Page 22 of Since You Came Along

‘You know, you sing so well,’ he said sincerely. ‘Why haven’t I ever heard you sing before?’

Her smile faded, and her gaze dropped to her lap. She remained silent for so long that Raghav couldn’t help but glance at her. He noticed how her posture had stiffened and she was playing with her wedding ring.

‘Meera?’ he prompted.

She sighed. ‘Rutvik hated it,’ she admitted, her voice almost swallowed by the hum of the car.

Raghav frowned, his hands tightening slightly on the wheel. ‘Your ex?’ he asked.

Meera nodded, her gaze still fixed on her lap. ‘He couldn’t stand it when I sang. Said I always got the notes wrong or that my timing was off. It used to frustrate him.’

Her voice wavered, and she swallowed hard before continuing. ‘Once, we were at a karaoke night with his friends. I sang, thinking it would be fun… but he was so embarrassed. He made me leave early and told me I’d ruined the evening.’

His jaw tightened, anger flickering behind his eyes, but he kept his voice even. ‘That’s… awful.’

She let out a humourless laugh. ‘Over time, his criticisms got to me. I stopped singing around him. I guess, somewhere along the way, I stopped singing altogether.’

The confession hung in the air between them, raw and painful. His chest tightened at the thought of someone chipping away at her confidence like that.

‘I’m sorry, Meera,’ he said, his voice thick with emotion. ‘That’s not how it should have been. No one should make you feel that way, least of all your partner.’

She glanced at him, her eyes shimmering tears. ‘It doesn’t matter. It’s fine.’

Raghav pulled the car to the side of the road, the engine idling as he turned to face her. His hand reached out, covering hers.

‘It matters to me. It does matter because if it makes you happy, do it. And I’d love it if you sang for me, anytime,’ he said, his voice steady and filled with conviction.

Her breath hitched, his words undoing the knot that had been tightening in her chest. For the first time in years, she felt seen, understood in a way she hadn’t allowed herself to hope for.

She managed a small smile, her hand tightening over his. ‘Thank you, Raghav, for this.’

He smiled back, his thumb brushing against her knuckles. ‘Always here for you.’

A while later, they spotted a small tea stall tucked under a flickering streetlight and stopped. The air smelled of wet earth, mingling with the sharp aroma of brewingchai. The tea vendor, a middle-aged man with a weathered face, moved with practised ease, pouring steaming liquid into clay cups.

They sat on the low stone embankment of Marine Drive. The gentle lull of waves breaking against the sea wall blended with the occasional honk of a car cruising along the quiet road.

Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen. It was a message from Siya:If I die surrounded by my designs, don’t mourn me. Just know I went doing what I loved.

Meera let out a laugh so sudden and loud that she accidentally spilled some tea on her fingers.

Raghav turned to look at her. ‘Are you okay? What happened?’ he asked, concern lacing his tone as he took the cup from her hand.

Still laughing, she showed him the text. ‘Look at what Siya sent me.’

Raghav read it and let out a chuckle. ‘She has quite the dramatic flair. But designs? I thought she was a lawyer.’

‘She is, because that’s what her father wanted her to be. But her heart lies in creating designs for their family jewel business. Siya is working late nights on new designs, hoping that this upcoming launch will finally prove her talent and convince him to let her join the design team.’

He handed her the cup back, shaking his head with amusement. ‘By the way, what do you think is going on with her and Abhay?’

Meera grabbed a tissue and wiped her fingers. ‘You’ve noticed too, huh?’

‘Of course,’ Raghav said with a grin. ‘They’re anything but subtle when they’re pretending to hate each other.’

Meera smirked. ‘Siya tries to avoid him, but Abhay just stares at her like she’s the most amusing thing he’s ever seen.’

‘That’s because sheisto him,’ Raghav replied. ‘I’ve never seen him act this way around anyone else. It’s like he’s made it his personal mission to annoy her. I’d give anything to know the story there.’

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