Page 19 of Since You Came Along (Ever Since #1)

T he soft thud of the front door closing woke Meera up. She blinked at the clock on the bedside table and saw it was half-past seven. Raghav had likely left for the gym. She stretched and padded into the kitchen, her bunny slippers scuffing against the tiled floor.

As she placed slices of bread into the toaster, the events of the previous evening replayed in her mind. Opening up to Raghav about Rutvik had felt liberating. He’d listened without judgement, and his quiet reassurance had made her feel seen and accepted.

Just as she cracked three eggs to fry them the way Raghav loved, the front door opened and Raghav and Abhay walked in. The white tee Raghav wore clung to him, damp with sweat, and his hair was a delightful mess. Meera had to drag her gaze away from her delicious husband and smile at Abhay.

‘Good morning!’ Abhay chirped as he headed to the kitchen island.

Meera waved back, pulling out more eggs. She had grown used to Abhay and Luv dropping by in the mornings, especially after their gym sessions. It was almost a routine now.

One person was missing from the dining table so she asked, ‘Where is Luv?’

Raghav leaned against the counter, feigning a wounded expression. ‘What, no good morning for your husband? Straight to Luv? If only someone cared about me too.’

Meera paused, placing the cheese grater down as she folded her arms across her chest. In her Minnie Mouse pyjamas and messy bun, she looked adorable, Raghav noted to himself.

She gave him a mock glare and replied, ‘Since you feel so neglected, why don’t you make your own breakfast?’

Abhay couldn’t hold it in anymore and let out a loud laugh.

Raghav clutched his chest, pretending to wipe away invisible tears. ‘That’s so mean. You’d do that to me?’

Meera didn’t answer, just turned back to the stove, though Raghav spotted the faint smile she tried to hide. That small, fleeting moment filled him with an unspoken satisfaction.

Abhay answered her earlier question. ‘Luv’s probably still sleeping. We’ve been working late on this new client’s accounts all week. We are working from here today. He’ll show up around noon, I guess.’

‘Let him know there are boiled eggs in the fridge for him,’ Meera said while flipping the omelette with practised ease.

The conversation turned to her classes as they ate breakfast. Meera mentioned she is excited about discussing Wuthering Heights with her students. Raghav was listening to their conversation, munching on the toast.

After leaving the cemetery, he had called Abhay and asked him to come home for breakfast. Raghav had been worried that she’d shut down on him after being vulnerable last night, but she seemed fine. Relief coursed through him.

After they finished eating, Abhay cleared the plates and took them to the sink.

Raghav leaned in closer to her. ‘Would you like to go out for dinner tonight?’ he asked.

Meera shivered at his proximity, but masked it with a small smile. Still, Raghav noticed. Tilting her head, she asked, ‘Just us?’

‘Yes, just us. It’s a date.’

That word sent a warm blush creeping up her cheeks. Her eyes sparkled as she said, ‘I’d love to.’

His hand twitched with the urge to trace the soft flush on her face, but he held back. Her shy smile was enough to make his day.

Just then, her phone rang. Meera answered the call but before she could say anything, Siya’s voice cracked as she burst into tears. ‘He stole my designs, Mihu!’

Alarmed, Meera stepped out of the living room, pressing her phone tighter to her ear. Siya rarely cried, and Meera knew when she did it meant trouble. ‘Siya, what’s wrong? Tell me everything,’ Meera urged, her tone soothing.

Her voice trembled as she explained, ‘I worked on those jewellery designs for months, and Dad didn’t even give me a chance to present them. He went ahead with Dhruv’s ideas, which he stole from me!’

Meera clenched the phone tighter in her grip. If Siya said her work was stolen, it was. Meera felt anger bubble up as her voice broke. ‘I tried, Mihu. I really tried, but Dad only sees Dhruv.’

‘I’ll come over right now. We’ll talk, okay?’

Resigned, Meera turned to let Raghav know they had to reschedule their date. Disappointment weighed on her. She had been looking forward to it more than she’d realised.

She found Raghav standing right behind her.

‘Hey, what’s up?’ Raghav asked, worry evident in his voice.

Meera looked at him, her lips pressing into a thin line as she hesitated. ‘Do you mind if we reschedule tonight’s date?’

Raghav felt a sharp pang of disappointment, but he pushed it aside. ‘Of course not. But is everything okay?’ he asked, stepping closer.

She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. ‘It’s Siya. You remember those jewel designs she’s been working on? After giving her hope for a month, her dad bulldozed right over them and went with her stepbrother’s ideas. She’s very upset because Dhruv stole her designs.’

Raghav frowned, his brows knitting together. ‘Why would he do that?’

