Page 31 of Since You Came Along (Ever Since #1)

T he December afternoon in Mumbai was warm, a stark contrast to the Delhi weather. As the cab drove through the traffic, the afternoon sun glared down at Meera through the open window.

The cab pulled up at her destination. It was a quiet part of the city, with only a faint barking of a dog breaking the silence. Meera called Raghav, and he answered immediately.

‘Hey, where are you?’ he asked, the faint sound of the barking dog carrying through the call.

‘Close to you,’ she replied, looking around.

‘Yeah, I see you. Turn around.’

She turned and spotted him a short distance away. As she walked towards him, she took in his appearance. Raghav always looked effortlessly good, no matter what he wore.

While his shirtless look was her favourite, the long-sleeved maroon t-shirt he wore today with blue faded jeans looked good on him too. She reached where he was and took his hand when he offered.

‘Hey,’ Raghav murmured, his eyes scanning her face as if to confirm she was alright.

‘Hi. So, where are we going?’ she asked, tracing her fingers along the back of his hand.

‘We’re already here,’ he said, turning to his left. Meera followed his gaze and saw a set of tall iron gates. Her eyes moved upwards to read the engraved name. St Paul’s Cemetery.

He tugged her hand, leading her forward. She noticed the gates were closed, but an elderly man sitting just inside rose at their approach. He greeted Raghav by name and opened the gate with a respectful nod.

‘Thank you,’ Raghav said, shaking the man’s hand. The old man acknowledged Meera with a kind smile, and she returned it.

Once again, Raghav clasped her hand and guided her down a narrow path. Stones of varying shapes and sizes marked the graves. Her heart raced when she sensed where they were going.

They reached the middle of the path, and Raghav took a sharp turn, leading her down a grassy lane between the graves.

Finally, he stopped, and Meera felt nervous. He turned to her, his expression unreadable. ‘Come,’ he mumbled.

He led her forward, and as her gaze followed his, she saw the headstone. Her breath caught. It was her grave. Veronica Alvarez was engraved in bold, golden letters onto polished black marble.

Meera felt an unexpected wave of emotion. She’d wanted to come here before but had hesitated, afraid of intruding on something sacred. Now that she was here, she wished Raghav had told her. She would have brought flowers.

Her eyes shifted to Raghav. He was staring at the grave, his face etched with a wistfulness that made her heart ache. Raghav had lived through a nightmare, one that Meera couldn’t even fathom. She placed a hand on his arm, a silent gesture of comfort.

He looked at Meera then, as he gave her a small, grateful smile. Slowly, he knelt before the grave. Meera followed suit, lowering herself beside him.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. A peaceful, almost reverent silence engulfed them.

Meera had never stepped into a graveyard before. She lowered her gaze to the engraved letters again. Veronica. The name that tied so many threads of his past together. She wanted to say something, but words felt inadequate. So she stayed close, letting him know she was there.

The air felt heavy, yet it seemed to hum with the unspoken stories of those resting there, mingled with the memories they’d left behind.

Raghav broke the silence, his voice low but steady. ‘Hey, Nica baby,’ he murmured, smiling at the headstone. His tone was so tender that Meera smiled, too, despite the lump in her throat.

‘I brought someone to meet you.’ His gaze softened as he gestured towards Meera. ‘Meera, meet Nica. And Nica, this is my wife, Meera.’

His words hit her like a sudden wave. She leaned forward and brushed her fingers against the cold marble. ‘Hey,’ Meera whispered. Despite its chill, the stone felt welcoming, and she allowed herself to relax.

Raghav chuckled. ‘I never thought I’d be introducing my wife to Nica. I’m glad it’s you, Meera.’

His words carried such sincerity that Meera felt a swell of joy. She smiled back, feeling the weight of the moment settle around them like a warm, invisible blanket.

Raghav looked back at the grave. ‘Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always told Nica everything first.’ His lips curved into a nostalgic smile. ‘It drove Abhay crazy. For a while, he used to follow us everywhere, worried we’d leave him out.’

Meera could picture a younger Abhay trailing behind a mischievous Raghav and Veronica. The thought made her chuckle, and Raghav joined in.

He sounded wistful as he continued, ‘I’ve always come to her before making any big decision. The day I started my business, I came here first. Right before we got married, I came here. And now, I’m here today.’ His words were more for Veronica than for Meera.

