Page 22 of Since You Came Along (Ever Since #1)

T wo hours later, they were in the car, crawling through traffic.

Meera groaned, rubbing her temples. ‘I can’t believe I let you convince me to do this! A long drive on a Saturday? Of course we’d get stuck in traffic.’

Raghav chuckled, his fingers drumming on the steering wheel. They’d been at a standstill for thirty minutes. Meera had suggested twice that they turn around and find a restaurant instead. He was determined to make her happy, unable to get her thrilled expression out of his mind.

‘It’s fine. Let’s talk about something to pass the time,’ he suggested.

Meera huffed, but leaned back in her seat. ‘I don’t want to miss the sunset.’

‘You won’t. We’ve got time. Trust me,’ he reassured her.

‘Fine. What do you want to talk about?’

He shrugged. ‘Let’s ask each other questions.’

‘Okay, so how long till we reach Matheran?’ Meera asked.

Raghav chuckled. ‘Any question but that!’

She smiled at his reaction and changed the topic. ‘Alright then, where would you rather live—a cabin in the mountains or a house by the beach?’

Raghav didn’t need to think. ‘That’s easy. A house on the beach! And you?’

‘A cabin in the mountains,’ she replied.

Something in her tone made him glance her way. ‘Why the mountains?’

Her eyes lit up as she painted a picture with her words. ‘Just imagine it. You’re surrounded by the silence that stretches for miles. You’d wake up to the sound of birds chirping every morning. And then you could watch the sun rise over the mountains. Doesn’t that sound peaceful?’

He couldn’t help but smile at her wistful tone. ‘It does,’ he admitted. ‘But I’d still pick the beach. It just looks cooler.’

She rolled her eyes and punched his shoulder. ‘Typical.’

He laughed, though her description lingered in his mind. For a moment, he imagined himself standing beside her, sharing that sunrise, wrapped in one blanket.

He asked, ‘Skydiving or deep-sea diving?’

‘Oh, skydiving, definitely! I love heights,’ she replied with enthusiasm. ‘But water? No chance. I’m terrified of it.’

Raghav raised an eyebrow. ‘Terrified? Why?’

Meera wrinkled her nose, and said, ‘I almost drowned once during a river-rafting trip. Since then, I can’t bring myself to go near deep water. And before you even say it, no, I am not interested in facing my fears.’

He nodded, recognising the finality in her voice.

The traffic eased and Meera asked, ‘What’s your favourite childhood memory?’

‘It was the summer when I was in third grade,’ he began, his voice tinged with nostalgia.

‘Dad was away visiting relatives, so it was just Mum and me. That afternoon, Abhay came over, and we started watching our favourite cartoon, Tom & Jerry. In one scene, Tom slid across the floor, trying to catch Jerry. Abhay turned to me with the most serious expression and asked, “How do you think Tom slides across the floor like that?”’

Her eyes widened with interest.

‘I told him the floor was slippery, obviously. We were both curious, so we began thinking how could we make the livingroom's floor slippery and came up with an idea.’

‘Oh God,’ she said between giggles. ‘This is going to be good.’

‘So, we gathered all the talcum powder we could find, emptied it on the floor, and tried sliding on it.’

Meera was laughing so hard now that tears streamed down her face. Raghav stole a glance at her, his heart soaring at her delight.

‘But that’s not the worst part,’ he added, struggling to keep his composure.

Meera stopped laughing, her eyes wide with anticipation. ‘What happened next?’

He relished the suspense for a second before revealing, ‘We realised the floor still wasn’t slippery enough. So, genius Abhay mentioned how he always slips during his bath.’

She gasped. ‘No!’

‘Oh yes,’ Raghav continued. ‘We got Mom’s body wash and buckets of water and poured it all over the floor.’

Meera doubled over, wheezing with laughter. At one point, Raghav had to pat her back to make sure she wasn’t choking. She asked, between gasps, ‘Then what happened?’

‘What do you think?’ he said, his own laughter bubbling up again. ‘We slipped, bruised ourselves, and couldn’t even get up. Just as we were trying to help each other, Mom walked in. She yelled, then slipped, and we got the scolding of a lifetime. We spent the rest of the day wiping the floor.’

‘Abhay is a genius!’ Meera declared, wiping her eyes.

‘Oh, sure,’ Raghav said. ‘Because of him, Mom whacked me.’

‘And whose idea was the body wash?’ she asked, raising an eyebrow.

He paused, then mumbled, ‘Mine.’

Meera grinned and mimed a mic drop.

As their laughter faded, he asked, ‘What about you? Favourite childhood memory?’

‘My fourteenth birthday at an orphanage for boys.’

