That night felt quieter than usual.
The teasing had faded into laughter, the laughter into memory, and the memory into something that refused to leave Aarav alone.
He closed the door behind him and leaned against it for a moment, letting the silence settle.
Bruno padded in casually, heading straight for his water bowl as if nothing significant had happened that day. Completely unbothered, he drank calmly, unaware of the emotional chaos he had caused.
"You really embarrassed me today," Aarav muttered.
Bruno glanced up briefly, offered no guilt or apology, and returned to his water.
Aarav shook his head, changed into an old t-shirt, and tossed his bag aside before sitting on the edge of his bed. The room was dim, lit only by the soft glow of a table lamp.
It didn't feel empty anymore.
It hadn't for a while.
That realization hit him harder tonight.
Bruno jumped onto the bed, circled twice, and settled near his feet with a quiet sigh.
Aarav leaned back slightly, staring at the ceiling as Rohan's voice echoed in his mind.
Even the dog knows.
He let out a quiet scoff. "Idiot."
Bruno's tail thumped once against the mattress.
Aarav turned his head toward him.
"You like her too much."
Another soft thump.
"You met her once and decided she belongs here."
Bruno stretched lazily, completely content with that conclusion.
Aarav exhaled slowly, his voice softening.
"You know what the worst part is?"
Silence answered him.
"They're right."
The words felt strange as they left his mouth, heavier than he expected.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his hands loosely clasped as his fingers moved absentmindedly, tracing patterns against his palm.
"I didn't plan this," he said quietly. "It just… happened."
Memories surfaced without warning.
Meera kneeling beside Bruno that night, calm and focused.
Her standing in front of his parents' photographs, folding her hands with quiet respect.
Her insisting he sleep.
Her holding his hand outside the viva hall.
Her voice, steady and certain—
I'm not planning on disappearing.
His throat tightened slightly.
"I don't even remember when she stopped being just… important."
Bruno lifted his head now, watching him.
Aarav let out a slow breath.
"She feels like… home."
The word lingered in the room, gentle yet overwhelming in its truth.
Aarav leaned back against the wall behind him, his gaze drifting.
"And that scares me," he admitted.
Bruno blinked, still watching.
"Because what if I get used to it?" he continued, his voice quieter now. "What if I start building everything around her being there… and something changes?"
There was no drama in his fear, only something old and familiar.
Loss had taught him that nothing stayed guaranteed.
His jaw tightened slightly.
"You know I can't lose like that again."
Bruno shifted closer and rested his chin gently on Aarav's thigh, grounding him.
Aarav's hand moved instinctively, scratching behind his ears.
"She deserves someone who isn't constantly waiting for things to fall apart," he said, letting out a faint, almost helpless laugh. "But she still chooses to sit next to me anyway."
Bruno's tail thumped softly.
Aarav stared ahead for a long moment.
Then, finally, he said it.
Quietly.
Without performance.
"I'm in love with her."
The room didn't react. Nothing changed outside of him.
But something inside him settled.
He closed his eyes briefly.
"I love her."
This time, the words felt steadier. Certain.
Bruno nudged his hand again, as if approving.
Aarav exhaled slowly.
"Don't tell her I said that."
Bruno's tail wagged.
"I mean it."
More wagging.
Aarav shook his head, a small smile forming.
"Traitor."
Bruno climbed fully into his lap, heavy and warm, settling there without hesitation.
Aarav leaned forward, resting his forehead lightly against the dog's head.
"For now," he murmured, "we don't rush it."
What he felt for her didn't burn like something fleeting or urgent. It felt deeper, steadier, like something that could last if handled with care.
And things that mattered that much were never meant to be rushed.
The room remained quiet, peaceful, and certain.
For the first time, Aarav wasn't running from the truth. He wasn't questioning it or pushing it aside.
He was simply accepting it.
In that quiet room, with only a dog as his witness—
Aarav finally stopped pretending.
He knew.
Completely.