Page 37 of Since You Came Along (Ever Since #1)

Abhay twirled her around to face him and smiled as he vowed, ‘Oh, I am not letting you go this time, Jaan . I promise you.’

Meera smiled to herself as she watched Abhay and Siya dancing together. Kusha approached and sank onto the stairs beside her.

‘Why are you sitting here by yourself?’ Kusha asked.

‘Raghav is inside, talking on the phone. Do you see that?’ Meera asked, pointing at the swaying couple.

‘Oh, yeah. If they think they’ve been subtle in their love-hate interactions, they’re totally wrong.’

Meera leaned toward her and said, ‘You know what? Someone should play Hogaya Hai Tujhko Toh Pyaar Sajna song on a loop every time these two are together.’

Kusha’s eyes widened, and both of them shared mischievous grins. Seconds later, that song blared through the speakers, surprising Abhay and Siya.

Abhay laughed as the meaning of it hit him and blew a playful kiss at Kusha, who had changed the song. Siya muttered a curse under her breath and pulled herself free from his hold. She caught Meera and Kusha laughing and flipped them off as she stalked back to her seat.

Kusha wandered off to tease Siya, leaving Meera sitting alone on the stairs. The soft glow of fairy lights reflected off the delicate rings on her fingers, catching her eye. Meera smiled as she traced the smooth metal with her thumb.

She’d never admitted it to anyone, but she hated they had never had an engagement ceremony. For as long as she could remember, she had romanticised the idea of love through the exchanging of rings—a tangible symbol of commitment.

She remained lost in thought until she sensed Raghav behind her. Without looking up, she smiled. ‘Missed me already, huh?’

‘Always,’ Raghav murmured as he sat down behind her, pulling her back against his chest. He nuzzled her before pressing a soft kiss on the cheek.

Laughter and chatter floated through the cool evening air as Kusha and Siya bickered in the distance, with Luv and Swayam egging them on.

Raghav noticed Meera shiver and wrapped his arms around her, gently rubbing warmth into her skin. ‘This ceremony was such a beautiful idea, Mihu. Today, it feels like you truly became mine. We may have been married before, but tonight, we tied the knot.’

‘I know,’ Meera whispered. Then, as though struck by a sudden thought, she turned and added, ‘By the way, I don’t know why I never told you this before, but I love my rings.’

‘Speaking of rings,’ Raghav said with a soft chuckle, lifting her hand and placing it over his chest. Beneath his shirt, she could feel the faint outline of a ring on a chain.

A smile tugged at her lips as Meera looked up at him. ‘You wore it?’ she asked, her voice tinged with delight.

‘Yes. Thank you for giving it to me. I didn’t even realise how much I needed this closure until I put it on.’ He kissed her forehead and added, ‘Thank you, sweetheart. I don’t know how you always seem to understand everything.’

‘It’s easy,’ Meera replied with a soft laugh. ‘I love you, and I want to make you happy. That’s all.’

Raghav said, ‘You know, you were right. Nica liked you.’

She tilted her head to look up at him. ‘What do you mean?’

‘That day, you saw a little bird with a small red patch beneath the tail, didn’t you?’ he asked.

When she nodded, he continued, ‘I saw it for the first time when I visited her after the funeral. Since then, it’s only appeared a handful of times, but always during important moments. I know it doesn’t make sense, but it’s a sign that she likes you.’

Meera hadn’t realised how much she needed to hear those words until now. The knowledge settled warmly in her gut, a quiet sort of happiness spreading through her. She said, ‘I like her too.’

‘And you know what? I love you, Mrs Sareen.’

‘I love you too, Mr Sareen,’ she replied, her eyes shining.

Raghav reached for her hand and played with the wedding ring on her finger. ‘So, this time we did it the right way, yeah?’

‘We didn’t do it the right way before?’ she teased, raising an eyebrow.

‘I don’t know. This just feels like the real thing, you know?’

‘Of course it does.’ She grinned, holding her hand up to show off the ring. ‘Because I’ve got a ring now!’

‘I’m glad you like it. I wanted to make you happy.’

She placed a sloppy kiss on his cheek and said, ‘You did.’

Raghav leaned in closer and nipped at her earlobe. ‘I want to do so much more to you.’

A shiver ran down her spine, and she let out a breathy moan. ‘You can do anything you want to me on our honeymoon.’

‘Honeymoon?’

With a sly smile, she announced, ‘Well, I’m taking you away for two weeks on our honeymoon.’

Raghav looked at her, startled. ‘What? Where?’

Her smile turned wicked as she answered, ‘To a faraway cabin on the beach. No doorbells, no surprise visitors, no interruptions.’

He threw his head back and laughed. ‘When did you plan this?’

‘The day you proposed. You gave me my dream wedding. I wanted to do something for us too.’

He kissed her and sighed. ‘I can’t wait,’ he said.

In that moment, it was just them, their happiness and their love.

A sudden shout broke through their bubble. ‘Come on, guys. It’s almost time!’

Hand in hand, they joined their friends, who were shouting the final countdown with infectious energy. As the clock struck midnight, Meera stood in Raghav’s arms, gazing up at the fireworks.

Surrounded by the joyful laughter of her family, with love in her heart and a ring on her finger, Meera knew she had found a place where she truly belonged.