Page 27 of Since You Came Along (Ever Since #1)

‘I have two lectures till four. Before that, I was thinking about going to Bandra around noon. I need to buy some art supplies.’

Siya nodded and said, ‘Call me if you need anything, okay? Be safe, Mihu.’

Meera smiled. ‘You’re the one flying out of state, not me. Have a safe journey.’

As she hugged Siya, a bittersweet thought crossed her mind. Soon, all her friends would be out of state, and so would her husband. When she closed the door behind her, the flat fell eerily silent.

She turned to look around the apartment and the space felt hollow, like an empty shell of a home.

Meera slid down to the floor, her back against the door. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks as she buried her face in her knees. She felt utterly alone.

As Siya settled into the cab, her thoughts drifted to Meera. She had never seen her look this heartbroken before. Even during the Rutvik fiasco, she had seemed more angry than wounded. Today, she seemed lost.

Siya debated whether she should call Raghav. But no, she was far too angry to have a civil conversation with him. Instead, she dialled the number of someone who was used to her anger.

She heard two rings before a familiar, sleepy voice said, ‘Hello?’

Abhay’s hoarse tone triggered a memory. She recalled lying beside him on a lazy morning, his whispers brushing her ear like a warm breeze. That memory sent an unbidden shiver down her spine, which only fuelled her irritation. How could he still have such an effect on me?

‘Get up. I need to talk to you,’ she ordered, her voice sharp.

A soft chuckle rumbled through the phone, making her ears burn as she remembered the scratch of his stubble against her cheek.

‘Missing me, Jaan ?’ His teasing tone carried a hint of a smile. She could picture him sprawled on a messy bed. It was infuriating how easily the memories came alive in her mind.

‘I’ve told you not to call me that!’ Siya half-yelled, her cheeks flushing with annoyance, at him and at herself.

Her outburst only made Abhay laugh, which, if she admitted to herself, gave her butterflies. But she would rather die than confess it.

‘Well, I doubt you woke me up at eight just to tell me that. So, what’s up?’ he asked.

‘It’s about Meera and Raghav.’

She heard the faint rustle of sheets, followed by a cough. Abhay cleared his throat before he asked, ‘What’s wrong?’

‘How do you know something’s wrong?’ she countered, curious if Raghav had confided in him.

‘Because you’d never call me unless something’s wrong,’ he replied, as if it’s obvious.

Siya hesitated, his words hitting too close to home. ‘You know why I don’t talk to you,’ she said.

A heavy silence followed. She unclenched her fingers and exhaled, deciding to focus on the reason she had called. ‘Has Raghav said anything to you? I went to see Meera half an hour ago, and she was upset.’

‘No, Raghav has mentioned nothing. Why was Meera upset? Did they have a fight?’

‘I don’t think so,’ Siya replied, leaning her head against the cool window of the cab. ‘From what she said, it seems like Raghav is shutting her out. He doesn’t talk much, leaves for work early, and comes back late.’

Abhay spoke with quiet consideration. ‘Now that you mention it, every time he’s spoken to me lately, he’s kept it short and work-related.’

‘Why didn’t you ask him what was wrong?’ Siya asked, frustration creeping into her tone.

‘I’ve been overwhelmed by work,’ Abhay admitted, guilt lacing his words. ‘We’ve got a new client, and it’s been taking up most of my time. I suppose I didn’t notice. But Raghav and Meera aren’t the kind of people to engage in a cold war. They’d have talked it out. Did Meera try?’

‘She did,’ Siya replied, recalling her defeated expression. ‘Meera hates this passive silence and prefers to address things head-on.’

Siya thought twice about whether she should reveal Meera’s suspicions. Despite what has happened between them in the past, she knew he cared about Meera.

After a moment, she continued, ‘Meera thinks it’s because she danced with Rutvik last week. She believes Raghav is upset about it.’

‘That’s ridiculous,’ Abhay said. ‘Raghav isn’t the jealous type, Siya. He wouldn’t hold that against her.’

‘Then why doesn’t he eat at home anymore? She told me that whenever she cooks or sends him food, he avoids it.’

The line went quiet. Siya knew Abhay had understood the implication.

‘That doesn’t sound like Raghav,’ he said.

‘I know. She’s worried she hurt him. She didn’t mean to. Meera looked exhausted, Abhay. Stressed out. She just wants to know what’s wrong. She’s hurting too.’

‘I can imagine,’ Abhay agreed. ‘It’s Meera. This would hurt her deeply.’

His words carried an innate tenderness when he spoke about Meera, and that made Siya smile.

Breaking the moment, Abhay said, ‘I just got a message from Raghav. He’s coming to Delhi. I’ll talk to him, don’t worry.’

Before Siya could reply, Abhay sneezed twice. She couldn’t stop herself from asking, ‘You’ve caught a cold, haven’t you?’

‘It’s the Delhi weather,’ he admitted, his voice hoarse.

‘When did you go to Delhi?’

‘A day after the dance event. There was some work-related issue, and Luv needed help, so Kusha and I came here. Raghav stayed back.’

‘You know you catch cold easily. Why don’t you take better care of yourself?’ Her tone was sharp, edged with worry.

‘I do,’ he responded defensively.

‘Ha! I know better. You’re hopeless at taking care of yourself when you’re sick.’

‘Hey! I’m trying!’

‘Shut up. And don’t take cough syrup. You drive to work, and you’ll get sleepy if you drink it.’

There was a beat of silence before he said, ‘You remember.’

Siya realised she’d slipped too much and quickly changed the subject. ‘You’ve been in Delhi for a week? I didn’t know,’ she muttered. She didn’t care, or so she told herself, but the thought of not knowing unsettled her.

‘There’s a lot you don’t know, Siya.’ His tone was casual, but it carried a weight that made her pause.

She chose not to respond and curtly said, ‘Talk to Raghav. Knock some sense into him and let him know he’s lucky it’s not me he has to deal with.’

‘I’ll be sure to pass on your message,’ he replied with a chuckle.

A loud car horn blared as a vehicle sped past her cab, and Abhay asked, ‘Where are you?’

‘I’m on my way to the airport. Off to Bangalore,’ she replied, her gaze drifting to the endless stream of traffic outside the window.

Abhay was silent for a moment, and just as she was about to hang up, he said, ‘Reach safely, Siya.’

‘I will,’ she whispered, unnerved at how much she missed the nickname he had for her.

With a sigh, he added, ‘Is it too much to ask that you text me once you land?’

Siya hesitated, her hand pressing against her chest. She realised she wanted to text him, to talk more. But she couldn’t because she knew how slippery a slope it was. It could take her back to where she once had fallen.

‘Yes, it’s too much,’ she said, her voice firm. Before he could respond, Siya ended the call.