotten that they are childhood friend and Kiara trust him?" Those words stopped Harshad on his track.

"Yeah," he dried a laugh. "She trusts him..." he trailed off. Turning to walk into the building, "she just fucking trust him even after all those shits..." he groaned and ended the call. He needed a distraction.

___

Kiara was standing in front of the familiar desk, the girl in front of her was concentrating on the computer screen before her. Kiara hesitated for a minute. Should she walk back? Her decision to meet him was wrong? She cleared her throat wanting to grab the attention of the girl. The lady stared at Kiara for a minute before familiarization hit her orbs.

"Kiara Ahuja?" Those orbs sparkled in delight. "You are welcome," she seemed nervous, "just grab a sit ma'am..." she had a sheepish smile. "I will just inform him about your arrival." The girl was going to reach for her phone but Kiara halted her.

"How do you know me?" Kiara stared at her in suspicion.

"Boss had informed me if you ever come not to make you wait for a second. The fact that he simply questions about your visit before departing from the office never allowed me to forget your face and your name. You made him wait for a long time." Kiara's heart shrank further, walking back was a bad idea. She had returned back to the same dreadful past.

"Boss..." it seemed as if the assistant was also excited to meet Kiara. "Kiara... Kiara Ahuja is here..." and not before she had ended the call the door to Dhruv's cabin was pulled open. Kiara forced herself to stare at the brown-marble flooring. She was aware if she stared into those beautiful set of exhausted yet pleased orbs she would lose herself. Why even she decided to walk back? She was fine, away from him.

As the leather boots came into view, her heart started racing in anticipation. She had clutched her hands tightly as that familiar, deep, exhausted, delighted voice got into her ears. "Kiara..." and as if her tears were waiting for his permission, they descended her cheek.