Page 29 of Since You Came Along

Chapter 13

On Friday evening, as Raghav and Abhay stepped out of the elevator, they heard a pounding rhythm that seemed to shake the very walls of the building. The sound was coming from Raghav’s apartment. The front door practically vibrated in sync with the beats of some wild rock music.

Raghav exchanged a confused look with Abhay. ‘Are you throwing a party that I wasn’t invited to?’ Abhay asked, raising his voice to compete with the noise.

He shook his head. Raghav had the system installed after they’d moved in but hadn’t even powered it on yet.Looks like Meera beat me to it, he thought.

Abhay knocked on the door, but it was pointless. The racket inside drowned out the sound. Raghav sighed, fishing out his keys. His unease grew. Should Meera be listening to such loud music when she has just recovered? Without waiting further, he unlocked the door and stepped inside.

The scene in the living room was chaotic. Someone had transformed the calm and tidy living room into a makeshift dance floor. Meera and Siya were in the middle of it, jumping and dancing to the thrashing beats.

Meera had her eyes squeezed shut, charcoal stick in hand. Siya was making sure Meera didn’t fall while shouting words of encouragement at her.

Raghav couldn’t tear his gaze away from Meera. There was something utterly captivating about the way she moved, so carefree and uninhibited. It’s a side of her he didn’t see often.

Abhay nudged him with a grin. ‘Is this how they always dance? If so, we’ve been missing out. Imagine them in a club!’

Raghav chuckled, shaking his head. He turned to look at Abhay and found his gaze glued to Siya. But there was no time for teasing. The volume needed to come down before they all went deaf.

Raghav crossed to the music system and turned the dial, bringing the chaos to a manageable level. The girls stopped dancing, catching their breath.

‘Have you two been smoking something?’ Abhay joked.

Siya answered, taking a deep breath, ‘She’s trying to get in the zone.’

‘What zone?’ Raghav asked, stepping in front of Meera, who was now rifling through the cluttered coffee table for her sketchbook.

Siya explained, ‘A friend of hers called earlier. She requested Meera to draw something that captures the spirit of rock music for an upcoming exhibition. So, she’s, you know, feeling the vibe.’

Meera ignored them, completely absorbed in her sketchbook.

Siya continued, ‘She’s always been like this. When it’s her own project, she can sketch anywhere, anytime. But when it’s a commission? She needs to fully immerse herself. Dance and music are all part of her process.’

Setting his bag on the sofa, Raghav asked, ‘And when did you get here?’

Siya grinned. ‘We dropped by after work to check on her. She didn’t answer the door, so I used the spare key she gave me. Found her dancing like this.’

Raghav frowned. ‘We? Who else?’

‘Swayam. He’s out on the balcony attending a call.’

Abhay walked closer to Siya and smirked, ‘And what about you? Why wereyoudancing?’

Siya rolled her eyes, refusing to meet his gaze. ‘I was helping her get in the zone,’ she said, directing her answer to Raghav instead.

Meera groaned in frustration, cutting their exchange short. ‘Something’s missing!’ she exclaimed, glaring at her sketchpad.

Raghav walked over and crouched beside her. Gently, he tipped her chin up so she’d meet his eyes. ‘What’s missing, Meera?’

‘I need to feel the beat,’ she said, her voice tinged with frustration. ‘But I just can’t.’

He studied her for a moment, then glanced at the music system. The tracks they’d been playing weren’t iconic as rock music.

Moments later, Raghav played a song and the opening riff ofThunderstruckbyAC/DCblared through the speakers. He tookMeera’s hand and encouraged her, ‘Close your eyes and feel the music.’

The pulsating energy of the song filled the space, and soon they were both singing in time with the lyrics. Meera’s face lit up as if the music had ignited something within her. Suddenly, she broke away, rushing back to her sketchpad.

The room fell silent, except for the song playing in the background, as she poured herself into her work. The only sound was the scratch of charcoal on paper. When she was done sketching the outline, Meera looked up at them and smiled.

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