Page 5 of Since You Came Along (Ever Since #1)

I t was well past five when they stepped out of the pizza diner. The sky had softened to shades of dusky orange and pink. The chill in the air made her pull her shrug tighter around her. Meera hadn’t even noticed six hours had slipped by.

‘Your mum mentioned you’ve been accepted as an assistant professor at a college in Mumbai,’ Raghav said as they took a casual stroll back to the parking lot.

‘Yes. I know Siya’s been praying for the day I move to Mumbai. Speaking of which, how will this work between us?’ Meera asked, her brow furrowing.

‘The expansion plans for my company have been in the works for a year now,’ he said. ‘After I expanded to Bangalore last year, I started planning for Mumbai. The expansion is complete, and I’ll be moving there in a month to oversee the business.’

‘Oh, then if we decide to get married, this could work out,’ Meera said, a small smile tugging at her lips as she pictured how everything seemed to be falling into place.

‘Yes, it would. I suspect that’s how our dads got the idea about us. It can’t just be a coincidence that, two weeks after you got the job in Mumbai, they nudged us to meet each other.’

She paused, taking a moment to absorb his words. ‘That makes sense. So, is the office space ready?’

‘Yes, and the hiring process is underway,’ Raghav replied. ‘Once that’s sorted, Abhay and I will work together on new audit projects.’

As they reached their cars, a comfortable silence settled between them. They stood there, facing each other, as the soft hues of the setting sun bathed the street in golden light.

For a few moments, neither spoke, the nervous energy between them palpable. Finally, Raghav broke the silence. ‘I had a great day today,’ he said, his voice warm and genuine.

Meera tilted her head, a teasing glint in her eyes. ‘Oh yeah? And why’s that?’

He chuckled, his grin boyish. ‘Because I got to eat the bigger slice of pizza with extra oregano. Definitely the highlight of my day.’

Meera rolled her eyes. ‘I’ll let that go this time, only because you gave me your mousse cake. But if you dare touch my food again, I swear I’ll kick you.’

‘Noted,’ he replied, smirking. ‘Next time, I’ll be more discreet.’

Meera laughed, shaking her head as she turned to unlock her car. The beep of the lock broke the quiet, and she was just about to step in when Raghav cleared his throat. She paused, glancing back at him with a questioning look.

‘Um,’ he began, scratching the back of his neck. ‘Abhay’s in town for another week. We’re planning a dinner next Saturday. Would you and your friends like to join us? I’d love to meet them.’

Surprised by the invitation, Meera hesitated. Her pause seemed to make Raghav even more nervous. ‘We can move it to another day if that works better for you,’ he added, his words rushed. ‘It’s no problem at all.’

Meera smiled, her expression softening. ‘Saturday sounds great. We’d love to join you.’

Relief washed over him. ‘Perfect. I’ll send you the details by Thursday.’

Meera nodded, clutching her keys tighter. ‘Alright. We’ll be there.’

His eyes mirrored the faint smile on her face. Then Raghav took a tentative step forward. Meera hesitated for half a beat, surprised by the gesture, but then she stepped into his embrace.

The hug was warm, lingering just a heartbeat longer, as if neither wanted to let go. His hands rested on her back, his hold gentle yet sure. She could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat that seemed to match her own racing pulse.

When they pulled away, their eyes met, and Meera felt her cheeks flush.

‘Drive safe,’ he breathed, his voice holding a note of reluctance.

‘You too,’ she managed, her voice steadier than she felt.

As she unlocked her car and slipped inside, she stole one last glance at him. Raghav waved one hand in a goodbye, a faint smile on his face. Meera couldn’t help but smile back before driving away.

Raghav stood in the dim glow of the streetlights, watching her car disappear into the chaotic stream of evening traffic.

Just as he was about to get into his car, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He didn’t need to check the screen to know who was calling. He tapped the bluetooth in his ear and answered the call.

‘So?’ Abhay’s voice crackled with curiosity.

