Page 26 of Since You Came Along (Ever Since #1)

S iya dragged her suitcase out of the elevator and made her way down the quiet corridor. It was still early, almost seven in the morning, but she knew Meera would already be awake. When she reached the door, she knocked.

But when the door swung open, Siya didn’t get the cheerful greeting she’d expected. Meera didn’t say a word, but hurried back into the living room.

Worried, Siya followed until she found her curling up on the sofa. Meera was watching the TV, dabbing at her face between sniffles.

‘Mihu, what happened?’ Siya asked, her voice laced with concern.

Meera looked up, her face blotchy from crying. Her lower lip quivered as she pointed to the screen.

‘Alpha’s homecoming video. He was such a small puppy when we brought him home,’ Meera whispered.

‘Why don’t you video call him, silly?’ Siya asked, throwing away the littered tissues on the floor.

‘Mom & Dad are on their trip and Gauri will video call in the afternoon once she’s back from college. Until then, I have to make do with this,’ Meera said, her eyes fixed on the screen.

‘Well, now he’s grown into a big doggo, always attacking people for hugs and kisses. How about I make you some hot chocolate and we can start the video all over again, yeah?’ Siya added, making her chuckle.

Meera nodded without saying a word, picking up the tissue box as she strolled into the kitchen.

Siya placed the milk on the stove to boil, glancing around the room. ‘Where’s Raghav?’ she asked, noticing the silence in the apartment.

‘Office,’ Meera replied.

‘This early?’ Siya raised an eyebrow, surprised. ‘It’s only seven in the morning.’

Meera didn’t respond, and Siya caught the subtle shift in her posture. She could feel something wasn’t right, but Meera was keeping it to herself.

As the minutes passed in silence, Siya turned to see Meera sitting on the kitchen counter, her eyes glued to the tissue box in her hands.

‘You know, Raghav gave me this when we came to see this place for the first time,’ Meera said, turning over the box.

‘A tissue box as a gift? That’s romantic,’ Siya teased, trying to make her smile.

Meera whispered, ‘It was.’

The sadness in her voice was thick in the air, clinging to her like a heavy fog. She wasn’t looking at the tissue box anymore, her fingers moving over it as if lost in thought.

As the chocolate melted in the pan, Siya asked, ‘Is everything okay?’

Meera spoke up, her voice low. ‘Raghav is acting weird.’

Siya frowned. ‘Weird how?’

‘I don’t know. Just distant, I guess.’

Siya placed the steaming mug of hot chocolate in front of Meera and sat down across from her. ‘Why do you think so?’

Meera took a slow sip from her mug before replying, ‘He... he doesn’t really talk to me anymore. He only speaks when it’s necessary. He works late and leaves home around sunrise.’

‘Maybe he’s busy with work,’ Siya offered.

Meera shook her head, and said, ‘It’s not that.

The first few months after we moved here, work was hectic.

They were still setting everything up, working long hours.

But Raghav always called me to check in.

He always made time for me, even when he was working late. But this past week… I don’t know.’

Siya saw Meera was trying to make sense of it all, but she wasn’t convinced. ‘Mihu, maybe you’re just reading too much into it. He’s probably just overwhelmed with work, you know?’

‘He doesn’t eat at home anymore,’ Meera confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.

‘But why?’ Siya asked, confused.

Meera closed her eyes. She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to hold back the tears. ‘Maybe because he’s angry at me.’

Siya stared at her, baffled. ‘Angry at you? Why?’

‘Because I danced with Rutvik that evening.’

Siya scoffed, though the doubt disappeared when she saw Meera was serious. Shaking her head, she said, ‘That’s ridiculous, Mihu. If Raghav was angry about it, you know he’d talk to you.’

Meera nodded, but there was an undeniable sadness in her eyes. ‘Which is why I know this time it’s bad. Raghav is not ignoring me, but he’s... distant. Ever since that night, he’s been different.’

‘Did you talk to him about it?’

Meera started biting her nails as she said, ‘I did. I asked him if something was wrong. All he said was, it’s nothing he can’t handle. It’s like he’s pushing me away. Like he’s punishing me for something. And it can only be about me dancing with Rutvik.’

Before Siya could say anything, Meera continued, ‘I didn’t do it to hurt Raghav. That was never my intention. Maybe I should try to become a better wife.’

Siya would bet her life on the fact that Meera would never intentionally hurt anyone, least of all Raghav. She might have never understood Meera’s reason for settling in a marriage without love in it, but she knew Meera always gave her all to any relationship.

Watching Meera like this made Siya furious at Raghav. The least he could do was talk to her instead of leaving her in this state.

