Page 16 of Since You Came Along (Ever Since #1)

R aghav came home to an eerie silence. He glanced around, noticing that the only light came from a dim table lamp casting long shadows across the room. The only sound that broke the stillness was the soft echo of his shoes on the floor as he stepped into the living room.

Usually, Meera would have some music playing or be watching a series, but tonight there was nothing. It felt wrong.

He paused in the doorway, wondering where Meera had gone. She always sent a text if she needed to step out. A sense of unease settled over him as he moved through the house.

He reached for a glass and filled it with water, but as he turned to leave, something on the counter caught his eye. A sheet of drawing paper lay there, their edges curled. He recognised her work by her snowflake signature scribbled in the bottom corner.

Raghav picked up the first one and studied it. The pencil sketch was of a girl lying on her back, her right profile visible. Her eyes were open, staring up, but it was the single tear at the corner of her eye that drew his attention.

The sadness was almost palpable. Meera had titled the piece If Only . The melancholy in the drawing gnawed at him. He had seen many of her sketches, but none of them had ever conveyed this kind of emotion before. Raghav could feel the heaviness in his chest as he set the paper down.

Raghav walked into their bedroom, hoping to find her there, but the room was empty.

When he turned towards to balcony, the first thing that struck him was the darkness.

The string lights that Meera switched on every night after she got home were off.

The sight of the dark balcony made his heart sink.

When he stepped outside, he saw her. Meera sat alone on the swing he had put up for her. With her knees pulled up to her chest, her head rested on the pillow behind her.

Despite the soft glow of the full moon, there was an undeniable sadness about her. She looked so small, as if the weight of her emotions had made her shrink.

Raghav cleared his throat, and Meera opened her eyes. ‘Oh, you’re home,’ she breathed.

He stepped closer, trying to make sure she was okay. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach, a knot that seemed to tighten the more he looked at her. ‘Yes, I had the keys, so I didn’t knock. What are you doing out here?’

‘Just sitting,’ she replied, her gaze turning once again to the moon. Her fingers traced the edge of the cushion, lost in thought. It looked as if something had drained the life out of her.

‘How was your day?’ he asked.

She gave a bitter laugh, one that didn’t sound like her. ‘Weird. How was yours?’

Raghav was determined to get to the bottom of it. ‘My day was fine. What happened?’

Meera closed her eyes, as if the weight of the day had made her weary. ‘I met Rutvik today,’ she said, and the words hit Raghav like a punch to the gut.

Her voice faltered as she continued, ‘In November, the English departments of three universities are coming together for a charity ball dance event. With only two months left, we were all asked to attend the event strategy meeting today. Rutvik’s event management company has the contract, so he was there at the meeting. ’

It all fell into place. Her mood and the sketches made sense now. He felt a surge of protective instinct, but he wasn’t sure how to reach her. Still, he asked, ‘Are you okay?’

Meera didn’t want to lie, so she just shrugged. Raghav understood. He also didn’t know how to deal with the fact that Rutvik still affected her to this extent, so he refused to think about it right now. ‘Do you want to talk about it?’ he asked, his voice soft but full of concern.

Meera shook her head, her fingers idly twisting her wedding ring. Raghav knew she did that when she was nervous or when something was bothering her. ‘Why not?’ he asked again.

Meera couldn’t find an answer to his question. Why didn’t she talk about Rutvik? Because if she did, she’d have to think about all that he had done to her. She never talked about him because it would be like reopening an old wound that’d never healed.

Even now, three years later, the pain was still raw. So, instead of confronting those painful memories, she shrugged and muttered, ‘Because we don’t talk about those things.’

Raghav didn’t press her, and the silence stretched between them until Meera stood up. ‘How about you go freshen up, and I’ll re-heat dinner?’

‘Why don’t we ever talk about our past?’ he asked, holding her wrist and stopping her.

Meera turned back to face him and answered, ‘Because we already know what happened in each other’s past.’

Raghav shook his head, his brows furrowed as he said, ‘We know what happened, yes, but not how or why. We’ve never talked about how it changed us and the things that still haunt us. We don’t know enough about each other’s past, Meera.’

Meera felt a tightness in her chest, and for a moment, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything. She realised he was right. ‘We should have talked about all that, huh?’ she whispered, more to herself than to him.

