"The love like yours I have never seen before." 

-SANJH

^^^

Harshad rushed into the house with clear exasperation. "How dare him!" He was growling loudly, grabbing the attention of Dinesh Mathur who was engrossed in reading an article. He frowned at seeing his son in such a bad mood.

"What's the matter, son?" He inquired settling the magazine back on the table.

Harshad stared at Dinesh for a minute before taking a step toward him. "Have you ever come across Ahuja's?" He inquired sounding desperate. He was in rush to prove his father innocent.

Dinesh seemed confused as he shook his head. "Which Ahuja's are you talking about?"

"Have you ever come across a daughter of Rajeev Ahuja?" He placed it clearly before him.

"As much as I can recollect. I don't know any Rajeev Ahuja, who is he?"

"Kiara's father was claiming that you were responsible for his daughter's death. How can someone put such a false claim? Putting your reputation at stake because of his dislike towards me. I can tolerate my humiliation but none has the right to pull you in between the matter." Harshad was gripping the arms of the sofa tightly, attempting hard to calm his anger.

"What are you talking about? What claims? Why would Kiara's father do that?"

"I don't know but I won't forgive him for that." Without uttering a word he rushed upstairs, banging his door loudly as he entered his room.

Dinesh stared at his retreating figure lost in thought.

___

Avni was keenly observing Kiara as she kept her gaze focused on the television screen. "For how long are you attempting to ignore the matter?" Avni asked finding that Kiara wasn't going to initiate the conversation. "You are so restless without talking to him."

"I am not the one who kept things hidden, Avni. He had broken my trust. How could he hide such a thing from me?"

"Do you believe in your uncle's words?"

"I can never trust him." Kiara hissed at the mention of Ranbir. Avni noticed the change but didn't voice a word about it.

"Then what's the problem?" Avni inquired.

"The problem is he kept a thing hidden from me and he hadn't voiced a justification about it. He hadn't placed a call."

"You can call and visit Dhruv without him uttering a word but have a problem with me." Kiara was shooting daggers at Avni but she raised her hand in surrender. "His words not mine."

"You should stop acting like a mediator between us." Kiara groaned in return.

"I would love to if you both behave like an adult and attempt to sort things between you two." Kiara darted her gaze back on the screen at Avni's statement. "He misses you, Kiara."

"I know..." Kiara pouted watching the screen. "But why can't he simply call?"

"Why can't you initiate it first?"

"What if, I am bothering him?"

"Do you think that you will ever bother him?" Avni shook her head, "his tongue never gets enough of you. Though he is talking to me it's always about you. That how annoying you're, how much you frustrate him, how much you test his patience."

Kiara glanced at Avni with a sad face, "do you too think that I don't deserve him?"

Avni's eyes enlarged in horror. "Where is this coming from? Who said that you don't deserve him?"

"He cares for me more than I can ever provide him back with. I don't deserve such a soul. Loving Dhruv was easy, Avni. I always knew he was beyond my reach and there wasn't any expectation attached to but with Harshad, there is a fear that doesn't allow me to take a step forward. He loves me, Avni... what if I won't ever be able to reach his expectation. What if I fail?"

"Why do you want to think of what if? Just enjoy the moment you're offered with him. He is the best friend you could ever wish for, take a step at a time. Don't add a relationship tag that will complicate things, keep it simple." Avni suggested making Kiara smile.

"Those are Aditi's words, right?" Kiara inquired making Avni giggle.

"Yes," she nodded. "She wanted to accompany us but she is busy with some matters. She promised that she will meet us soon."

"I am glad to hear that she is working on their relationship in a mature manner."

"Dhruv is playing an important role in it," Avni commented making Kiara have a sad smile.

"Maybe Dhruv's decision was correct. Aditi is more in need of him than me." Kiara paused for a second, "his decision can never have a selfish objective."

___

Kiara was laying on the bed. Scrolling through the previous messages, giggling at some and laughing at many. She was missing Harshad presence in her life. She gave it a thought as she typed a message and placed the phone beside her. Concentrating on the laptop screen in front of her. If she gave it further thought, she might have deleted the message so she needed to distract her mind.

She felt a sense of peace as she typed a message though it was a mere word "hi!" Yet it left her with content. She could force herself to concentrate on her book, she was halfway done, and some climax scenes were remaining. Her life had so many twists and turns it was getting difficult to concentrate on her passion. As she typed some words down on the laptop she touched the cell, a message was waiting for her.

"Hi! How are you?"

Kiara grinned, widely. She hadn't anticipated that he would respond so fast.

"I am good," Kiara replied. Her heart urged her to call him, she wanted to listen to his voice, she had never been addicted to someone's voice before but she didn't want to come off as desperate.

Her cell rang and her grin widen in response. The way he would fulfill her wishes unintentionally. She picked it up, "hello!" she hesitated and was convinced that her voice was a small whisper to get into his ears.

"Hello!" It came more as a sigh as if he had waited for that moment for years though hardly a few days had passed.

"How are you?" He sounded concerned.

"I am fine..." Kiara felt a need to assure. "What about you? Have I disturbed you?" That self-doubt constantly licking in Kiara's mind. Pointing out that he wasn't interested in talking to her.

"I should be the one asking it, remember I called you."

"Yes..." Kiara felt embarrassed as she laughed nervously.

