Page 77 of Since You Came Along

Moments later, as she stepped into the living room, they pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. Meera smiled, her heart brimming with warmth as she hugged them back. She had finally found her place—a home, a family, and the man she loved.

Chapter 27

Aweek later, Meera walked into their home, greeted by the rich aroma of chocolate. Intrigued, she set her bag down and followed the soft music.

She stepped inside and found Raghav waiting for her in the living room. He wore the black shirt she loved on him, paired with blue jeans. The way he smiled when she walked in made her heart skip a beat.

‘What’s all this?’ she asked, walking up to him.

‘You’ll see,’ Raghav teased, holding out a chocolate chip cookie. ‘First, taste this.’

Meera took a bite, and a delighted moan escaped her lips. The cookie was fudgy, with a satisfying crunch and pockets of gooey melted chocolate in the centre.

‘This is incredible! Where did you get it?’ she asked, impressed.

‘I made it,’ he announced, puffing out his chest.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she gasped. ‘Really?’

‘Yes. I wanted to surprise you. I know food is your love language, so I've been practising baking at Abhay’s place. Turns out, I’m a bit of a natural,’ he said, smirking.

‘A bit? Raghav, this is better than mine!’ she exclaimed. Then, she grabbed his arms as excitement bubbled over, ‘Does this mean we’ll bake together more often?’

Raghav closed his eyes and groaned. ‘I should have seen this coming. Okay, we’ll bake more together.’

Meera squealed in delight and flung her arms around him, hugging him.

‘Now that I’ve officially signed my soul away as your baking assistant, how about we head to the balcony?’ he suggested, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Meera followed him, chatting about her day. She was so engrossed in her story that she noticed nothing unusual until she stepped onto the balcony and stopped mid-sentence.

The sight before her was magical. Fairy lights glowed softly, bathing the balcony in a golden warmth. The swing and couch were gone, replaced by a carpet of fragrant rose petals. She gasped when she saw the wall covered with her pictures.

Meera approached the wall, her fingers trembling as she reached out to touch the first image of her parents holding her as a baby. The next image was her with Alpha as a puppy. Her gaze wandered further. She saw a photo from the first day of the group project with Swayam and Siya, and another from their café hangouts.

As she turned to the right, she saw pictures of her and Raghav. Their wedding day. The impromptu bachelor party. Their first date. Each photo seemed to hold a memory, a moment frozen in time.

But the centrepiece took her breath away. A cluster of monochromatic, candid photographs of her. In some she waslaughing, in others she looked occupied or looking far off somewhere. In the middle of the photographs was an amateur pencil sketch of her.

She felt Raghav coming up behind her as he snaked an arm around her waist and said, ‘I drew that.’

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, her gaze fixed on the pictures. ‘Really?’ she whispered, moved.

‘I’m not the best artist, but I gave it my all. After several failed attempts, I printed your pictures in black and white. Now they’re practically as same as the sketches. You can call them all my masterpieces.’

She let out a soft laugh, but her voice quivered when she asked, ‘Why?’

But the answer was right there on the wall. For years, she had carried the weight of insecurities and doubts. But now, it all faded away as she saw herself through his eyes. This is how he saw her—beautiful and happy.

‘Because I wanted to,’ he said. ‘Your smile isn’t something I’m willing to lose. I’ve got a lifetime to cherish it, and I want to make the most of it.’

With that, he turned her around. Her heart stopped as he dropped to one knee, holding a diamond ring that sparkled like a thousand stars.

Her mouth fell open in shock, and he chuckled at her expression. ‘Sweetheart, you’re so beautiful that I still can’t believe you’re mine. You once told me about your dream wedding with the love of your life. You called it a silly dream of a naïve girl, but I disagree. That dream belongs to a woman who wished for a love story of her own. And since I am the hero ofthat story, I promise to fulfil every dream you’ve ever had, and the ones yet to come. Meera, will you let me be your happily ever after and marry me again?’

With tears in her eyes, Meera shouted ‘YES!’ over and over. Raghav slid the ring onto her finger, and before she knew it, he picked her up and spun her around. She squealed in delight, her laughter ringing out as she clung to him.

As he lowered Meera back to her feet, she wasted no time. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss that was demanding and urgent. She felt her heart race as she broke away from him, breathless, her eyes dark with desire.

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