‘We still can. What do you say?’

The words lingered in the air, and Meera hesitated, unsure of how to respond. ‘I don’t know,’ she trailed off.

Raghav asked, ‘What if our situations were reversed? Would you not have wanted to be there for me, or are you telling me I can’t talk to you about things that bother me?’

‘Of course not. You know you can talk to me about anything, Raghav. I am always here for you.’

Relief flickered in his eyes and he smiled to himself, amused by how easily he could read her. Soon, we’ll finish each other’s sentences , he thought.

‘Then isn’t it a two-way street?’ he asked.

Meera paused, mulling over his words. He continued, ‘I want us to talk and with no hesitation. Be it about the past, present or the future, I want you to know you can tell me anything you want to.’

She nodded, still playing with the ring on her finger. Raghav just hoped she would trust him enough to let it out.

‘How about I go freshen up, and then I’ll bring our dinner?’ Raghav asked. ‘It’s pleasant out here.’

Meera teased him, ‘Yeah, if you want to share it with the mosquitoes.’ Then, she wondered out loud, ‘I thought men don’t like to talk about exes of their partners.’ From the way she said it, he realised she was speaking from experience.

Raghav chuckled and said, ‘I don’t know about other men, but I don’t think like that. I’m your friend first, Meera. While I’m a part of your present and future, I want to know about your past too. And I’d like to share mine with you.’

‘I’d love to know about her,’ Meera said sincerely.

They brought their dinner onto the balcony and settled into the quiet of the evening. Raghav sat down on the recliner while Meera took a seat on the swing.

He sighed, knowing how difficult it was to revisit painful memories. So he spoke first, to give her a moment to gather her thoughts.

‘Veronica and I had known each other since kindergarten,’ he began. ‘She was my best friend for the better part of my thirty years. She took after her mother, aunty Jenna, who runs an NGO and dedicated her life to helping underprivileged people.’

He smiled as he remembered the times he and Abhay had helped find lost pets for Veronica, and how she would cry happy tears each time they returned home. He shared that with Meera and made her smile.

As she leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm, Raghav could see that she was listening. Her curiosity encouraged him to go on.

Raghav took a deep breath, the memories stirring emotions he rarely shared.

‘She loved buying artificial rings and bought one for me too. When it got tight, I started wearing it on a chain around my neck. I took it off when we got married,’ he said, and Meera nodded.

He knew Meera wasn’t the kind to pry, but he wanted her to know.

Raghav continued, ‘Once, when we were young, Nica fell and fractured her ankle. I held her hand, and we both cried when she got the plaster cast on. Even Abhay doesn’t know about that.’

‘It’ll be our secret,’ she said with a smile.

Raghav laughed at that. It reminded him of the other secrets they shared. Abhay and Luv didn’t know there was always a secret stash of cookies for Raghav hidden away in his gym bag. If they ever came to know, he wouldn’t get any of it.

He thought of his parents, and added, ‘Mom loved Nica. She was always at our home. My parents were so happy when we got together. Mom always teased me, saying she couldn’t believe someone like her was with me.’

Meera let out a small laugh, and Raghav grinned. ‘Nica never let it get to her head, even though she was so out of my league. She was studying to be a child psychologist, and volunteered at shelters when she could.’

Meera nodded, beginning to piece together why Raghav had loved Veronica. Anyone would want to be with a generous person like her. Life had been so cruel to him , she thought. He’d found a love most people only dreamed of, only to lose it so tragically.

His voice grew gruffer, tinged with raw emotion. ‘Even with our silly fights and differing personalities, she was someone you’d never let go of.’

Meera could see he was trying not to cry. She couldn’t imagine the pain of losing someone you love. She was content knowing that her relationship with Rutvik wasn’t meant to be. But what happened to Raghav was pure agony to live with.

Meera said, ‘You never really told me what happened on the day of the accident.’

His voice dropped to a whisper as he answered, ‘She was visiting her parents here, and I tagged along for my exam. It was our five-year anniversary, so we’d planned to meet early in the morning.’

The air between them grew heavier as his words slowed. ‘She was running late, but I wasn’t worried. She was always late. When forty-five minutes passed, I called her mom. They hadn’t heard from her either. Five minutes later, they got the news.’