Chapter - 40 ( anniversary night)

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ANIKA’S POV

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ANIKA’S POV

After telling me everything, Abhimanyu goes silent.

The room feels heavier, not with fear but with truth. His truth.

He looks at me as if he’s standing bare in front of me, every wall stripped away, every scar exposed. His fingers tremble slightly when he reaches for my hand.
“Anika,” he says softly, his voice low but steady,

“I love you… a lot. And I know you love me too.”

My heart stutters.

“I know you’re not going to judge me by my past,” he continues. “But I wanted you to know everything. Every shadow, every wound. Because I don’t want anything hidden between us.”

I look at him really look at him.
This man who carries pain like armor.
This man who still believes in love despite everything.
I tighten my grip around his hand, grounding him.

“Now I know everything,” I whisper. “And still… my love for you isn’t going to lessen. It’s not going to reduce even a little.”

His eyes soften instantly.

“If anything,” I say, my voice shaking with emotion, “it’s only going to grow more. Because I don’t love you despite your past. I love you with your past.”

His breath leaves him slowly, like he’s been holding it for years.

He leans forward and presses a gentle kiss on my forehead.

Not hurried.
Not demanding.
Just full of warmth.

“Are you ready, baby?” he asks quietly.
That one sentence sends a wave through me.

I nod, my heart racing, excitement bubbling inside me like it has a mind of its own.

I’m nervous but not scared.
Because I’m a reader.
And I’ve read everything.

Every emotion.
Every moment.
Every slow-burn tension.

And now, the idea that he will touch me that Abhimanyu, with all his intensity and gentleness, is this close makes my skin tingle.

Even his presence alone is enough to send goosebumps racing down my arms.
He steps closer, not rushing me, giving me space even when I don’t want it. His fingers brush against mine again barely a touch but my entire body reacts.
My breath turns shallow.

He lifts my chin gently, not forcing me to look at him, just asking silently.
I meet his eyes.

They’re dark, warm, and filled with something that makes my chest ache.

They’re dark, warm, and filled with something that makes my chest ache

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 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 (COMPLETED)Where stories live. Discover now