Harshad was waiting patiently for a visitor in a café. His finger tapped continuously on the table due to impatience. The minute a familiar feature entered the café, he shoot his gaze at the person.

Dhruv passed a hesitant smile at Harshad. "Hi! Why you wanted to meet me so urgently?" Dhruv inquired, grabbing a chair.

"What are you trying to do?" Harshad scowled at him as Dhruv stared at him in confusion. "I am not in the mood to initiate the conversation in a light way. So, I will directly come to the point." Harshad waited for a moment. "Why are you faking your relationship with Aditi?"

Dhruv's orbs enlarged, and it took him a minute to handle himself. "What are you talking about why would..."

"Stop faking it! I had mentioned it clearly before, I won't come in your acts."

Dhruv stared at Harshad for a minute longer. "Who told you about it?" He inquired sounding restless. "Does Kiara..."

"No! She doesn't!" Harshad informed, "I wasn't planning to add more tension to her complicated life. Why can't you provide her with peace? Why do you keep troubling her?"

"Our relationship ending has nothing to do with Kiara." Dhruv growled in rage, "so stop accusing me!"

"Your claim won't stop her from blaming herself."

"I can't do anything about it." Dhruv hissed, "if she wants to blame herself she can go with it." Dhruv averted his gaze taking a sip from the glass.

"Are you attempting to display that you don't care about her? If you're then you're failing miserably." Harshad pointed gaze was fixed on him.

Dhruv hesitated to glance into Harshad's accusing orbs. "You have feelings for her, right? You like her." It wasn't a question but rather a confident statement as if he had no doubt on the matter.

"Have you started imagining things?" Dhruv acted defensive, chuckling nervously. "Is your insecurity speaking? Don't worry, I have no interest in her."

"Are you sure?" Harshad raised his brow, "there isn't anything in your heart for her?"

"There is nothing," Dhruv's eyes stared straight into Harshad's orbs.

"If that is so then why you kept things hidden from Kiara about your relationship?" Harshad pointed out, "you requested Avni not to mention it to Kiara because you were aware that she will blame herself if she gets to know about the matter. You have even kept the truth hidden that Aditi has started to date someone."

"Did Avni tell you the truth?" Dhruv sounded displeased, his face showered with disappointment.

"You told me the truth," Harshad muttered, Dhruv stared at him in a puzzle.

Harshad removed his cell, clicked on something and a voice record started playing. Dhruv was startled by listening to his own voice and the conversation that had happened last night.

"Aditi!" Dhruv exclaimed as the recording came to the end. "I had warned her not to say a word..."

"She hadn't said a word," Harshad pointed out. "And I am glad she didn't shut her mouth for long." Harshad kept glaring at Dhruv. "Are you even aware of what your small fear had done to Kiara? Can't you see her tears? How can you allow your mere fear to override your decision? Doesn't her happiness holds any importance in your life?" Harshad was growling in anger at Dhruv's foolishness. "Only if I was you," he expressed his displeasure. "What would I have not given to receive the love offered to you."

"Exactly, you aren't me and so you would never understand what it is to me," Dhruv muttered softly, his eyes intact on the glass of water.

"Is your fear more important than her love for you?" Harshad sounded as if he couldn't believe Dhruv's nonsense. "Are you even aware of how much she cares about you? The person who still can't stop liking you would ever leave you or hate you in the future? If she was one of those girls, she might have forgotten you long back." Harshad shook his head. "You had no problem trusting a girl like Aditi who had moved on within a few months but had a hard time trusting Kiara's loyalty."

Dhruv laughed, "you won't ever understand it." He shook his head, "it would be better if we don't waste our time on useless things."

"Useless!" Harshad growled, staring at him with deadly glares. "This stuff is useless to you? Are you even aware of the amount of pain you had offered Kiara? You hurt her, Dhruv. How could you be that selfish?" He accused him, making Dhruv spare him a look.

"Selfish?" Dhruv dried a laugh. "Are you so adamant to prove me wrong in your eyes? Is that going to provide you with peace that you didn't come between us?"