‘It was an orphanage my mum had volunteered at for some adoption cases. She went there once and fell in love with the kids. We celebrated my birthday there, and it’s still the best celebration I’ve ever had.’

Raghav smiled, intrigued by the softness in her tone. ‘What did you all do?’ he asked.

Her eyes lit up as she replied, ‘Some kids were my age, and some were older. We did loads of activities together. In the morning, we had an hour to paint whatever we wanted, so I helped and taught them how to paint.’

As she spoke, the car hummed along the winding road, the sprawling hills of Matheran.

‘That sounds lovely,’ he said sincerely.

‘Oh, it was! But the best part was the gifts!’ she exclaimed, bouncing in her seat.

‘What gifts did you get?’ he asked, leaning closer.

‘Handmade greeting cards! Some of them made little crafts like a penholder out of ice-cream sticks, and even imitation jewellery, like bracelets. I loved everything so much, it made me cry.’

Raghav recalled the pen holder made of ice-cream sticks on her desk. He’d always assumed it was some random keepsake, but never guessed it had such a special story behind it. ‘You still have the gifts,’ he said.

‘Duh! They’re the most beautiful gifts I’ve ever received. How could I not? That bracelet is so pretty.’

Raghav smiled. ‘Why didn’t you celebrate your next birthday there?’ he asked.

Her excitement dimmed, and she sighed. ‘They cut the funding for the orphanage. By my next birthday, it had closed down, and the kids were sent to different places.’

‘I’m sure they remember you,’ he reassured her.

‘I don’t know about that, but I remember them. Every year on my birthday, I open the box with their gifts, read all the cards, and wish the best for them, wherever they are.’

Of course she d oes , Raghav thought. That was just who Meera was, someone who carried people in her heart long after life had scattered them elsewhere.

An hour later, they pulled into the parking lot at Porcupine Point. The sun dipped below the horizon, drenching the hills in warm hues of orange and pink.

As soon as he turned off the engine, she jumped out, grabbed his hand, and tugged him towards the railings overlooking the valley.

Meera leaned against the railing, her face turned towards the horizon, her hair dancing with the breeze. Raghav watched her, unable to look away.

‘Isn’t it beautiful?’ she said, her voice full of wonder.

‘Yeah,’ he murmured, his gaze focused on her. ‘So beautiful.’

The place was alive with noise and activity. The cool evening breeze carried a mix of chatter, the faint smell of roasted peanuts, and the earthy aroma of damp ground.

Meera shivered, and Raghav pulled her closer. His arm brushed hers, sending a tingle up her spine as she flashed him a quick, grateful smile.

Raghav understood now why this place held such a special place in her heart. The view was breathtaking. It was the beauty that no photograph could capture.

He turned to tell Meera how much he loved the view, but his words faltered. Meera held out a packet of biscuits and a monkey snatched it and scampered away.

Her laughter, unrestrained and full of life, struck a chord deep within him. The golden light caught her face just right, making her skin glow like she belonged to this magical moment.

Raghav couldn’t resist. He discreetly took a photo, then another, as she tied her hair up. Each candid shot seemed to capture not just her beauty, but her spirit.

The sky grew darker, and a light drizzle began to fall. His mind flashed back to the day she’d been unwell after being caught in the rain.

Concerned, he urged, ‘Let’s get out of the rain, Meera.’

But she shook her head, closing her eyes and tilting her face towards the sky. ‘Shh, Raghav. Just enjoy it,’ she whispered, her voice soft yet commanding. The raindrops kissed her red lips, making them glisten.

A soft smile curved her mouth, and Raghav thought he had seen nothing more beautiful.

He couldn’t hold back any longer. He reached out and cupped the back of her head, his fingers threading through her damp hair. Her breath hitched, and he captured her lips with an urgency that surprised her.

She responded with equal passion, and going up tip-toes, she wrapped her hands around his nape. She pulled him closer, her body pressing against his as if seeking refuge from the world.

Raghav circled her waist, pulling her flush against him, the curve of her body fitting into his. Her heart wildly pounded when he whispered her name.

His lips moved against hers with increasing urgency, tasting, exploring, claiming. She fisted his shirt in her grip and clung to him for dear life.

When he pulled back, her lips tingled, and she longed for more. He rested his forehead against hers, both of them breathless. Her swollen lips, flushed cheeks, and eyes reflected a storm of desire.

‘Why do you always kiss me in the rain?’ she asked, breathless. ‘It’s such a cliché.’

Raghav chuckled, brushing his thumb over her lower lip. ‘It’s a cliché for a reason, Meera. It’s romantic.’

