Page 34 of Since You Came Along (Ever Since #1)

A week later, Meera walked into their home, greeted by the rich aroma of chocolate. Intrigued, she set her bag down and followed the soft music.

She stepped inside and found Raghav waiting for her in the living room. He wore the black shirt she loved on him, paired with blue jeans. The way he smiled when she walked in made her heart skip a beat.

‘What’s all this?’ she asked, walking up to him.

‘You’ll see,’ Raghav teased, holding out a chocolate chip cookie. ‘First, taste this.’

Meera took a bite, and a delighted moan escaped her lips. The cookie was fudgy, with a satisfying crunch and pockets of gooey melted chocolate in the centre.

‘This is incredible! Where did you get it?’ she asked, impressed.

‘I made it,’ he announced, puffing out his chest.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she gasped. ‘Really?’

‘Yes. I wanted to surprise you. I know food is your love language, so I've been practising baking at Abhay’s place. Turns out, I’m a bit of a natural,’ he said, smirking.

‘A bit? Raghav, this is better than mine!’ she exclaimed. Then, she grabbed his arms as excitement bubbled over, ‘Does this mean we’ll bake together more often?’

Raghav closed his eyes and groaned. ‘I should have seen this coming. Okay, we’ll bake more together.’

Meera squealed in delight and flung her arms around him, hugging him.

‘Now that I’ve officially signed my soul away as your baking assistant, how about we head to the balcony?’ he suggested, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Meera followed him, chatting about her day. She was so engrossed in her story that she noticed nothing unusual until she stepped onto the balcony and stopped mid-sentence.

The sight before her was magical. Fairy lights glowed softly, bathing the balcony in a golden warmth. The swing and couch were gone, replaced by a carpet of fragrant rose petals. She gasped when she saw the wall covered with her pictures.

Meera approached the wall, her fingers trembling as she reached out to touch the first image of her parents holding her as a baby.

The next image was her with Alpha as a puppy.

Her gaze wandered further. She saw a photo from the first day of the group project with Swayam and Siya, and another from their café hangouts.

As she turned to the right, she saw pictures of her and Raghav. Their wedding day. The impromptu bachelor party. Their first date. Each photo seemed to hold a memory, a moment frozen in time.

But the centrepiece took her breath away. A cluster of monochromatic, candid photographs of her. In some she was laughing, in others she looked occupied or looking far off somewhere. In the middle of the photographs was an amateur pencil sketch of her.

She felt Raghav coming up behind her as he snaked an arm around her waist and said, ‘I drew that.’

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, her gaze fixed on the pictures. ‘Really?’ she whispered, moved.

‘I’m not the best artist, but I gave it my all. After several failed attempts, I printed your pictures in black and white. Now they’re practically as same as the sketches. You can call them all my masterpieces.’

She let out a soft laugh, but her voice quivered when she asked, ‘Why?’

But the answer was right there on the wall. For years, she had carried the weight of insecurities and doubts. But now, it all faded away as she saw herself through his eyes. This is how he saw her—beautiful and happy.

‘Because I wanted to,’ he said. ‘Your smile isn’t something I’m willing to lose. I’ve got a lifetime to cherish it, and I want to make the most of it.’

With that, he turned her around. Her heart stopped as he dropped to one knee, holding a diamond ring that sparkled like a thousand stars.

Her mouth fell open in shock, and he chuckled at her expression.

‘Sweetheart, you’re so beautiful that I still can’t believe you’re mine.

You once told me about your dream wedding with the love of your life.

You called it a silly dream of a na?ve girl, but I disagree.

That dream belongs to a woman who wished for a love story of her own.

And since I am the hero of that story, I promise to fulfil every dream you’ve ever had, and the ones yet to come.

Meera, will you let me be your happily ever after and marry me again? ’

With tears in her eyes, Meera shouted ‘YES!’ over and over. Raghav slid the ring onto her finger, and before she knew it, he picked her up and spun her around. She squealed in delight, her laughter ringing out as she clung to him.

As he lowered Meera back to her feet, she wasted no time. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss that was demanding and urgent. She felt her heart race as she broke away from him, breathless, her eyes dark with desire.

She trailed his jaw with her lips as she whispered, ‘Please, please make love to me!’

Raghav chuckled, but there was a sad edge to the sound. ‘Oh baby, you have no idea how much I want to, but we can’t.’

Her lips parted in confusion. ‘Why not?’

‘Because…’ he trailed off and whistled twice. The door to their bath swung open, and their friends came rushing onto the balcony. Meera stared in surprise as they all burst in, loud and full of energy.

Raghav murmured into her ear, ‘I swear it’s like living in a joint family.’

Meera couldn’t suppress her laughter as Siya and Kusha collided with her, wrapping her up in their squealing embrace. The men patted Raghav on the back, and she could have sworn she saw a tear glint in his eye.

