Page 21 of Since You Came Along (Ever Since #1)

M eera yawned as she unlocked the front door. It had rained all night, and the temperature had dropped. The marble floor felt icy against her feet, making her shiver.

The sight in the living room made her laugh. She set her bags down on the couch and pulled out her phone. She moved closer to capture the moment.

Raghav lay sprawled on a black bean bag, fast asleep. Abhay sat slumped beside him, his head resting on Raghav’s knees. Luv was stretched out on the rug near the TV, his face pressed into the carpet. Swayam was snoring on the couch, looking the most comfortable.

The mess in the room suggested they must have played until the early hours.

The TV was still on, its faint glow flickering across the room.

Empty pizza boxes, takeaway containers, and beer bottles littered the space.

For once, she was thankful for the rule they’d set about cleaning up their own messes.

Tiptoeing to the bedroom, she returned moments later with pillows and blankets. She started with Raghav, placing a pillow under his head. She draped a blanket over him, pausing for a second before leaning down to kiss his cheek.

Carefully, she slid a pillow under Abhay. She tucked a blanket over Swayam and covered Luv with another.

She showered quickly. Minutes later, the aroma of brewing tea filled the kitchen as she dialled a number on her phone.

On the third ring, her father-in-law said, ‘Hello, Meera.’

She had grown fond of her father-in-law. In his mid-fifties, he was tall, laid-back, and affectionate. He had a perpetual smile and a knack for making her feel at home.

‘Good morning, Dad,’ she replied cheerfully.

‘Good morning. How’s everything?’

‘All good. How are you and Mumma?’

‘Everything’s not good here,’ he said, his voice tinged with mock sorrow.

Meera frowned, worried. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘The milk didn’t arrive today,’ he said, sounding dejected.

Meera let out a relieved sigh and almost laughed. ‘So no morning tea, huh?’

‘Exactly! It’s a disaster,’ he said. Then asked, ‘How’s my son doing?’

Meera chuckled. ‘He’s doing well.’

‘And how’s the spoiled lord?’ he asked, a playful annoyance in his tone.

She could hear her mother-in-law laughing in the background. ‘He’s okay too.’

They chatted about small things for a while before she promised to remind Raghav to call them soon.

Next, she rang her mother.

‘Good morning, my doll. How are you?’ Damini greeted her.

‘I’m great, Mom. How are you?’

‘We’re wonderful! Guess what? We’re going on that trip your father promised me,’ Damini said, excitement clear in her voice.

‘That’s amazing! Where to? And when?’

‘Maldives! Next month,’ she replied.

Meera squealed. Her mother had always wanted to visit the Maldives. It seemed her dad had finally taken the hint.

‘He was saying you and Raghav should’ve gone there for your honeymoon,’ her mother teased.

Even after five months of marriage, they hadn’t heard the end of this. Meera sighed, ‘Mom, you know we had work waiting for us.’

‘Work goes nowhere, darling. You must make time for the important things in life,’ her mum said, huffing in disapproval.

Meera knew there was no winning this argument. Her mum began listing places they could visit. Just as Meera felt trapped, Swayam stumbled into the kitchen, looking groggy with sleep.

‘Yes, yes, I’ll think about it,’ Meera said. Then, with exaggerated excitement, she added, ‘Swayam wants to talk to you!’

Shoving the phone at him, she whispered, ‘Save me!’

Swayam looked confused, rubbing his eyes as he muttered, ‘Hello?’

Relieved to be off the hook from the honeymoon talk, Meera turned back to the stove. But Swayam wasn’t about to let it slide. ‘Aunty, what were you and Meera talking about?’

Meera spun around, panicked, glaring at him. She knew her mum must have spilled the beans.

Swayam grinned and agreed with Damini, ‘You’re right, Aunty. We should always make time for important things in life.’

Meera grabbed the nearest ladle and took a swing at him, but Swayam darted out of reach. ‘You traitor!’ she mouthed, flinging spoons at him like missiles.

Swayam ended the call later and held up his hands. ‘Truce?’ he asked, his gaze focused on the heavy wooden ladle still in her grip.

Just as he thought she was cooling down, she bolted forward and smacked him hard in the chest. ‘I told you to save me!’ she yelled, making him wince.

‘Yeah, but it’s more fun to get you in trouble,’ he quipped.

That earned him two more smacks before Raghav strolled into the kitchen, taking in the amusing scene of his wife thrashing her friend.

‘Shall I find a suitable spot to bury his body?’ Raghav asked, leaning against the table.

Her anger melted away as she turned to Raghav, a smile tugging at her lips. ‘You want to know what Swayam did?’ she began recounting his antics.

