Page 24 of Since You Came Along (Ever Since #1)

T hey approached Meera, and for the first time, Raghav seemed to notice the room. Intricate patterns of yellow fairy lights looped across the ceiling. Round tables and chairs, draped in rich blue satin, lined the edges, leaving the centre clear for dancing.

Meera turned to talk to them, but before she could speak, a voice boomed over the speakers. The room hushed as everyone turned their attention forward.

The Dean began his speech. ‘Good evening, everyone! Welcome to our annual ball event. I’d like to thank our talented students for their participation and our dedicated professors for their support in making this event a success.

A special mention to Plan Ahead, the event management team, for their professionalism and generosity.

They’ve donated half their fee to our Save the Girl Child charity.

Thanks to everyone here, we’ve raised over eight lakhs today! ’

The hall erupted in cheers. Meera glowed with pride and satisfaction. Raghav couldn’t help but smile at her joy.

The applause and cheers died down, and the Dean continued, ‘We will shortly announce the results of the morning’s dance competition. Until then, the floor is open. I urge everyone to grab a partner and enjoy the evening!’

As the music swelled, Raghav tapped Meera on the shoulder. When she turned, he extended his hand. ‘Would you like to dance?’

‘I’d love to,’ she grinned, slipping her hand into his.

They made their way to the dance floor, joining a handful of couples swaying to the soft melody. Raghav pulled her close, his hand settling on her waist as their steps fell into an easy rhythm.

As he twirled her, Raghav leaned in and murmured, ‘You look beautiful, Meera.’

She smiled, looping her hands around his shoulder. ‘You’ve already told me that.’

He tightened his grip, dipping her with effortless grace. When he brought her back up, his voice dropped to a whisper. ‘I wanted to do much more than that.’

Her breath caught. Was it the dip or his words that made her head spin? She wasn’t sure. Her heart raced as his hand brushed against her back, his warmth seeping through the thin fabric of her dress.

‘I still want to do much more,’ he continued.

‘You’re not the only one,’ she admitted, her eyes searching his.

His thumb grazed her cheek, a feather-light touch that sent a shiver down her spine. His smile, filled with promises, made her blush. The world around them melted away as they moved in sync.

When Raghav twirled her again, her gaze landed on a face that made her blood run cold. Rutvik. He stood just behind Raghav, speaking with the Dean, but watching her. His cold eyes bore into hers and her steps faltered.

Her heart thudded in her chest, dread seeping into her veins. Raghav noticed the change in her and turned around to follow her gaze. His jaw clenched when he saw Rutvik walking towards them.

For Meera, it had been two years since she’d been in the same room with him. Two long years, yet the sight of him was enough to bring back all the pain. She swallowed hard and managed a polite, tight-lipped smile at the Dean approaching with Rutvik, but her hands trembled.

Raghav tightened his grip on her hand, his eyes darkening with silent resolve.

Both men stopped in front of them. Meera nodded politely, acknowledging their presence, while Raghav mumbled a terse greeting.

Hemant Shah began, his tone formal yet cheerful. ‘Sorry to disturb you both, but I wanted to introduce you to Mr Rutvik Singh. He’s the owner of Plan Ahead and was in charge of today’s event. Didn’t his team do a fantastic job, Meera?’

Meera managed a small nod. ‘Yes, sir.’

Gesturing towards her with a proud smile, Shah continued, ‘This is Mrs Meera Diwan, an invaluable addition to our English department. The students adore her. And this is her husband, Mr Raghav Sareen.’

Raghav gave a polite nod at his introduction. Meera clung to his hand, her fingers entwining with his, as if drawing strength. She couldn’t say whether the gesture was meant to reassure him or herself.

As Shah stepped back, Meera let out a slow breath. But her relief was short-lived when Rutvik asked her, ‘May I have a dance with you?’

Her stomach dropped. Just as she was about to refuse politely, Shah chimed in, mistaking her reluctance for concern about decorum. ‘This evening is meant for socialising, Meera, so please go ahead.’

She glanced at Raghav and saw the concern etched plainly across his face. She gave his hand an assuring squeeze and forced a smile.

Raghav held her gaze for a beat longer, his expression hardening. He nodded reluctantly, releasing her hand. His icy glare met Rutvik, delivering a silent warning with the precision of a blade.

He stepped back with a heavy heart and positioned himself against a wall close to Meera. The sight of her in Rutvik’s arms made his gut burn with helplessness.

Rutvik held her hand, and her stomach knotted.