Her heart skipped a beat, and she swatted his chest, laughing at his corny response. But her legs felt like jelly after that kiss. ‘You’re impossible.’

He laughed, the sound low and rich, as he wrapped an arm around her. The rain eased, and they spent the next hour exploring the area.

Raghav took more candid pictures of her. At first, she was shy, waving him off whenever he aimed the camera, but eventually, she relented.

When the rain stopped, they sat on a large rock near the edge, the sun now a faint glow on the horizon. For Raghav, it was as though time had slowed, giving him the chance to be with her.

‘Do you want to stay the night in Matheran?’ he asked. He had an urge to hold her close, fall asleep with her warmth against him.

Meera considered it, her lips quirking up in thought. Then, she said with a mischievous glint in her eye, ‘Or, we could have a long drive back home.’

Raghav grinned. ‘I love how we think alike,’ he said, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face.

By the time they left the viewpoint, the chill in the air had deepened. Spotting a cosy coffee place on their way, he pulled over. They ordered coffee and snacks to go.

On the drive back home, Meera recounted the story of how Siya had met shy and reserved Swayam in college and invited him to join their group for an art project. That’s how he became a part of their trio.

Raghav, glancing at her with a smile, asked, ‘I thought you and Swayam have always been close friends.’

‘No,’ she replied, her tone quieter now. ‘We became close after Rutvik and I broke up. Actually, it was because Swayam punched Rutvik.’

His brows shot up. ‘Swayam punched him?’

Meera nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips. ‘Yeah. He waited for the right moment and landed a solid punch on him.’

Raghav shook his head, his admiration for Swayam growing. ‘He should have broken his nose.’

Meera chuckled. ‘Oh, Siya took care of that. She punched him right after Swayam and broke his nose. To this day, I still don’t know how they found him. They just share this smug, secret smile whenever I ask.’

Raghav smirked. ‘And how did you feel about it?’

Meera hesitated, her gaze fixed out of the window. ‘Honestly? I felt little at the time. I was so numb, disconnected from everything. That was my way of coping, I guess.’

She paused, her lips curving into a bittersweet smile. ‘Siya had other ideas. She wanted me to throw away everything Rutvik had ever given me. Though, to be fair, he only ever gave me one thing.’

Raghav thought of the ring Veronica had given him when they were kids, tucked away in a box he hadn’t opened in years. He understood how hard it could be to let go of such things. ‘What was it?’ he asked.

Her eyes clouded with a sadness that made his chest tighten. ‘An anklet. For my last birthday with him.’

When she didn’t continue, Raghav pressed, ‘That’s it?’

She shrugged. ‘That’s it. Rutvik didn’t believe in giving gifts.’

Raghav frowned. ‘What about the other three birthdays? You were together for four years.’

Meera shook her head. ‘Nothing. He just didn’t see the point of it.’

A thought struck Raghav, his voice sharp with disbelief. ‘What about receiving gifts?’

‘Oh, he loved it,’ Meera muttered, her tone dry.

‘But he never got you anything?’

She shook her head again, her voice dropping to a whisper. ‘I didn’t mind.’

But Raghav knew better. Rutvik hadn’t cared enough to make any effort. The thought made his blood simmer. ‘At least he got you that anklet.’

Meera let out a bitter laugh. ‘It must have been a guilt gift. By then, he was already cheating on me with Ahana.’

His grip tightened on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. He ached to go back in time and give Rutvik a piece of his mind, or maybe just a broken bone or two.

‘Do you still have it?’ he asked after a moment.

Her voice was barely audible. ‘Yes.’

‘Why?’

She sighed, her fingers tracing invisible patterns on her lap. ‘I don’t know. I just couldn’t let it go.’

He didn’t know how to feel about that, but he knew he wanted to erase every trace of pain that the man had left behind.

Raghav wanted to see her smile again, so he said, ‘Matheran was a beautiful place. Thanks for taking me there.’

Meera, resting her head on his jacket, her eyes half-closed, murmured, ‘You’re the one who took me there. It was your idea, Raghav.’

‘It was our first date, so it had to be special.’

Her lips curved into a sleepy smile. ‘It was perfect,’ Meera whispered.

‘Really?’ He tried to sound casual, but the nervous edge in his voice betrayed him.

Her eyes fluttered open and she reassured him, ‘Really. You made me so happy today, Raghav.’

His throat tightened, emotion choking his words. ‘You made me happy too.’

She drifted into sleep, her head still resting on his jacket. Raghav glanced at her, a fierce sense of protectiveness welling up inside him. He vowed to keep her safe, to let no one dim the light in her eyes again.