‘That’s beautiful, Raag,’ Siya praised him, feeling happy for her girl. After everything Meera had been through in her life, she deserved everything her man did for her and more.
He glanced at her, weighing her reaction as he told her, ‘Although… I still owe someone else for finding this place.’
‘Someone else?’ Siya asked, lifting an eyebrow.
He was about to answer when a loud horn blared as Luv drove the car into the corner parking space.
‘Oh my God!’ A shrill squeal rang through the space as Meera got out of the car and directly flung herself into Raghav’s arms. He stumbled back but held onto her, laughing. Luv stepped out of the driver’s seat and Swayam emerged from the back, holding dozens of animal balloons.
She wore a flowy lavender top tucked into high-waisted jeans, her thick mop of hair was tied up into a ponytail with ascarf. When she pulled back to see him, Siya saw how flushed her cheeks looked with excitement.
Luv tucked his sunglasses into the neckline of his black tee and shoved a hand in the pocket of his joggers. ‘I bet a hundred bucks that before the hour is up, Mihu will cry.’
Swayam strolled up to them with his casual and familiar swagger, wearing a brown crew neck tee, short sleeves hugging his bulging biceps paired with khaki trousers. He held a bag full of sweet treats and flashed her a crooked grin. ‘I’m in for a thousand if she cries in half an hour.’
‘Shut up, I’m not crying,’ Meera swatted at him, her eyes misty with happiness. She turned to Raghav and said, ‘I can’t believe you remembered! I told you about this way back when on our first date, and I can’t believe you actually remembered it.’
‘I remember everything about you, Mihu,’ he simply said, pulling her in for a bear hug. Their height difference wasn’t much, but every time he tucked her head in the crook of his shoulder and held onto her tight, she felt safe.
She turned to Siya and pulled her into a warm embrace. Siya let out a sigh and hugged her back. Just being around this ball of sunshine always made her feel better. ‘Happy birthday, my girl.’
‘I would’ve understood if you decided not to come, but I'm so glad you’re here,’ Meera said. ‘Are you okay?’
Siya nodded and squeezed her arm to reassure her. This was her day, and that’s what she should focus on. ‘I’m just surprised by this unexpected turn of events. I don’t know how he can even come up with such an idea.’
‘Yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask since I got your call last night. What’s the story here?’ Luv asked.
‘When I was eight years old, Mom took me to an orphanage she volunteered for to celebrate my birthday. I told him about it and he didn’t forget.’
‘Well, I still love you more,’ Luv said, tossing his arm around her shoulders.
‘I hate how awesome this gift is,’ Swayam added dryly. ‘Makes the rest of us look bad.’
‘Now you can never say I don’t listen to you,’ Raghav teased her.
‘I won’t,’ she shook his head, smiling up at him, and walked back into his arms.
Siya curled her fingers around the strap of her handbag, a soft ache blooming in her gut as she watched them. Raghav murmured something in her ear that made her laugh and he tucked a loose strand behind her ear. The ease between them, the shared glances, the comfort of knowing you’re exactly where you belong, was evident.
Siya was incredibly happy for them, and before they got married, she’d never known that love could look so easy and kind.
In a moment, a sheer force of longing hit her as she realised how badly she wanted a bond like that with Abhay. She’d begun to think it was finally happening until the heart-shattering news.
An imperceptible awareness crawled up her spine before her eyes caught the figure standing at the edge of the courtyard.
Abhay.
His hands were snuggled in his pocket, and his white shirt was creased at the shoulders. It looked like he had pulled it froma pile in a hurry. His beard, usually trimmed down to a stubble, has grown thick across his jaw. His eyes looked hollow and haunted as he stood there, watching her.
She hadn’t seen him like this before. He looked haunted.
Her first instinct was to run to him, but her legs stayed rooted in the spot. There were a hundred things she wanted to say, he deserved better than her silence, but all she had were broken syllables she didn’t know how to string together.
She swallowed against the lump in her throat as he walked up to them, his eyes never leaving hers.
‘Happy birthday, Mihu,’ Abhay murmured and pulled her into a hug.
‘It will be once you smile for me,’ Meera tried to tease him.
