His Forced Bride

14. Have I fallen for her?

FYI, This whole chapter is going to be in Aditya's pov enjoy!!

Aditya's POV: 

We shifted to The Kapoor mansion yesterday and I have been wondering many things.

The air felt different today as if even the atmosphere was brimming with something new. As I left my office, I couldn't shake the thought of Rohini, wondering if she was still adjusting to her new life here.

Our marriage may have been forced, but I wanted to be the kind of husband who made her feel at home. Somehow, being around her had started to feel like more than just fulfilling my duty.

When I walked into our house, I found her sitting by the window, her head slightly tilted as she looked outside, lost in thought. Her hair was loosely tied back, and a few stray strands framed her face, softened by the warm glow of the evening light filtering through the curtains. She looked so peaceful, almost like she belonged here. The sight stopped me in my tracks.

Have I fallen for her?

I brushed the thought away quickly. This was new territory, and the word "love" felt heavy, and foreign. But I couldn't deny the tugging feeling in my chest. My mind drifted back to moments that seemed insignificant at the time but had somehow stayed with me.

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A few days ago, we had been in the kitchen together. I'd walked in to find her wrestling with a bag of rice that had decided to spill all over the counter. She looked up at me, exasperated yet trying to hold back a laugh. "Don't you dare laugh," she warned, a smile playing on her lips as she pointed an accusatory finger at me. Naturally, I laughed. 

She narrowed her eyes, which only made me laugh harder.

"Oh, so now you find this funny? Well then, Mr. Comedian, grab a broom and help!" she huffed, folding her arms across her chest, looking both annoyed and amused.

As we cleaned, I couldn't help noticing how easy it was to be around her, and how natural it felt to tease each other like this. I found myself wishing the cleanup would last longer, just so I could watch her, and talk to her. It was like a strange kind of electricity crackled in the air whenever we were close.

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And then there was that evening when we were supposed to attend a family event. She'd been nervous about meeting so many relatives plus the incident that happened with Rahul wasn't exactly helping{Chapter 9}.

I could tell she was tense, tugging at her saree as if the fabric was conspiring to betray her. I'd leaned down, whispering, "Relax. You look great, okay?"

She'd blinked at me, her nervous expression softening into a shy smile that made my stomach do a little flip.

Why did that small smile affect me so much?

It hadn't stopped there, though. When we'd arrived at the gathering, she'd stayed close, her hand brushing mine in those crowded rooms. Each time, a spark shot through me, a feeling I couldn't ignore. I'd kept my hand close, just in case she needed to reach out, and when she did, it was... well, it was everything.

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Today was no different. After catching her by the window, I made my way to the living room, shaking off the strange feeling, trying to focus on anything else. I picked up the newspaper, intending to distract myself, but the words blurred as my mind wandered back to her. That's when she walked into the room, unaware of my inner turmoil.

"Hey, do you want some tea?" she asked, glancing over at me with that easygoing smile that always managed to throw me off balance."Sure," I replied, my voice a bit rougher than usual. She disappeared into the kitchen, and I found myself strangely eager for her to come back. I realized I didn't even want the tea as much as I wanted to just sit there with her, and share a moment.

When did these small things start to matter so much?

She returned with two cups, handing me one as she settled onto the couch beside me. We sipped in comfortable silence, and I let myself steal a glance at her, taking in the curve of her smile as she looked down at her cup, the way her fingers delicately held the porcelain.

Every detail felt vivid like it was imprinted into my memory.

"You've been quiet today," she said, looking over at me curiously. I forced a smile, brushing it off. "Just a long day."But the truth was, I was too busy trying to figure out my feelings. I kept wondering

Have I fallen for her?

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The night was quiet when we finally went to bed. She moved around our shared space, pulling a blanket over her as she lay down beside me, the room dimly lit by the soft glow of the night lamp. Her presence was calming, even as it stirred something in me that felt unfamiliar but warm. I turned onto my side, watching her until I thought she had fallen asleep.

In that moment, the way she trusted me, the way she leaned into our new life together—it made me realize how much I wanted to be that person for her, the one she could always lean on.

I reached over, hesitating before gently brushing a strand of hair from her forehead.

As I lay there, watching her drift off, I knew my heart had made up its mind long before my thoughts had caught up. It was undeniable: I'd fallen for her, bit by bit, in all the small, quiet moments that made up our days.

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