𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 (𝐎𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠)

Chapter - 17

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Abhimanyu's POV

Abhimanyu stepped into the house, the soft click of his shoes echoing in the silence of the night. The weight of the entire day's exhaustion pressed down on his shoulders, but his mind was occupied with only one thought his wife. Anika.

The moment he left his office, her image had taken over his thoughts. He had never imagined that he would be the kind of man who would rush home, eager to see his wife, but here he was. Something about her presence had begun to settle into his life like an irreplaceable part of him, like the air he breathed unnoticed but essential.

Even though their marriage had been nothing short of an unexpected arrangement, a replacement he could not deny that Anika had become his reality. She wasn't just his wife on paper; she was his life.

And today, she had been running on his mind more than usual.

Maybe it was because of the way she had looked at him that morning, eyes wide with an innocent plea, asking if she could keep the stray cat she had found. He had hesitated. He was allergic to cats, and he knew it would cause him discomfort. But despite that, he had agreed. For her.

He had watched her eyes light up, her lips curving into the sweetest smile as she hugged the cat to her chest. That smile had been worth every bit of discomfort he would have to endure.

And now, standing outside their bedroom, he sighed, pushing open the door softly.

The room was dimly lit by the warm glow of a bedside lamp, casting shadows that danced on the walls. His gaze immediately fell on her.

Anika.

She was asleep, her petite form curled up on the bed. Her soft, dark hair was sprawled across the pillow, strands falling over her delicate face. She looked peaceful, lost in her dreams, unaware of his presence.

But his attention was soon drawn to something else.

The cat.

The very cat she had brought home in the morning was curled up against her chest, nestled in the fabric of her T-shirt.

Abhimanyu's jaw clenched. A strange sensation settled in his chest jealousy.

He didn't understand it. It was just a cat. A tiny, harmless creature that had no idea it was testing his patience. But the sight of it cuddled against Anika, taking his place, filled him with an irrational irritation.

His fingers twitched at his sides.

That's my place.

The thought came unbidden. It startled him.

He had never been one for possessiveness, but when it came to Anika, things were different. From the moment she had entered his life, she had unknowingly shattered every rule he had set for himself. He had never thought he would care so deeply, never imagined that he would feel such a fierce need to protect someone.

Yet, with her, he did.

She had become his to protect. His to care for.

And now, his to hold.

His eyes softened as he watched her. She looked so innocent. So unaware of the effect she had on him. The way her lashes rested against her cheeks, her lips slightly parted as she breathed evenly in sleep it was enough to make his heart ache with something unexplainable.

She was beautiful. So effortlessly beautiful.

And she was his.

But before he could allow himself to drown in those thoughts, his attention returned to the cat still pressed against her.