Page 2 of Since You Came Along

She left the room before Raghav could tell her he preferred coffee. It seemed rude to call her back, so he made peace with tea. He looked around the room and found it neat and pristine, with everything in its proper place, except for a cluttered table.

A few papers lay scattered on it, alongside some blunt charcoal pencils. One page caught his eye. An intricate snowflake symbol was drawn at the bottom of the page. Above it was a sketch of a girl sitting by a window, looking outside. The pastel colours of the morning light outlined the girl’s dark silhouette. Her outstretched hand in the drawing seemed to reach for the distant mountains. For a moment, Raghav stood mesmerised, feeling a strange pull in his chest as he stared at the sketch.

‘Do you like it?’ The husky voice behind him caught Raghav off guard.

He turned around and found her leaning against the doorframe, arms folded across her chest. If he had thought the sketch was beautiful, it was nothing compared to the girl standing before him.

Meera’s long, straight hair framed her heart-shaped face, giving her a graceful look. The small smile playing on her lips made her even more stunning. The sunlight streaming through the window caught her face, bringing out the warm amber tones in her doe eyes.

Dressed in a simple white salwar kameez with the dupatta draped over her shoulders, she looked both beautiful and unassuming. Raghav couldn’t tear his gaze away.

She raised an eyebrow, waiting for a response.

The sight of her was enough to scatter his thoughts. He took a deep breath and placed the sketch carefully back on the table, needing a moment to compose himself.

Raghav cleared his throat and muttered the first thing that came to mind. ‘It’s… okay.’

Her smile faded, replaced by a look of quiet resignation. Meera nodded as if she had expected him not to understand her drawings.

Raghav immediately regretted his words, wishing he could express his genuine admiration for her work. Before he could muster the courage, she said, ‘I was sent to call you back out. Your parents are asking for you.’

She walked past him, putting her sketches in a file and gathering her pencils into a box. The shift in her mood made him feel like an idiot. He wanted to apologise, but her closed-offexpression made it clear that if he messed up again, things would only get worse. Raghav simply nodded and left the room.

Meera stayed behind for a few minutes, absentmindedly playing with the charcoal pencil in her hand.

Chapter 2

When Meera returned to the living room, Damini was entertaining everyone with a childhood story of hers.

‘So, Meera was two months old, sitting on that table,’ her mother said, pointing to their vintage dining table. Meera had heard this story too many times, but she smiled at Gayatri and sat next to her. Meera often thought her mother should have been a writer, but she’d chosen law instead.

‘We were trying to get her to smile for a picture,’ Damini continued, pausing for dramatic effect. ‘That’s when we noticed something yellow in her mouth.’

Meera stole a quick glance at Raghav. Since she’d already decided they weren’t compatible, she didn’t bother about leaving an impression, but she was still curious about his reaction. He was listening intently to her mother, so Meera looked away. But Abhay, his best friend, caught her staring at Raghav. He wiggled his eyebrows at her. She rolled her eyes and smiled back.

Damini smiled. ‘So, it turns out she had stuffed her mouth with a lemon from a grocery bag lying on the table. Things were never boring with her.’

‘Oh, I get it. You should hear some stories of Raghav!’ Gayatri exclaimed, and Abhay laughed at his expense.

Raghav faked a cough and glanced at his father for help, but Trinay Sareen merely shrugged with a smile. Realising he was on his own, he turned to Damini and said, ‘Please don’t listen to them, Aunty.’

‘Of course not, dear,’ Damini assured him, sharing a cryptic smile with Gayatri. Meera noticed how quickly her mother and Gayatri had become good friends, even though the families had met through their fathers.

Gayatri turned to Meera and asked, ‘So, Meera, everything worked out alright with the meeting at your college?’

‘Yes, Aunty. The HOD gave the student a final warning over the bullying allegations. His parents weren’t pleased, but they accepted responsibility and assured they’d keep him under control.’

‘What’s the story?’ Abhay asked, curious.

‘Jatin and his friends had been bullying some students, but no one complained until now. Recently, he picked on Ajay, a sweet kid from my batch who stutters. They thought he’d be an easy target, but Ajay was skilled in martial arts, and it wasn’t an easy fight.’

‘That’s the spirit,’ Raghav said, flashing a grin.

‘Ajay wanted to file a complaint himself, but he came to me first. I helped him file it with the Dean, and his parents asked for my presence at the meeting today. Jatin got an earful.’

‘You handled that well, Meera,’ Raghav remarked, earning a hesitant smile from her.It seemed he had some manners after all, Meera mused.

As Meera started talking to Gayatri, Raghav had time to observe her. He had dated attractive girls in college, but there was something about Meera’s quiet confidence that drew him in.

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