‘I’ve invited her to dinner on Saturday,’ Raghav replied, his tone betraying a mix of relief and satisfaction.

‘That’s the spirit!’ Abhay exclaimed, his laughter carrying through the line.

Raghav smiled and leaned against his car for a moment, his gaze drifting back to the road where Meera had disappeared.

‘Told you she wouldn’t say no,’ Abhay gloated.

Raghav chuckled, shaking his head. ‘Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.’

‘Did you tell her about… Veronica?’ he asked.

Raghav nodded, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. ‘Yes, I did.’

‘Are you okay?’ Abhay asked him, worry evident in his voice.

‘I’m okay, really.’ The memory of that conversation with Meera came flooding back. Her patience and understanding had wrapped around him like a comforting blanket, easing the weight he hadn’t realised he was carrying. She hadn’t judged, hadn’t pried, and that meant everything to him.

Later that night, Meera sat at her desk, trying to focus on her lecture prep. The quiet hum of her laptop filled the room, and the faint aroma of freshly brewed chai lingered in the air.

Her parents had bombarded her with questions earlier, and though she’d answered as neutrally as possible, the effort had left her drained. She sighed, stretching her neck, when a notification for an incoming video call lit up her screen.

She answered the call, and as usual, Siya appeared first. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, and the dark circles under her eyes looked like battle scars from her relentless schedule.

Running high-profile merger negotiations for her family business left no time for sleep.

Swayam joined the call, looking as if they’d interrupted a crucial moment in one of his intense video games.

‘So, how was he? How did it go?’ Siya asked, her voice distracted but curious as she flipped through her case papers.

Meera groaned. ‘Who told you guys? Oh, forget it. Stupid question.’

‘Duh! We get daily updates about you from your mom,’ Siya replied, still not looking up.

‘Well,’ Meera said with a small smile, ‘It went great. Really great.’

That got their attention. Both Siya and Swayam paused what they were doing and stared at her intently.

‘Really?’ Swayam asked, excited.

‘Yes. He seems like a great guy. We talked about all the important things. I even told him about Rutvik.’

Siya’s pencil snapped in her hand. ‘You told him about Rutvik? Oh my God, that’s huge!’

‘Tell us everything!’ Swayam chimed in.

Meera told them about Raghav’s family, his work, and even briefly mentioned Veronica. She kept the details vague, feeling it wasn’t her place to share too much about his past.

The questions came at her one after another. Then, Siya cut to the chase, as always. ‘Do you like him?’

Meera hesitated, her fingers brushing over the edge of her notebook. She thought back to the day they spent together, his calm demeanour, the easy way they talked, and the comfort she felt in his presence. The answer came, almost like a revelation. ‘Yes, I do.’

Siya let out a squeal so loud that Swayam shoved his fingers into his ears.

‘You like him enough to consider getting married to him?’ Siya asked, her tone softening.

Meera nodded. ‘Yes, I do. He’s a good man.

I know it’s only been two days, and I’m not the best judge of character, but he seems genuine.

He’s kind and understanding. The way he’s still loyal to his childhood love tells me he values commitment.

That’s the kind of man I could see myself getting married to. ’

Swayam leaned forward, grinning. ‘So, when do we get to meet this guy?’

‘He invited me to dinner with his friends on Saturday,’ Meera said, glancing between them. ‘I thought of asking you both to come along, but I know how busy Siya is with her merger, and Swayam, you’re always swamped with work too.’

Siya sighed, her shoulders slumping. ‘I really wish I could come, Mihu, but with the final meeting coming up, I barely have time to breathe.’

Before the guilt could settle, Swayam jumped in. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll go with her. Siya, send me your list of questions, and I’ll grill him.’

‘You’re my saviour,’ Siya said, blowing a kiss, which Swayam pretended to catch.

Meera burst out laughing at their antics. She thanked God for blessing her with these crazy, wonderful idiots who always had her back.