‘I’m getting married again!’ Meera yelled, the words escaping her mouth before she could even think. The group erupted in cheers, whistles, and hoots, filling the room with their joy.

The discussions for the ceremony began almost immediately as the group moved into the living room. The guys were already deep in conversation about the alcohol they would want at the wedding.

Meera just shook her head in amusement as she headed back to the bedroom, needing a moment to process everything that was happening.

Siya followed her, her energy practically bouncing off the walls. The dream they’d shared as children, of magical weddings and happy endings, was coming true. When Siya hugged her, Meera felt the happiness radiating from her friend.

They pulled apart, wiping their eyes, both of them laughing at their own emotional reactions. Siya reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. ‘I want to show you something,’ she said.

‘I drew this when we were kids and kept updating it as we grew. This is how I pictured it would be... and you don’t have to like it, Mihu. If you don’t, it’s okay.’

With a soft rustle, Siya unfolded the paper and handed it over to Meera. When Meera looked down at it, her breath caught in her throat. The drawing was of a lacy lavender off-shoulder dress with dusty pink floral patterns with tiny black dots that Meera knew would be crystals.

‘You mean this is how you imagined my dress would be?’ Meera asked.

‘We always talked about our weddings when we were young. I drew this to play with the idea, and with time I kept updating it.’

‘If you like this, I can get it custom-made. Or, if you want something else, we’ll go shopping. No pressure,’ Siya added, her voice filled with uncertainty.

Meera smiled, folding the paper back. ‘It’s good that there’s no obligation because when I choose this dress, it’ll be my choice alone.’

Siya jumped in delight as she threw her arms around Meera in a hug.

‘Hey! I would love to stand here and hug you, but don’t you have to custom-order my wedding dress? Come on, chop-chop. I’m the bride-to-be and I’d hate to be disappointed.’

Meera stood still for a moment, the weight of everything settling on her. She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Her heart was too full. She joined her friends in the living room, trying to steady her emotions.

‘So, when do you guys want to get hitched?’ Kusha asked.

Raghav grinned and said, ‘As soon as possible.’

Siya suggested, ‘How about New Year’s Eve?’

Meera loved the idea, but shook her head. ‘I don’t think so. It’s already the 4th of December. No venue will be available at such short notice.’

Abhay raised an eyebrow, curious. ‘What are you looking for? Some place fancy?’

‘Not at all,’ Meera replied, thinking about it. ‘I want something simple, like an open space for a small, intimate ceremony at sunset. It’ll just be us, after all.’

Abhay nodded and left the room, his phone already at his ear.

Meera leaned close to Raghav and whispered, ‘I had lost all hope, but you’re making my dream come true. Thank you.’

Raghav traced his finger on her cheek and said, ‘You never have to thank me.’

Abhay strode into the room with a triumphant grin and announced, ‘We’ve got a venue!’

Siya and Kusha, deep in a conversation about the wedding playlist, asked in unison, ‘Where?’

‘A guy I know has a farmhouse in Nashik. It’s got a massive backyard, and it’s just perfect for a small gathering.’ He turned to Meera and added, ‘It’s got the most incredible sunset view. Trust me, you’re going to love it.’

Meera had complete faith in Abhay. If anyone could pull this off, it was him. She reached out and clasped her fingers around his as she said, ‘Thank you.’

Luv raised his hand, his voice ringing out. ‘Awesome! I’ll handle the photography and food. I’ve got a friend in catering who owes me a favour.’

Kusha groaned and rolled her eyes. ‘Of course you do.’

‘Great! What else?’ Meera asked, excited. She couldn’t sit still, her hands fidgeting as if her energy needed an outlet.

‘Whatever it is, we’ll handle it,’ Raghav assured her, pulling her close and pressing a kiss to her cheek. ‘How about you focus on the fact that you’ll be a bride in three weeks?’

Luv smirked and leaned forward as he asked, ‘Does that mean I still have a chance to convince her to run away with me?’

Raghav shot him a withering glare, and warned, ‘Not happening.’

As soon as Raghav turned back to Meera, Luv mouthed the words I’ll love you more to her, making her laugh.

‘Not possible,’ she said between chuckles, leaning over to kiss Raghav on the cheek in response.

‘Ah, how will I live with a broken heart?’ He let out a theatrical sigh and dropped his head onto Siya’s shoulder.

Siya smiled and patted his cheek. ‘Poor baby,’ she said.

From across the room, Abhay’s expression darkened ever so slightly as he watched their interaction. His jaw tightened, and a fleeting look of annoyance crossed his face, but it was subtle enough that only Meera noticed.

Raghav cleared his throat and asked, ‘So, the wedding is on New Year’s Eve, right?’

The response was a loud chorus of agreement and cheers.