He gave an embarrassed laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.

‘I’ve not always been lucky in life. Got caught cheating on a test in the sixth grade, broke my arm falling off a cycle, and somehow, I always seem to end up on flights that hit turbulence.

But I was lucky enough to have met and loved Veronica. ’

He said, ‘I’m lucky to have parents who love me and friends who have stood by me through everything.’

After a pause, he turned to Meera. It sent a jolt through her, making her aware of just how close they were.

‘And I’m the luckiest man to be married to you,’ he confessed with a smile.

Her heart soared, and she smiled. She was about to say something in return, but Raghav shook his head. He brought their joined hands to his lips, pressing a tender kiss to her wrist.

When he looked back at her, his gaze burned with a raw intensity that made her breath hitch. He glanced back at the grave and said, ‘I was lucky yesterday was just a scare, that it wasn’t you in that car. And I’m so lucky to have this second chance with you.’

Her heart pounded as his words sank in. All the emotions he’d kept hidden somewhere were now laid bare. She could only stare at him, overwhelmed.

‘I know I’m slow to express how I feel, but I don’t want to come close to losing you to realise how much you mean to me. I don’t want to sit somewhere far from you, kicking myself for never saying what I felt for you. So, I’ve decided to tell you everything.’

His hand shook as he placed it gently on her cheek. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Raghav smiled and said the words she thought she’d never hear from him. ‘I am in love with you, Meera.’

The air seemed to leave her lungs all at once. Meera couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. She could only stare at him, her heart pounding against her ribs as if trying to escape. In his eyes, she saw the love she had longed for, raw and undeniable.

Raghav leaned closer and said, ‘I’m so in love with you.

What I feel for you goes beyond mere words like and love.

Whatever rings truer to you, hold on to that.

All I can say is that my love for you is all-consuming and sacred.

And I promise you I will spend the rest of my life showing you how much you mean to me. ’

Tears pricked her eyes as Meera tried to process the avalanche of emotions his confession had unleashed. She wanted to believe him, but she couldn’t stop his earlier words from echoing in her mind. ‘But, you said… you’ll never love anyone again like you loved Veronica. You…’

Raghav smiled and nodded. ‘I did. And I meant it. I can’t and won’t love anyone the way I loved Nica.’

He paused, both of them looking down at the marble that marked a life lost too soon. ‘That love was hers, and hers alone. She was my childhood love, the one who showed me what love could feel like. I lost a future with her, but I had a beautiful past, and I’ll cherish it forever.’

He continued, ‘But I didn’t settle for you, far from it. I love the life we’re building together, Meera. I truly love you.’

Meera closed her eyes and gripped his hand. She braced herself, then whispered her deepest fear, ‘I can’t... I can’t come second to anyone, Raghav. I can’t go through that again. I know how much you loved Veronica, and how much you still do. And I can’t compete with that.’

She heard Raghav chuckle, and startled, she opened her eyes. He was rolling up his sleeve, revealing a small white patch taped to the inside of his forearm. With careful precision, he began peeling it away.

‘I knew this was worth the effort,’ Raghav said, taking off the tape.

When Meera saw it, a wave of sadness hit her. The name Nica was tattooed in soft blue ink. It felt like a tangible reminder of his past, one she could never erase. When Raghav caught her teary-eyed look, he shook his head and urged, ‘Do you remember what you told me that night on the balcony?’

Her gaze met his, and his question stirred a faint memory from months ago, a conversation about the tattoo he’d wanted of Veronica’s name.

She recalled what she’d told him, ‘ Don’t get that tattoo now. Take your time. The day you know for certain that you’ve moved on, that you are ready to lay your past to rest for good, get it then. Let it be a testament to your love for her and a way to honour her memory. ’

The realisation hit her like a thunderbolt as she said, ‘I told you to get it when you were sure you’d moved on.’

Raghav nodded. ‘I did! It…’ He hesitated, his gaze shifting away. Meera reached up and cupped his face, urging him to meet her eyes.

‘It wasn’t easy. When I was getting the tattoo, it hit me that this was it. Veronica will always be a part of me, of my life, but she’s my past and I’m laying that chapter to rest.’

Meera cleared her throat and asked, ‘Do you regret it?’