Page 65 of Since You Came Along

‘Raghav, if you don’t talk to me, you’re going to break. You’ve been through this, brother. Don’t shut me out.’

‘There is nothing to talk about, Abhay,’ Raghav replied, his tone detached.

‘Damn it, snap out of it, Raag! You’re hurting yourself!’ Abhay shouted, his frustration boiling over. When Raghav avoided his gaze, Abhay realised his outburst wasn’t working, so he shifted his approach.

‘You’re hurting Meera too,’ Abhay said, trying to get through to him.

‘What do you mean?’ Raghav asked, and it was a crack in the wall Abhay had been trying to break.

‘You’re hurting her. You don’t talk to her, don’t spend time at home. The way you are right now is hurting both of you.’

‘I’m busy,’ Raghav muttered, staring at the floor.

Abhay stepped closer. ‘You don’t talk to her anymore. That hurts her.’

‘I didn’t mean to hurt her,’ Raghav whispered.

‘Then why are you shutting her out?’ Abhay asked.

‘I’m not shutting her out,’ Raghav snapped, his tone defensive, though his shoulders sagged under an invisible weight.

‘Yes, you are, Raghav,’ Abhay said, shaking his head.

‘What did she tell you?’ Raghav asked, the hint of fear in his voice making Abhay scoff.

‘You think she’d say anything to me? She wouldn’t go behind your back. Especially not to me. Siya met Meera today and said she looked upset.’

At those words, Raghav closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, his exhaustion evident. He looked like a man barely holding it together. Abhay placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

‘She’s still in love with him,’ Raghav said, his voice breaking. The pain in his words hung heavy in the air.

Abhay frowned, confused at first, then his mind pieced it together. When realisation struck, he burst out, ‘Have you lost your mind?’

Raghav shook his head, refusing to meet his gaze.

‘She is not in love with Rutvik! That’s rubbish. Where on earth did you even get that idea?’ Abhay asked, exasperated.

‘The way she was looking at him... that smile,’ Raghav muttered, his words drenched in sorrow. ‘I could see it, Abhay. She’s still in love with him.’

Trying to gauge what Raghav was feeling, Abhay poked where he knew it would hurt. ‘So just because she danced with her ex, you’re punishing her? Is that it, Raghav?’

Raghav shot to his feet, his eyes blazing with fury. ‘How dare you? You think I’d do that to her?’

‘Well, whatever you think you’re doing, you’re hurting her,’ Abhay said, unfazed by his anger.

‘Nothing I do matters because she’s still in love with that bastard,’ Raghav muttered, the anger draining from him, leaving only sadness. ‘She smiled at him, Abhay.’

Abhay sighed, regretting that he hadn’t punched Rutvik when he’d had the chance. ‘I think you’re wrong. But let’s say you’re not and she still loves him. Why is that an issue now? You two talked about this before you got married. You even told me back then that you accepted her past.’

‘I know what I said,’ Raghav replied, his gaze fixed on the window.

‘Then what now? What’s changed?’

‘Nothing.’

‘Then why are you treating her differently now?’

‘I’m not treating her differently!’ Raghav exclaimed, his voice rising in frustration.

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