Page 112 of His Arranged Wife
"Of course he does," Tanisha said, and the bitterness in her voice was a live wire. "She probably feeds him treats to buy his affection. She's very good at making people think she's something she's not."
Bruno's head lifted from Nimisha's lap.
The growl that came from him was low, continuous, and aimed directly at Tanisha.
"Boo Berry," Nimisha said softly. "Manners."
Bruno turned to look at her with an expression that clearly communicated:She started it.
"I know. But we're at dinner."
He huffed—a sound of profound indignation—and settled back onto her lap.
Unapologetic. Unmoved.
Tanisha's face had gone pale. Kabir, beside her, was carefully not looking at Bruno.
"She's talking to him like he understands her," Kritika said, something complicated in her voice.
"He does," Shaurya replied easily. "It's honestly incredible. Watch." He leaned across the table toward Nimisha. "Bhabhi, tell Bruno that Kabir has been looking at you again."
Bruno's head swiveled instantly toward Kabir.
The teeth appeared.
Not a growl. Just teeth. Patient. Promising.
Kabir went very still.
"Shaurya," Nimisha said mildly. "Stop causing incidents at dinner."
"I'm not causing anything. I'm just facilitating Bruno's natural instincts."
Samarth had been watching his wife through the entire exchange—the ease of her interaction with his dog, the way she navigated the hostility around the table without rising to meet it, the quiet dignity she maintained while Tanisha treated her with contempt.
She'd changed in the past week.
Or perhaps she hadn't changed at all. Perhaps he'd simply started seeing her clearly.
"Bruno goes back to his wing after dinner," Saroj said, though her voice lacked its usual authority.
"Bruno goes where Bruno wants," Samarth said without looking away from Nimisha. "He always has."
Saroj looked at her son. Then at her daughter-in-law. Then back at her son.
Something shifted in her expression.
Dinner resumed. Conversation moved carefully around the fault lines in the room—Raghbir directing topics with practiced authority, Shaurya filling silences, Kritika helping with the food.
Tanisha didn't speak again.
Bruno stayed exactly where he was.
And when Kabir reached past the bread basket in Nimisha's direction, Bruno's head lifted with quiet, absolute warning.
Kabir's hand returned to his own side of the table.
Nobody commented.
