Page 40 of Since You Came Along

She found Raghav standing right behind her.

‘Hey, what’s up?’ Raghav asked, worry evident in his voice.

Meera looked at him, her lips pressing into a thin line as she hesitated. ‘Do you mind if we reschedule tonight’s date?’

Raghav felt a sharp pang of disappointment, but he pushed it aside. ‘Of course not. But is everything okay?’ he asked, stepping closer.

She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. ‘It’s Siya. You remember those jewel designs she’s been working on? After giving her hope for a month, her dad bulldozed right over them and went with her stepbrother’s ideas. She’s very upset because Dhruv stole her designs.’

Raghav frowned, his brows knitting together. ‘Why would he do that?’

Meera hesitated, searching for the right words. ‘Um... Siya has a strained relationship with her father, especially since Dhruv came into the picture.’

Raghav nodded. If she hadn’t cancelled, he would’ve suggested her to. ‘Can I help in any way?’

‘I’ll let you know if we need anything,’ she replied, a small smile tugging at her lips despite the heaviness in her voice. ‘I’ll be staying over at her place tonight, so I’ll be back tomorrow.’

Though he knew she was doing the right thing, a part of him already missed having her around. ‘Then we’ll go out for dinner tomorrow,’ he said.

Her smile widened. ‘You bet.’ After a beat, she added, ‘I can’t wait.’

Meera turned back to pack her overnight bag, folding clothes with practised precision. Raghav gave her space and headed into the living room, where Abhay was lounging on the sofa, scrolling through his phone.

Dropping onto the beanbag, Raghav let out a long sigh, his eyes fixed on the ceiling fan.

‘Everything alright?’ Abhay asked.

‘Meera rescheduled our date,’ Raghav replied, his voice flat.

Abhay teased, ‘Trouble in paradise?’

Raghav met his gaze. ‘It’s because Siya is upset.’

The smirk vanished. ‘Siya? Why, what’s wrong? Is she okay?’ Abhay asked, aware that he sounded worried, too worried.

Raghav tilted his head, studying his expression, but answered anyway. ‘Her stepbrother stole her designs to show their dad. A month’s worth of work, gone just like that.’

Abhay scoffed, leaning back against the cushions. ‘Dhruv is still pulling stunts like that, huh?’

Raghav narrowed his eyes. ‘How do you know about her stepbrother and the stunts he pulls?’

Abhay hesitated, his fingers tapping the armrest. ‘Their family brand is our biggest competitor. I keep tabs on them to stay ahead.’

Raghav raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. ‘Uh-huh, and that involves keeping tabs on personal relationships too, does it?’

Abhay refused to bite, waving the comment away. ‘Will she be okay?’

Raghav nodded, rising to his feet and patting his shoulder. ‘Meera is heading over there. She’ll be fine.’

Back in the bedroom, Meera zipped up her bag. When she heard Raghav approaching, she said, ‘If Siya is up for it, I’m thinking of inviting Kusha over. We can have a girls’ night.’

Raghav paused, leaning against the doorframe. He suspected Kusha would have a difficult time adjusting to Meera’s presence. He could only hope they were getting along well. Just the fact that Meera was trying to involve her meant a lot to him.

As he reached her, he placed his hands on her waist and turned her around to face him. Meera blinked up at him. Without a word, he pulled her into his arms.

‘Thank you,’ he whispered against her hair.

She leaned back, and he brushed a light kiss over them, savouring the moment.

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