Page 51 of Since You Came Along

When the rain stopped, they sat on a large rock near the edge, the sun now a faint glow on the horizon. For Raghav, it was as though time had slowed, giving him the chance to be with her.

‘Do you want to stay the night in Matheran?’ he asked. He had an urge to hold her close, fall asleep with her warmth against him.

Meera considered it, her lips quirking up in thought. Then, she said with a mischievous glint in her eye, ‘Or, we could have a long drive back home.’

Raghav grinned. ‘I love how we think alike,’ he said, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face.

By the time they left the viewpoint, the chill in the air had deepened. Spotting a cosy coffee place on their way, he pulled over. They ordered coffee and snacks to go.

On the drive back home, Meera recounted the story of how Siya had met shy and reserved Swayam in college and invited him to join their group for an art project. That’s how he became a part of their trio.

Raghav, glancing at her with a smile, asked, ‘I thought you and Swayam have always been close friends.’

‘No,’ she replied, her tone quieter now. ‘We became close after Rutvik and I broke up. Actually, it was because Swayam punched Rutvik.’

His brows shot up. ‘Swayam punched him?’

Meera nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips. ‘Yeah. He waited for the right moment and landed a solid punch on him.’

Raghav shook his head, his admiration for Swayam growing. ‘He should have broken his nose.’

Meera chuckled. ‘Oh, Siya took care of that. She punched him right after Swayam and broke his nose. To this day, I still don’t know how they found him. They just share this smug, secret smile whenever I ask.’

Raghav smirked. ‘And how did you feel about it?’

Meera hesitated, her gaze fixed out of the window. ‘Honestly? I felt little at the time. I was so numb, disconnected from everything. That was my way of coping, I guess.’

She paused, her lips curving into a bittersweet smile. ‘Siya had other ideas. She wanted me to throw away everything Rutvikhad ever given me. Though, to be fair, he only ever gave me one thing.’

Raghav thought of the ring Veronica had given him when they were kids, tucked away in a box he hadn’t opened in years. He understood how hard it could be to let go of such things. ‘What was it?’ he asked.

Her eyes clouded with a sadness that made his chest tighten. ‘An anklet. For my last birthday with him.’

When she didn’t continue, Raghav pressed, ‘That’s it?’

She shrugged. ‘That’s it. Rutvik didn’t believe in giving gifts.’

Raghav frowned. ‘What about the other three birthdays? You were together for four years.’

Meera shook her head. ‘Nothing. He just didn’t see the point of it.’

A thought struck Raghav, his voice sharp with disbelief. ‘What about receiving gifts?’

‘Oh, he loved it,’ Meera muttered, her tone dry.

‘But he never got you anything?’

She shook her head again, her voice dropping to a whisper. ‘I didn’t mind.’

But Raghav knew better. Rutvik hadn’t cared enough to make any effort. The thought made his blood simmer. ‘At least he got you that anklet.’

Meera let out a bitter laugh. ‘It must have been a guilt gift. By then, he was already cheating on me with Ahana.’

His grip tightened on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. He ached to go back in time and give Rutvik a piece of his mind, or maybe just a broken bone or two.

‘Do you still have it?’ he asked after a moment.

Her voice was barely audible. ‘Yes.’

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