Just Friends

CHAPTER 33

"I wished I was a little girl again because skinned knees are easier to fix than broken hearts." 

- JULIA ROBERTS

^^^

Kiara stumbled a little, trying to maintain her posture due to Harshad's sudden hug. Maya was suspiciously staring at them while Kiara was hesitating whether to hug Harshad back or not. With Maya's curious gaze on them, Kiara was getting uncomfortable. She slowly rested a hand on Harshad's back. "Are you fine?"

"Harshad," she waited a minute, but still she wasn't provided with any response. He simply nuzzled his face further in the crook of her neck. Kiara was trying to control the shivers she was feeling due to the proximity. "Did something happen? Harshad, you're stressing me up. Is everything fine? Did anything happen to you? What's the deal, Harshad?"

"Shh! I am in a need of a friend please be beside me without a question asked." Harshad pleaded and Kiara allowed him the silence he was demanding. Maya slowly disappeared allowing them space as she seemed unwanted in that frame.

Harshad slowly pulled himself from her. Kiara stared at him with concern. The full-of-life spirit had turned pale, his face was stern while his orbs filled with pain though his lips were masking a smile at her.

"Stop masking those emotions," Kiara pointed out getting annoyed. "I don't want another Dhruv in my life."

"Dhruv? I won't ever be like him." Harshad was pissed displaying his revulsion towards Dhruv.

Kiara stared at him curiously, "what is it, Harshad? Did he say something?" Harshad glanced at her and Kiara understood her guess was correct. "Harshad please don't mind his words, he often doesn't understand what he utters in anger." Kiara was attempting to defend Dhruv's action. "He never means those cruel words, it's just that so much he keeps bottling up that when he bursts..."

"Stop defending him, Kiara. Stop! Justifying his actions. Stop conveying to the world that he is selfless, he is great because he isn't. He is fucking coward, he fucking can't even fight for his happiness."

"Shut up!" Kiara yelled at Harshad. "You hardly knew him so you better don't even attempt to judge him. You have no right to accuse him, define him..."

"Okay," Harshad raised his hands in a mocking manner. "I have no right to blame him, accuse him, define him. I hardly knew him. Fine, I am not his friend but he also is given no right to hurt people close to me." He grabbed Kiara's shoulder tightly, "he has no right shattering them into pieces. Do you get me?" Kiara was staring at him with concern.

"Whom had he hurt?" She was growing anxious.

"Someone very precious to me and I am not ever going to forgive him for that." With those words, he left her shoulder and walked out of the house.

Kiara was staring in his retreated direction with a puzzled expression, she could interpret that Harshad was wounded from within but she couldn't make herself believe that Dhruv would hurt someone intentionally. Maya walked into the living area with a tray of glass and searched for a sign of Harshad.

"Where is he?"

"He went..."

"Went?" Maya sounded shocked, "he traveled such a long distance to come over here and within a second, left?" Maya shook her head, "did he travel such a long distance, cross the border of the state just to meet you?" Kiara couldn't register a word mentioned by Maya. She was just hoping that Harshad was going to take care of himself.