Page 69 of Since You Came Along

‘There was an accident,’ he said, closing his eyes.

‘Oh my God,’ she breathed. Her hand went to her heart as she asked, ‘Who was it? Is someone hurt?’

He mumbled something, but his tone was so quiet that she missed it.

‘Who was it? Someone we know?’ Her thoughts raced, imagining the worst.

‘No,’ he repeated, but the agony in his eyes didn’t fade.

Relief washed over her before a fresh fear gripped her. ‘Were you in an accident? Raghav, are you hurt?’

She touched his face, his arms, his chest, frantically checking for injuries. But he shook his head. ‘I’m fine,’ he said hoarsely.

‘Then who was it?’ She asked, frustration and worry bubbling over. But as she shouted, a sharp pain shot through her head, making her wince.

‘You have a fever,’ he said, his thumb brushing over her forehead.

‘Forget about that. Are you sure everyone is okay?’

He nodded. After a moment, he asked, ‘You didn’t go to Bandra?’

‘I did,’ she said, confused.

At her answer, he gripped her hand tight. ‘When?’

‘Around nine in the morning. Why?’

‘You told Siya that you’d go at noon,’ he said.

‘I know, but I couldn’t stay at home after she left, so I went earlier. Wait—how do you know about it?’

He tried to relax his grip and said, ‘There was an accident in Bandra today. A truck hit a woman in an Audi A6. The car went up in flames. She... she didn’t survive.’

Meera gasped. Everything suddenly made sense.

‘You thought it was me?’ she whispered.

Raghav nodded. Meera could see the pain brimming in his eyes. Without a second thought, Meera wrapped her arms around him. She couldn’t imagine the torment he must have gone through. He buried his face in her shoulder, still shaking, and she stroked his back.

‘I called your university. They said you didn’t come in, didn’t call in sick either.’

Meera closed her eyes, the weight of his words sinking in. She could only imagine the thoughts that must have plagued him, how his mind would have spiralled to the worst conclusions.

‘I took a medicine, and it knocked me out. I woke up just an hour ago.’

‘We all thought… I thought… I thought I lost you, Mihu,’ he said, choking back a sob.

The nickname struck a chord deep within her. It was the first time he had called her that. Her heart clenched, and a lump formed in her throat. She fought back tears as she reached for him.

Gently, she cupped his face in her hands, her thumbs brushing against the stubble on his cheeks. She pressed her forehead against his, and said, ‘I am right here in your arms, Raghav. I’m not going anywhere.’

He exhaled, the tension easing out of his body. The erratic pulse at his neck calmed, and the tremors finally stopped after a few moments. They sat there in silence, entwined in each other’s arms.

Raghav leaned back, lifting his gaze to hers. His eyes still glistened with tears. ‘Come to bed with me, baby. I need to hold you,’ he whispered.

Before she could respond, he bent down and scooped her up into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her to their room.

Raghav laid her down on the bed, taking care to prop a pillow under her head. He stripped off his shirt, tossing it aside before slipping under the covers. He pulled her close, tucking her into his side as though shielding her from the world.

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