Siya crossed the room and wrapped Meera in a tight hug. ‘Mihu, you’re amazing. If I were into women, you’d already be mine,’ she teased, trying to lighten the mood. ‘And everyone knows you’d never hurt Raghav.’

Meera nodded but then hugged her tight as she broke into quiet sobs. If Siya didn’t have a flight to catch, she would’ve marched straight to Raghav’s office to give him a piece of her mind. But time was against her, and she had to leave in minutes.

An idea struck Siya. If Meera wouldn’t confront Raghav, she’d find someone else who could.

Meera wiped her cheeks and managed a weak smile. ‘I’m sorry. What are you doing here so early?’

‘I came to see you before I leave for Bangalore. Dad’s annual charity dinner. You know how he is. Can’t risk his influential friends finding out he’s estranged from his daughters,’ Siya scoffed.

‘Don’t go. You’ll hate it,’ Meera urged her.

‘I have to. Otherwise, he’ll drag Kashvi into it, and I don’t want her anywhere near Dhruv.’

‘How long will you be gone?’

‘Just a day. I can’t stand being there longer than that,’ Siya said, rolling her eyes. ‘Luckily, Swayam’s already in Delhi for a book launch, so we’ll fly back together.’

Meera felt a pang of guilt for being so out of touch. She had been so consumed with her own worries, she didn’t know what her friends were up to.

‘Did you eat breakfast?’ Meera asked, already guessing the answer.

‘Do you need to ask?’ Siya shot her a knowing look.

Meera chuckled and pointed at the bowl of fruit on the table, but her smile faded when her phone rang. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Raghav’s picture flashing on the screen. She hadn’t seen that smile in a week.

Her palms felt sweaty as she answered, ‘Hello.’

‘Meera, I have to go to Delhi,’ Raghav said, his voice formal and distant.

Her stomach dropped. ‘When?’

‘In an hour.’

‘Today? That’s such short notice,’ she said, concerned.

‘Yeah.’

The flatness of his tone hurt more than any angry words could.

‘Is everything okay?’ she asked.

‘Yes.’

She swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady. ‘Why are you going?’

‘Just some work.’

The indifference was unbearable. Summoning her courage, Meera pleaded, ‘What’s going on, Raghav? Please talk to me.’

There was a beat of silence before he replied, ‘Nothing’s going on.’

The empty reassurance made her heart ache. Desperate to hold on to the conversation, she said, ‘You ate nothing this morning, and now you’re leaving in an hour. I can bring you something to your office.’

For a moment, his tone softened, tinged with longing. ‘What about your lectures?’

‘I have to be at the university after three. Don’t worry about it. Tell me what you’d like, and I’ll bring it.’

Her voice brimmed with hope, but Raghav cut it short. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll eat on the flight.’

‘Are you sure?’ The smile she’d been forcing slipped away.

‘Yes, and…’ A few seconds passed before he continued, ‘I have to go.’

‘Wait!’ Meera blurted out.

‘What is it?’ he asked, his voice tinged with impatience.

She scrambled for something, anything, to keep him on the line. This was the longest they’d spoken in a week, and Meera didn’t want it to end. ‘When will you be back?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I might visit my parents for a few days,’ he admitted.

‘What about work here?’ she asked, already knowing that was a weak question.

‘Abhay will come back to Mumbai, and I can work from home too. Some things need sorting out here,’ Raghav said.

‘How long do you think that’ll take?’ Meera asked, hoping it wouldn’t be too long.

‘A couple of weeks, maybe longer.’

Her gaze wandered around the apartment they called home, but the idea of living by herself for a couple of weeks haunted her.

The finality in his words was like a door closing in her face. She clutched the phone, fighting the tears welling up in her eyes. ‘Okay,’ she whispered.

The tension between them stretched into silence and suffocated Meera. It felt as if every time she took a breath, it hurt. He was silent too, and at last he said, ‘Take care of yourself.’

Meera nodded, forgetting he couldn’t see her. When she was about to say something, he said, ‘I have to go.’

She exhaled and whispered, ‘I’ll miss you,’ before disconnecting the call. If she’d heard him say it back to her in an obligatory or mechanical way, it would’ve shattered her.

The phone slipped from her hands onto the couch as she sat frozen, staring at nothing. For a moment, she stayed there, trying to hold herself together.

Meera knew that if Siya saw her like this, she’d worry. So, she washed her face in the bathroom and then walked back into the kitchen.

‘Who was it?’ Siya asked.

‘Raghav,’ Meera said, trying to keep her voice steady. ‘He’s going to Delhi for some work.’ She changed the subject to Siya’s visit back home.

They chatted about it for a while until it was time for Siya to leave for the airport.

Meera handed her a few cookies to eat on the way. ‘What are your plans for today?’ Siya asked as she put on her heels.