Harshad shoots him a glare, standing from the chair. "Don't make a scene over here." He warned him, seeing a couple of eyes fixed on them. "I have a decent reputation in the firm." He informed, pressing a smile at a few present in the cafeteria.

Dhruv stared at him suspiciously, his eyes scanning the surrounding. "I have no intention to defame you. And neither you should utter anything that could defame me." He warned standing on his feet.

"After what you have committed, I can't fake respect toward you," Harshad growled, gritting his teeth. Dhruv narrowed his eyes at him. "I expected that something was serious but you allowed your fear to overtake you." He shook his head, "rather than providing your relationship a chance. You spoiled the pure bond you shared with her. Do you have any idea, how severely injured she was?"

"She was..." Dhruv agreed, "she is learning to cope from it. She is learning to accept her reality. Learning to move on," he pointed out making Harshad scowl at him. "Very soon she will entirely forget her past and start enjoying her future. Very soon, I will just be a distant memory." Dhruv sounded upset but he masked it well with a smile.

Harshad stared at him in suspiciousness. "Are you sure, you shared feelings towards her?" His brow raised in curiousness. "Because I don't feel a hint of the intense emotions reciprocated by you."

Dhruv chuckled a humorless one. "Some people are experts in hiding it well." He pressed a smile, "do take care of her. She will need your support." He whispered softly, his eyes averting from Harshad as he gave a slight nod before walking out of the building.

"Why do I feel that he is going to provide her with more pain?" Harshad questioned his gut feeling. "But I will make sure, he won't even cross her path. I can't allow him with more mischief. The slightest sympathy I had towards him is lost today. I was always correct, people around me were wrong in reading him. He was selfish and coward. He always chose himself over everyone. His fear over Kiara's selfless love."

___

Kiara grabbed her head as she walked out of the room. Avni was near the kitchen counter having her breakfast. "Good morning!" Avni passed her a smile, "I thought you will wake up late so I didn't prepare breakfast for you." She apologized. Kiara smiled back at her.

"No problem doesn't seem like I need breakfast at the moment. I am not understanding why my head is hurting so bad?" She groaned taking a chair beside Avni.

"So, you have lost the memory?" Avni giggled, "Harshad had mentioned it to me." Avni grinned at Kiara in mischief.

"What do you mean by I lost my memory?" Kiara stared at her suspiciously though her mind wasn't in a condition to recollect the past.

"You had a drink last night and came back home in an unconscious state in Harshad's arms. I am given only these details as Harshad wasn't in the mood to narrate the events last night. I had never seen him so annoyed so I let him walk away but he had muttered that you call him after you gain consciousness, he needs to discuss some important matter with you." Avni informed taking the last bite of her bread and hugging Kiara in a rush because she was getting late for the lectures.

Kiara was left with burdening thoughts as to whether call Harshad or not. Her headache was testing her patience and Avni's unwanted information was making her anxious. A notification popped on the screen.

"Take painkillers without showing any tantrums."

Kiara smiled at the message though it came from Aditi, her heart knew the real source of that message. Soon sadness engulfed her. He could ask Aditi to message her but couldn't do it himself. Why was he keeping such a distance from them? Maybe it was better like that. Better for Aditi and his relationship. But wait! How was he aware that she was drunk? Avni! Oh! Shit! Why she made her life more complicated? Now, she had to not only face Harshad but Dhruv as well.

____

Kiara stared at her cell in annoyance. Kajal was calling her but Kiara was in a condition to have a conversation with her. Kiara was aware that Kajal was getting worried about her but why she couldn't understand that  Kiara needed some time of peace to deal with herself? Life was getting so messed up with every single second.

"Hello!" Kiara received the call, attempting to sound normal though her continuous headache wasn't helping in any manner. She had taken painkillers but her pain hadn't subsided.

"Kiara! What's wrong? Why you weren't picking up calls from last night?" Kajal was sounding annoyed as well as concerned. "Are you even aware of how worried your dad was? He was going to visit you last night but Avni convinced him that you were sleepy and she don't want to disturb you."

