The words stung, even though Shaurya hadn't meant them cruelly. He was simply stating facts.
"I'm not unwanted," she said quietly.
"Bhabhi—"
"I'm just... not preferred. There's a difference."
The silence that followed was uncomfortable.
Bruno, sensing the shift in mood, moved closer to Nimisha's chair. His massive head came to rest on the arm, dark eyes fixed on her face.
"Judgmental for a dog," she murmured, running her fingers through his fur. "Takes after your master, I suppose."
Bruno's expression clearly said:Obviously.
Shaurya's phone buzzed. He checked it and grimaced. "Bhai wants me at the office. Something about a shipment."
"Go. I know you're busy."
He stood but hesitated at the door. "Bhabhi... for what it's worth, I don't think you're unwanted. I think my brother is an idiot who doesn't know what he has."
"Shaurya—"
"And I think someday he's going to realize that. I just hope it's not too late when he does."
He left before she could respond.
Nimisha sat in the silence, her fingers still buried in Bruno's fur.
"Your master doesn't want me," she told the dog quietly. "He made that very clear from the beginning."
Bruno's eyes held an ancient wisdom that transcended species.
"But you're here anyway. Why?"
The dog didn't answer, of course. But his presence was answer enough.
Sometimes loyalty wasn't about logic. Sometimes it was about recognizing something in another creature that resonated with your own soul.
She and Bruno were both trapped in lives dictated by others' choices. Both existing in the shadow of a man who burned too bright to notice them.
Maybe that's why they understood each other.
"Come on, Boo Berry," she said, standing and stretching. "Let's get some air before I have to deal with more Ranawat family politics."
Bruno stood, his tail giving a single wag.
They'd made it to the hallway when a door opened ahead of them.
Samarth.
He stopped, his dark eyes taking in the scene—his wife and his dog, walking together like it was the most natural thing in the world.
His jaw tightened.
"Bruno. Here."
The command was quiet but absolute.
