Page 53 of Since You Came Along

Surprised, she raised an eyebrow. ‘You remember that?’

‘Of course. We talked about a lot of things, but that was one of the first things I learned about you.’

‘One of the first?’ she asked, curiosity creeping into her voice.

‘Yeah,’ Raghav said, crossing his arms. ‘By then, I already knew you were an amazing painter and a thoughtful person.’

‘What made you think I was thoughtful?’

‘You boughtgajrafor my mom even though you didn’t have to. You brought a basket of cookies for Dad and stood up for a kid being bullied. It was obvious from the start.’

Meera stared at him, her heart swelling with warmth. ‘Huh, so you do pay attention.’

His lips curled into a smile. ‘You think I’d marry someone without paying attention?’

She shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. ‘Guess you’re not as daft as I thought.’

‘That was weak. Try harder next time,’ he teased, putting his arm around her. ‘Now stop stalling and tell me what’s bothering you.’

Meera sighed, placing the mug down. ‘It’s just one of those nights when everything feels heavy,’ she admitted. ‘I’m restless and I don’t know why.’

Raghav nodded, urging her to go on.

‘You have an early meeting tomorrow,’ she said, her voice tinged with guilt. ‘You should go back to sleep.’

‘And leave you here by yourself? Not happening,’ he said. ‘Talk to me.’

She looked into his eyes, the sincerity in his words wrapping around her like a warm blanket. For the first time that night, the house didn’t feel so lonely.

Finally, she sighed, running a hand through her hair. ‘I don’t know where to start.’

He leaned forward. ‘Why don’t we begin with the smallest thing that’s bothering you and figure out how to solve it?’

Meera blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. ‘Ever since Luv dropped my phone a few days ago, it’s been acting up.’

His lips twitched into a half-smile. ‘We’ll get you a new one. Next?’

She bit her lip, fiddling with the edge of her coffee mug. ‘I’ve been asked to help organise two literary events in January, and it’s already November. I don’t even know where to start.’

Raghav tilted his head. ‘You’ve got two months to plan. You’re smart, and you’re great at organising things. If you need extra help, ask some of your students to pitch in. It’ll bring out their creative side and give them some experience in managing events.’

‘That’s actually a good idea,’ she muttered, impressed.

‘Of course it is,’ he said with a teasing grin. ‘What’s next?’

‘It’s my mood swings. I’m restless and irritated because of my period.’

Raghav didn’t miss a beat. He leaned to the side and took out a bar of chocolate from the drawer. Meera stared at him in surprise as he handed it to her.

She gave him a grateful smile and popped a piece of chocolate into her mouth.

Raghav chuckled. ‘Feel better now?’

‘Maybe,’ she gave a muffled reply.

‘Good. Now tell me what’s really bothering you, Meera,’ he said.

Her smile faltered as the actual issue came to mind. ‘You know The Charity Ball is this evening, right? Yesterday, duringthe final meeting, they told us it’s mandatory to stay for the entire event.’

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