Kiara's eyes enlarged, and she had to thank Avni for the favor. If by any chance Rajeev had seen Kiara in Harshad's arms that too in a drunken condition, he would have turned more furious.

"I am sorry mom. I was occupied with some stuff so I didn't call back." Kiara wanted to provide a more convincing reason but she was never good at it.

There was silence for a second before Kajal whispered softly. "Do you like him?" It wasn't a tone of accusation nor judgment but rather concern for her daughter.

"Mom, he is a friend a very good friend," Kiara answered without waiting for a second. "Dad is having wrong assumptions about him. I was mad at Harshad for hiding things from me, for keeping his identity hidden but I can't blame him entirely because I have kept hidden some aspects as well. So that doesn't mean that he betrayed rather he wasn't comfortable sharing some aspects of him."

"You are aware of what happened with Swara..."

"Di, wasn't at fault, mom." Kiara felt a need to justify her sister. For years she had justified her actions, "di, had always taught me to make my parents proud. She won't ever do something that would degrade you both."

"So, there is something that you're aware of." Kajal concluded, "and that something is related to the person in our house."

Kiara enlarged her orbs, "mom... you don't better..."

"It's about my daughters' life and I am not going to forgive him so..."

"You aren't doing anything impulsive." Kiara cried so Kajal would listen. "It would hurt dad, he won't be able to see her daughter's picture telecasted on the media."

"What? Did he..." Kajal was going to inquire but Kiara interrupted her.

"No, mom..." she waited for a second. "He has di's pictures and he is using them as a blackmailing source to shut my mouth for years." Kiara wiped her tears off as she raised her head to find Harshad standing at the door with seriousness covering him. "Please mom, we need to keep it hidden." Though she was talking to her mother her eyes were pleading with Harshad.

Harshad growled at her pleading orbs, averting his eyes from her as he walked out of the room. Kiara shouted, "Harshad!" Kiara heard her mother's concerned voice from the other side. "Don't worry mom, I am fine. Please take care of yourself and don't mention a word to dad, please." With that request, she hang the call and ran after Harshad.

Harshad was going to walk out of the mansion but Kiara rushed after him, and grabbed his wrist, halting him. He grabbed the knob and stood there facing the door. "Kiara, leave me..." he gritted his teeth in frustration.

"I won't," she grabbed his palm with both her hands. "You aren't going anywhere." She demanded, "please..." she requested on finding Harshad not moving an inch from the door.

"I need to punch him..." Harshad growled, "how could he? Fucking man!" he punched the wooden door with his free hand. "How could he play with such an innocent child? I want to fucking kill him..." he clenched his jaw and was going to jerk Kiara's hand away but she rushed and stood in front of him. Standing in between him and the door.

"Please," her orbs were staring at him with desperation. Harshad growled as he was melting into those orbs.

"This isn't going to work," he lied. His orbs softened seeing her anxious figure.

"He has pictures of my sister, Harshad." She pleaded with him, folding her hand. "I won't be able to see her humiliation. She died, Harshad. She killed herself due to the humiliation she received on her step to provide herself with justice. Her own dad declared her characterless, and her own parents didn't believe in her. I won't forgive myself if I provide her with any more pain." She was crying miserably in front of him.

Harshad pulled her into his arms. "Stop, pleading." He groaned, "I won't go anywhere. I won't even touch him, stop pleading for it." Harshad felt so helpless at the moment. He was always confident about himself, about his skills, talents, and powers. There wasn't anything that made him doubt himself but Kiara could make him question his ability.

He was powerless in front of her misery. Even if he wanted it from the bottom of his heart, he couldn't erase the pain from her life.

"I miss my sister, Harshad. I miss my di!" She was sobbing in her arms. "I had to force my mind to forget about those memories because they always brought pain along with them. A trauma that was gifted for a lifetime. I lost her due to him and despite knowing the truth I can't do anything to provide her with justice." She nuzzled further into his chest.

"You don't need to worry, your sister will be offered justice very soon." Harshad sounded determined as he whispered those words more to himself not wanting to stress Kiara about the matter.