Raghav snorted, his deep voice filling the kitchen. Turning to Swayam, he asked, ‘What’s your defence, brother?’

All Swayam could muster was, ‘Your wife is mean.’

‘Oh, now she’s my wife? But when she’s nice, she’s your friend,’ Raghav retorted, crossing his arms.

‘That’s the reality. You’ve made her violent!’ Swayam replied and plopped down at the dining table.

Stepping behind Meera, Raghav wrapped his arms around her waist. She froze, startled. His warm breath tickled her ear as he whispered, ‘I missed you, Meera.’

She turned her head to look at him. When he planted a soft kiss on her cheek, she smiled and leaned back against him.

Abhay sauntered into the kitchen, yawning. Raghav let go of Meera and went to join them at the table.

Halfway through the meal, Meera asked, ‘Raghav, did you call Dad last night like I told you to?’

Panic flickered across his face as Raghav stuffed two spoonfuls of food into his mouth, buying time to think. He nodded with fake confidence. ‘Of course, I did.’

Meera raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further. Just as he relaxed, she added, ‘That’s funny. Dad just told me they haven’t spoken to you in two days.’

The table erupted in laughter. Swayam poked Raghav, grinning. ‘Never lie to her, dude. She always finds out.’

Raghav groaned, rubbing his temples. ‘You couldn’t have warned me sooner?’

Meera chimed in. ‘Oh, and he asked how his son is doing.’

When Raghav’s expression turned sour, Swayam inquired about it.

Abhay explained, ‘When Trinay Uncle says “son”, he means me.’

Intrigued, Swayam asked, ‘And what does he call Raghav, then?’

Meera tried to contain her giggles and replied, ‘Raghav is the spoiled lord.’

Raghav groaned, throwing his hands in the air. ‘Right, breakfast’s over! Out, all of you!’

Within minutes, he had ushered the lot of them out, their laughter echoing down the hallway.

Raghav and Meera spend the next hour exchanging stories from the night before. Raghav recounted how Luv and Abhay had got into a heated argument over who had stepped on the remote and quit their game mid-battle.

‘So, whose fault was it?’ Meera asked, her curiosity piqued.

Raghav flashed her a mischievous grin before admitting, ‘Mine.’

Meera burst into laughter, the melodious sound ringing through the room. Swatting his arm, she said, ‘You’re shameless!’

Raghav shrugged. ‘Everything’s fair in love and war. And trust me, that game was a war.’

After a moment, his laughter subsided, and he asked, ‘Do you agree with your mom?’

Meera considered the question, then replied, ‘Not really. We barely knew each other back then, and there was so much work waiting for us. I like my vacations to be carefree and fun, not rushed or awkward.’

Raghav nodded, acknowledging her point. ‘You’re right. Compared to then, we’re much more comfortable with each other now.’

Meera smiled in agreement. ‘Exactly.’

Raghav leaned back, crossing his arms. ‘Have you explored a lot of places in Mumbai?’

Meera nodded. ‘Yeah, quite a few.’

Without missing a beat, Meera answered, ‘Matheran. You haven’t seen a real sunset until you’ve seen it from Porcupine Point. It’s beautiful.’

The mention of Matheran pulled Raghav back into his past. He pushed aside the bittersweet memories and focused on Meera.

‘You’re right. I’ve heard it’s an amazing place.’

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. ‘You’ve been there?’

‘Yes,’ he said, his tone subdued. ‘Veronica and I planned to go after our anniversary, but... you know.’ He trailed off with a shrug.

Her smile faded, and she whispered, ‘I understand.’

Raghav immediately realised he’d handled the moment poorly. He’d been too focused on his own memories, forgetting how much the place might mean to Meera. She had her own dreams and destinations, ones she deserved to enjoy with her husband.

He was about to apologise when Meera turned to him, her expression kind. ‘Since you never got to go, would you like to see pictures of the sunset? I’ve got some on my phone.’

Guilt overwhelmed Raghav. Was anyone more thoughtful than Meera? He doubted it. It was time he started putting her happiness first.

‘I’d love to,’ he said, his voice warm.

But before she could reach for her phone, he added, ‘So why don’t we go there and see it together?’

Meera froze, staring at him as though she’d misheard. When his words sank in, she smiled. ‘Sure. Let me know when, and we’ll plan it.’

Raghav stepped closer and placed his hands on her shoulders. ‘Let’s go today. Right now.’

Before she could protest, he continued, ‘It’s only a couple hours drive. We’ll catch the sunset and have dinner. What do you say?’

Meera struggled to process his spontaneity. She had never done anything so impulsive before.

Leaning in closer, Raghav whispered, ‘Let’s call it a sunset date.’

The words made her squeal with joy, startling him. He laughed and pulled her into his embrace.