Her eyes lingered on their joined hands, her skin crawling under his touch.

She hesitated to look up, but when she did, her gaze clashed with his.

The familiarity of his intense stare and the firm hold of his arm around her waist hit her like a wave.

Once, that intimacy had felt good. Now, it was stifling and wrong in every way.

The music guided their steps, but Meera moved mechanically, her body following out of habit rather than desire.

Their years of dance training resurfaced in their movements.

Back then, she had poured herself into every moment, craving his attention.

Now, those memories felt like a mockery of her former self.

‘You look beautiful tonight, Meera,’ Rutvik said, his voice low and rich.

Her response was curt. ‘Thank you, Mr Singh.’

He chuckled, the sound grating against her nerves. ‘How have you been?’

‘I’m doing well,’ she replied, her words clipped.

‘I see you got married,’ he remarked, his gaze penetrating and intense, but the effect was lost on her.

‘Yes, I did.’

Rutvik urged, ‘Don’t be so formal with me, Meera. We have a history, after all.’

Meera forced a smile, refusing to shy away from discussing their history. ‘Speaking of which, how is Ahana doing?’

His expression darkened as he said, ‘Ahana broke up with me.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ Meera offered, her voice neutral.

‘She couldn’t trust me after what I did to you,’ he admitted, his words deliberate. ‘She was afraid I’d cheat on her too. It destroyed us.’

The remorse in his voice felt like a trap, but Meera didn’t know how to respond. She looked around, trying to find Raghav in the crowd.

Rutvik leaned closer, his voice dropping further. ‘I wanted to tell you something, Meera.’

Her heart skipped, her senses on high alert as she met his gaze.

‘I wanted to contact you earlier,’ he began, his tone almost wistful. ‘But I didn’t have the courage. I’m sorry for what I did to you.’

She tried to swallow past the hard lump in her throat, her emotions warring with her rationality. His words felt rehearsed, calculated, and yet they stirred an unresolved ache within her.

He continued, ‘I thought you’d moved on. But when I saw you at the meeting, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I came here today only for you, to talk to you.’

His confession hung between them. The memories of old wounds surfaced in her mind.

The music swirled around them. As Rutvik took a step closer, Meera stepped back. A knot tightened in her stomach. It felt wrong to be this close to him again.

‘Letting you go was a mistake, Meera. I never should have done that to you,’ Rutvik said, his voice oozing regret. ‘I loved you so much, but Ahana… she tempted me into sleeping with her. It was the biggest mistake I ever made.’

Meera stared at him, unblinking, unable to believe the audacity of his words. He was shamelessly shifting the blame onto Ahana, conveniently washing his hands of guilt. Her laugh was cold and bitter, the sound startling even to herself.

Her mother’s question surfaced in her mind. ‘When did the problems start, Meera? Before or after he cheated?’ Meera could not answer then, but now it was glaringly obvious to her.

The cracks had been there all along, but undeniable now as she stood in front of him. She saw him now for what he truly was—manipulative, selfish, and utterly devoid of accountability. She just hadn’t wanted to face the truth back then.

Meanwhile, across the room, Raghav leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. He watched Rutvik and Meera move together on the dance floor. The way her gaze lingered on Rutvik as she listened to him was like a punch to the gut. The sight was unbearable. Helpless, he looked away.

Abhay appeared at his side, fuming. ‘What the hell are you doing? Why did you let him near her?’ he hissed, anger vibrating in his voice. ‘I’ll take care of him right now.’ He stepped forward, but Raghav stopped him with a firm grip on his shoulder.

‘Don’t, Abhay. This place is full of her colleagues. Don’t create a scene.’ His voice was steady, but his eyes betrayed his turmoil as they stayed glued to Meera.

‘I don’t care!’ Abhay snapped. ‘She was a wreck just seeing him from afar the last time. Do you realise how much this will hurt her? She’ll carry this for days, Raghav.’

‘I trust her. It’s her choice,’ Raghav said, though every fibre of his being screamed to storm over there and rip that bastard to shreds for touching his wife. His fingers itched to pull her away, to shield him from Rutvik. But he had to trust her. Meera deserved that.

Clueless to her thoughts, Rutvik pressed on, ‘I should have been a better boyfriend. I should have taken care of you, loved you more. I know I was too controlling, but it was only because I loved you so much. I wanted us to be perfect. You meant the world to me, Meera. And I threw it all away because I’m a horrible person.

’ He paused, looking at her, as though waiting for her to disagree.