Meera hesitated, searching for the right words. ‘Um... Siya has a strained relationship with her father, especially since Dhruv came into the picture.’

Raghav nodded. If she hadn’t cancelled, he would’ve suggested her to. ‘Can I help in any way?’

‘I’ll let you know if we need anything,’ she replied, a small smile tugging at her lips despite the heaviness in her voice. ‘I’ll be staying over at her place tonight, so I’ll be back tomorrow.’

Though he knew she was doing the right thing, a part of him already missed having her around. ‘Then we’ll go out for dinner tomorrow,’ he said.

Her smile widened. ‘You bet.’ After a beat, she added, ‘I can’t wait.’

Meera turned back to pack her overnight bag, folding clothes with practised precision. Raghav gave her space and headed into the living room, where Abhay was lounging on the sofa, scrolling through his phone.

Dropping onto the beanbag, Raghav let out a long sigh, his eyes fixed on the ceiling fan.

‘Everything alright?’ Abhay asked.

‘Meera rescheduled our date,’ Raghav replied, his voice flat.

Abhay teased, ‘Trouble in paradise?’

Raghav met his gaze. ‘It’s because Siya is upset.’

The smirk vanished. ‘Siya? Why, what’s wrong? Is she okay?’ Abhay asked, aware that he sounded worried, too worried.

Raghav tilted his head, studying his expression, but answered anyway. ‘Her stepbrother stole her designs to show their dad. A month’s worth of work, gone just like that.’

Abhay scoffed, leaning back against the cushions. ‘Dhruv is still pulling stunts like that, huh?’

Raghav narrowed his eyes. ‘How do you know about her stepbrother and the stunts he pulls?’

Abhay hesitated, his fingers tapping the armrest. ‘Their family brand is our biggest competitor. I keep tabs on them to stay ahead.’

Raghav raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. ‘Uh-huh, and that involves keeping tabs on personal relationships too, does it?’

Abhay refused to bite, waving the comment away. ‘Will she be okay?’

Raghav nodded, rising to his feet and patting his shoulder. ‘Meera is heading over there. She’ll be fine.’

Back in the bedroom, Meera zipped up her bag. When she heard Raghav approaching, she said, ‘If Siya is up for it, I’m thinking of inviting Kusha over. We can have a girls’ night.’

Raghav paused, leaning against the doorframe. He suspected Kusha would have a difficult time adjusting to Meera’s presence. He could only hope they were getting along well. Just the fact that Meera was trying to involve her meant a lot to him.

As he reached her, he placed his hands on her waist and turned her around to face him. Meera blinked up at him. Without a word, he pulled her into his arms.

‘Thank you,’ he whispered against her hair.

She leaned back, and he brushed a light kiss over them, savouring the moment.

When they stepped out into the hallway, Abhay was waiting, his posture tense. ‘Can I talk to Meera for a moment?’ he asked, his voice uncertain.

Raghav guessed it had something to do with Siya and gave them space, stepping aside without a word.

When Meera left a few minutes later, the house felt quieter. Raghav stood by the window, watching her car disappear down the road. Already, he was counting down the hours until tomorrow.

With two boxes of donuts in hand, Meera rang the bell at Siya’s apartment. Kashvi, her younger sister, opened the door. Her eyes locked onto the boxes, and without hesitation, she reached for one.

‘Wait!’ Meera teased, holding the boxes out of Kashvi’s reach. ‘You’ll end up taking the one Siya wants. I’ve got separate boxes for you both, so no arguments today.’

Kashvi grinned, grabbing her box with a victorious air. ‘You’re a lifesaver, Meera.’

Siya sat curled up on the sofa, her arms wrapped around her legs, chin resting on her knees. Her eyes were puffy, and her nose had turned a light shade of red.

Her heart squeezed at the sight. Meera walked over and wrapped her arms around Siya, pulling her into a firm hug. Siya sniffled and clung to her.

Meera rubbed her back and said, ‘Only you can pull off a cute, crying look.’

Siya let out a wet chuckle, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. ‘You’re such a liar.’

Meera sat beside her, opening the donut box and holding it out. ‘Nope. I’m honest. Now, eat this before I finish the whole thing myself.’

Siya smiled and grabbed a chocolate-glazed donut. She took a bite, and for the first time that evening, her face softened into a genuine smile.

Meera ruffled her hair and settled between the two sisters. ‘Now tell me everything,’ she urged.

Siya sighed and began recounting her ordeal.

‘I’ve been pulling all-nighters, fighting court cases all day and working on those designs at night because Dad promised us a fair meeting.

He said we’d both get to present our ideas.

But today, out of nowhere, he announced he’s going with Dhruv’s designs instead. ’