
Swara lay curled against him, her head resting softly on Ranvijay’s chest, and she could feel with painful clarity that he was awake. He always was. No matter how exhausted he returned from work, no matter how late the nights stretched, he never allowed himself to fall asleep before she did. It was as if some part of him refused to rest unless she was completely still and safe in his arms. She had noticed this many times. Only when her breathing became slow and deep, only when her body turned limp with sleep, would his muscles finally loosen. He treated her as if she were something fragile he must guard even in dreams, and instead of comforting her, this devotion sometimes frightened her. Because lately, things had changed. When she used to sleep facing the other side, he would keep a distance. But now, he didn’t allow even a hand-span of space between them. His arm wrapped around her automatically the moment she shifted, and if she moved even an inch, he would sit up instantly. Tonight was no different. When she lifted her head slightly to look at him, his eyes opened in the very same second, catching her gaze with soft alertness.









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