Page 47 of Since You Came Along

Meera chimed in. ‘Oh, and he asked how his son is doing.’

When Raghav’s expression turned sour, Swayam inquired about it.

Abhay explained, ‘When Trinay Uncle says “son”, he means me.’

Intrigued, Swayam asked, ‘And what does he call Raghav, then?’

Meera tried to contain her giggles and replied, ‘Raghav is the spoiled lord.’

Raghav groaned, throwing his hands in the air. ‘Right, breakfast’s over! Out, all of you!’

Within minutes, he had ushered the lot of them out, their laughter echoing down the hallway.

Raghav and Meera spend the next hour exchanging stories from the night before. Raghav recounted how Luv and Abhay had got into a heated argument over who had stepped on the remote and quit their game mid-battle.

‘So, whose fault was it?’ Meera asked, her curiosity piqued.

Raghav flashed her a mischievous grin before admitting, ‘Mine.’

Meera burst into laughter, the melodious sound ringing through the room. Swatting his arm, she said, ‘You’re shameless!’

Raghav shrugged. ‘Everything’s fair in love and war. And trust me, that game was a war.’

After a moment, his laughter subsided, and he asked, ‘Do you agree with your mom?’

Meera considered the question, then replied, ‘Not really. We barely knew each other back then, and there was so much work waiting for us. I like my vacations to be carefree and fun, not rushed or awkward.’

Raghav nodded, acknowledging her point. ‘You’re right. Compared to then, we’re much more comfortable with each other now.’

Meera smiled in agreement. ‘Exactly.’

Raghav leaned back, crossing his arms. ‘Have you explored a lot of places in Mumbai?’

Meera nodded. ‘Yeah, quite a few.’

Without missing a beat, Meera answered, ‘Matheran. You haven’t seen a real sunset until you’ve seen it from Porcupine Point. It’s beautiful.’

The mention of Matheran pulled Raghav back into his past. He pushed aside the bittersweet memories and focused on Meera.

‘You’re right. I’ve heard it’s an amazing place.’

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. ‘You’ve been there?’

‘Yes,’ he said, his tone subdued. ‘Veronica and I planned to go after our anniversary, but... you know.’ He trailed off with a shrug.

Her smile faded, and she whispered, ‘I understand.’

Raghav immediately realised he’d handled the moment poorly. He’d been too focused on his own memories, forgetting how much the place might mean to Meera. She had her own dreams and destinations, ones she deserved to enjoy with her husband.

He was about to apologise when Meera turned to him, her expression kind. ‘Since you never got to go, would you like to see pictures of the sunset? I’ve got some on my phone.’

Guilt overwhelmed Raghav.Was anyone more thoughtful than Meera?He doubted it. It was time he started putting her happiness first.

‘I’d love to,’ he said, his voice warm.

But before she could reach for her phone, he added, ‘So why don’t we go there and see it together?’

Meera froze, staring at him as though she’d misheard. When his words sank in, she smiled. ‘Sure. Let me know when, and we’ll plan it.’

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