Page 34 of Since You Came Along

He paused, his expression softening. ‘I’ve seen the change in Raghav since you got married, Meera. After Veronica, he shut himself off from everyone. But now, we see a glimpse of our old, happy friend again. You’ve made a difference.’

She thanked him, and Abhay said, ‘Kusha is stubborn, but give her time. She’ll come around.’

‘Let’s keep this between us?’ Meera asked, and he nodded in agreement.

As she was about to leave the kitchen, Abhay called out to her. She turned, and he said with quiet conviction, ‘You’re right, you know. You have a place of your own in our lives.’

Later that night, as Meera climbed into bed, her mind lingered on Abhay’s words. She turned to Raghav, sleeping beside her, and couldn’t resist brushing her fingers against his cheek. The thought haunted her as she lay awake all night, wondering if she truly had a place in his heart.

Chapter 15

Raghav came home to an eerie silence. He glanced around, noticing that the only light came from a dim table lamp casting long shadows across the room. The only sound that broke the stillness was the soft echo of his shoes on the floor as he stepped into the living room.

Usually, Meera would have some music playing or be watching a series, but tonight there was nothing. It felt wrong.

He paused in the doorway, wondering where Meera had gone. She always sent a text if she needed to step out. A sense of unease settled over him as he moved through the house.

He reached for a glass and filled it with water, but as he turned to leave, something on the counter caught his eye. A sheet of drawing paper lay there, their edges curled. He recognised her work by her snowflake signature scribbled in the bottom corner.

Raghav picked up the first one and studied it. The pencil sketch was of a girl lying on her back, her right profile visible. Her eyes were open, staring up, but it was the single tear at the corner of her eye that drew his attention.

The sadness was almost palpable. Meera had titled the pieceIf Only. The melancholy in the drawing gnawed at him. He had seen many of her sketches, but none of them had ever conveyedthis kind of emotion before. Raghav could feel the heaviness in his chest as he set the paper down.

Raghav walked into their bedroom, hoping to find her there, but the room was empty. When he turned towards to balcony, the first thing that struck him was the darkness. The string lights that Meera switched on every night after she got home were off. The sight of the dark balcony made his heart sink.

When he stepped outside, he saw her. Meera sat alone on the swing he had put up for her. With her knees pulled up to her chest, her head rested on the pillow behind her.

Despite the soft glow of the full moon, there was an undeniable sadness about her. She looked so small, as if the weight of her emotions had made her shrink.

Raghav cleared his throat, and Meera opened her eyes. ‘Oh, you’re home,’ she breathed.

He stepped closer, trying to make sure she was okay. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach, a knot that seemed to tighten the more he looked at her. ‘Yes, I had the keys, so I didn’t knock. What are you doing out here?’

‘Just sitting,’ she replied, her gaze turning once again to the moon. Her fingers traced the edge of the cushion, lost in thought. It looked as if something had drained the life out of her.

‘How was your day?’ he asked.

She gave a bitter laugh, one that didn’t sound like her. ‘Weird. How was yours?’

Raghav was determined to get to the bottom of it. ‘My day was fine. What happened?’

Meera closed her eyes, as if the weight of the day had made her weary. ‘I met Rutvik today,’ she said, and the words hit Raghav like a punch to the gut.

Her voice faltered as she continued, ‘In November, the English departments of three universities are coming together for a charity ball dance event. With only two months left, we were all asked to attend the event strategy meeting today. Rutvik’s event management company has the contract, so he was there at the meeting.’

It all fell into place. Her mood and the sketches made sense now. He felt a surge of protective instinct, but he wasn’t sure how to reach her. Still, he asked, ‘Are you okay?’

Meera didn’t want to lie, so she just shrugged. Raghav understood. He also didn’t know how to deal with the fact that Rutvik still affected her to this extent, so he refused to think about it right now. ‘Do you want to talk about it?’ he asked, his voice soft but full of concern.

Meera shook her head, her fingers idly twisting her wedding ring. Raghav knew she did that when she was nervous or when something was bothering her. ‘Why not?’ he asked again.

Meera couldn’t find an answer to his question. Why didn’t she talk about Rutvik? Because if she did, she’d have to think about all that he had done to her. She never talked about him because it would be like reopening an old wound that’d never healed.

Even now, three years later, the pain was still raw. So, instead of confronting those painful memories, she shrugged and muttered, ‘Because we don’t talk about those things.’

Raghav didn’t press her, and the silence stretched between them until Meera stood up. ‘How about you go freshen up, and I’ll re-heat dinner?’

‘Why don’t we ever talk about our past?’ he asked, holding her wrist and stopping her.

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