"You took such long days," Harshad grumbled. "I missed you..." he confessed.

"Me too..." Kiara felt the need to confess as well.

"I know that," Kiara rolled her eyes on listening to his pride remark. "None can ignore me for long."

"Stop with your boasting," Kiara groaned.

"Don't complain, you missed it as well." Kiara laughed at his remark because it was true. She had missed every aspect of him. His annoying, self-boasting, and flirting as well. She was growing habitual of his presence, she had started admiring his flaws as well.

"And I did miss that melodious voice."

"Stop, flattering me. If I hadn't messaged you might have not contacted me at all."

"So? You were ignoring me without a reason."

"I had a reason, you kept your identity hidden from me. How could you, Harshad? Keeping a truth hidden and lying about it is a form of betrayal."

"I had my reasons for it. The way you had a reason for keeping your uncle's truth hidden from your parents." Harshad waited for her response but Kiara provided him with silence. "You kept it hidden due to the fear, right? You were aware that he might harm your loved ones the way he killed your elder sister."

Kiara gasped in shock, "how... how come..." she wasn't able to bring those words out properly.

"Swara Ahuja? That was her name, right?" A tear descended at her sister's name. How hard she had forced herself to forget about her. Kiara's hands started shivering at the mention of her sister.

"She... she wasn't at fault. He... he forced her. He... raped her..." Tears rushed out of her eyes, she attempted to brush off the tears.

"I know... you don't need to justify her actions." Harshad attempted to assure her.

"Dad always believed in that monster's words. He believed that she was manipulated by her boyfriend for it. He took advantage of her innocence. That culprit succeeded in manipulating my father's mind and he is repeating it again..." She was crying in alarm. "Harshad, I am scared... what if he attempts to... to... do that cruel thing with me? Though I might not remember my childhood clearly those flashes are clear in my mind."

"That night... the way she walked into the bedroom, she was defeated. She wasn't the glowing, jolly, excited Swara di I was used to. She was scared, defeated, and lost as if she had lost her soul." Kiara shook her head vigorously. "I might sound selfish but... but I don't want to face it. I don't feel safe in my own house because she was raped in her safe haven. She was raped in the place that she considered the safest. I am scared, Harshad... if... what if... he attempts such stunts. I can't even say a word because dad won't listen."

"Calm down," Harshad voiced out in a patient manner. "I will call Avni and ask her to take you to her place. You will feel better in the different surroundings."

"But..."

"Trust me, things will get fine."

Kiara kept quiet not uttering a word after it. "Kiara, you're fine, right?" Harshad felt uneasy as he questioned her as if his heart was convinced there was some matter.

"Can you accompany her? I know, I had told you to stay away from the mansion, I don't want to trigger dad's anger but..."

"I will be there, you don't need to worry. None will be able to touch you. It's my promise." And with that promise Harshad ended the call making Kiara assure that she was going to be safe.

___

Harshad was leaning on his car, waiting patiently for Avni to arrive from a few distances away from Kiara's mansion. He frowned his brow on discovering a familiar car speeding in his direction and parking a few inches from Harshad's car.

Avni rushed out from the backseat towards Harshad who was glaring at her. "Why you called me so urgently?" She inquired in concern.

"What is he doing over here?" Harshad groaned on finding Dhruv and Aditi following after Avni.

"I was with them when you called so..."

"What's the matter, Harshad? Kiara is fine, right?" Dhruv inquired sounding worried.

Harshad dried a laugh, "you don't need to fake it in front of me. I am not going to come in your acts. These skills don't work on me." He pointed out making Dhruv press smile at him. Aditi was going to open her mouth but Dhruv eyed her to shut up.

"You need to go to Kiara's place and convince their parents that you want to spend a night with her in your mansion." Harshad concentrated on the matter at the hand ignoring Dhruv for Kiara's sake.

"But why?" Avni asked getting confused. "Is there something you both are hiding from me?" Avni stared at Harshad with suspiciousness.

"You better question it to her. For the moment just listen to my command. She is in need of your help."

"What's happening, Harshad? You need to convey us. Is she in any trouble?" Dhruv sounded desperate. "I need to go and check myself," he was on the verge of walking toward his car but Harshad grabbed his wrist.

"You aren't pulling any such stunts." Harshad was shooting daggers at him. "I am not allowing you to complicate her life further. It will be better if you stay out of it. Her life is better when you're not walking around her."

"You can't speak to him like that." Aditi interjected, "I understand your concerns but Kiara is his friend as well. He too has the right to know about her whereabouts."

"I think you have forgotten that you had forced him to break that friendship and he had broken it without giving a second thought. He had to choose you above her, and now he can just get lost from her life. Allow her to leave in peace." Harshad argued staring at Dhruv with hate.

"I think you're correct," Dhruv muttered, pressing a sad smile at Harshad. "I shouldn't interrupt your life." Dhruv grabbed Aditi's wrist and spare a glance at Avni.

Avni was going to open her mouth but Dhruv gestured for her to stop. "Please do inform about her whereabouts," Dhruv requested to Avni as he walked away from them.

"You shouldn't have behaved in that manner," Avni whispered staring at their retreating figure.

"Stop supporting him and covering his faults. Why do you people can't see? He doesn't deserve it."

"I wish you could see what I can..." Avni whispered it much to herself.