Arjun realized she had fallen asleep when the soft conversation of the music became the only sound left in the room.

Adah had drifted off right there in the bathtub.

Her head rested against the cushioned edge, damp hair framing her face while the warm water held her body in quiet stillness. Her breathing had turned slow and even, the faintest crease of exhaustion smoothing from her forehead.

For a second he simply stared at her.

Then he chuckled under his breath.

“Unbelievable.”

Only Adah could fall asleep in the middle of something like this.

Yet the sight didn’t irritate him. If anything, it stirred a deep warmth in his chest.

A memory surfaced unexpectedly.

Her mother’s voice.

During one of the wedding gatherings, when relatives had been trading childhood stories, her mother had told him something that had made everyone laugh. Some stories were going on sleep.

Apparently, little Adah had been a restless child. Always running, asking questions, demanding attention. And when her mother needed to finish house chores, she had discovered a simple trick.

She would fill a small tub with water, sit Adah inside it with toys, and keep it nearby while she worked in the kitchen.

Adah would splash around happily for a while.

Play with the water.

Talk to herself.

And eventually, once she had tired herself out…

She would fall asleep right there in the tub.

Arjun looked down at the sleeping woman in front of him and shook his head, amused.

“So it hasn’t changed at all,” he murmured.

The years might have passed, but some habits clearly refused to leave her.

His gaze softened as he studied her face.

She looked… different when she slept.

All that lively energy, the quick comebacks, the teasing spark in her eyes. All of it disappeared.

What remained was something almost delicate.

Masoom.

Innocent.

He wondered what she must have looked like as a child when she fell asleep like this. Probably the same expression. The same peaceful stillness.

A small version of this very woman. Baby Adah bhi aisi hi dikhegi!

Now she was here, in front of him.

His wife.

The thought still carried a strange kind of wonder.

Knocking this woman out, to get her exact same replica so soon after marriage is a deadly thought. Right now, Adah would kill him if his attention got divided between her and rest of the world. He immediately composed his wild thoughts and left a soft smile on his face.

Arjun’s eyes traced the gentle curve of her features.

Adah’s beauty had never been loud. It revealed itself slowly. Just the way.... No Arjun. Not right now. Raat me. Sirf sochenge nahi, karenge. Let her rest right now.

His focused shift to her back again.

The thoughtful crease that appeared when she argued.

The way her eyes brightened when she teased him.

The warmth in her smile when she forgot to guard herself.

And moments like this… when she wasn’t trying to be anything at all.

Just resting.

Just breathing.

Those were the moments when her beauty felt almost unfair.

“You really don’t know what you do to me,” he murmured quietly.

She didn’t hear him.

She was deeply asleep.

Carefully, Arjun lifted her out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her before carrying her back to the bed. She stirred slightly, mumbling something unintelligible. Kitni baat karti hai ye ladki, neendh me bhi shuru ho gyi.

He had immediately rolled her head to his chest to let her listen his heartbeats. She says his heart beat is her favourite music.

Lucky me. She didn't wake up. Good. I need to do preparations.

And she needs the rest. Raat me phir bura haal ho jaayega iska.

He laughed to himself. Me kitna intelligent ho.

A small smile formed on his face.

Just like her mother once kept Adah occupied in a tub while finishing her work… tonight he would use the same quiet window of time.

He covered her with a blanket and stood there for a moment, watching her breathe peacefully. He doesn't want to leave her side and seated here.

Then his thoughts shifted.

If Adah was resting…

He had time.

And suddenly an idea began forming in his mind.

Adah had often joked about wanting a proper date night with him. Not rushed. Not interrupted. Just the two of them doing something romantic together.

Tonight seemed perfect.

The villa balcony already had a breathtaking view of the valley below. As evening approached, the sky slowly turned golden and the air grew cooler.

Arjun set to work.

✅ A small dining table near the railing.

✅ Soft lights along the balcony edge.

✅ Candles that flickered gently in the evening breeze.

✅ Music playing quietly through a speaker.

✅ Simple food but carefully arranged.

✅ Tuxedo for me

✅ Red one piece for her.

Nothing extravagant.

Just intimate.

With every step he imagined Adah’s reaction.

Her wide eyes.

Her excited grin.

The way she would try to act calm but completely fail.

The thought alone made him chuckle.

He started getting into his tuxedo.

The way she would probably hug him too tightly the moment she saw it.

What all she is gonna say?

They will have a soft kiss or smooch?

He glanced himself in the mirror, finding a wide smile at the thought.

“Let’s see how long you stay composed tonight,” he muttered to himself.

.

.

.

When Adah finally woke up again, the sky outside had shifted into the soft colors of evening.

She blinked slowly, stretching before walking toward the balcony.

She was confused for a moment before noticing Arjun standing near the balcony door.

She goes towards him.

When she stepped outside, she froze. Warm lights glowed softly around the railing while the distant landscape stretched out beneath the fading sunset.

✅ The lights.

✅ The table.

✅ The music.

✅ The view stretching endlessly beneath the fading sun.

Everything as she wanted for her date night, Arjun has ensured everything is covered.

✅ Him in Tuxedo

Her eyes widened in pure delight.

He was leaning casually against the railing.

The next second she rushed toward him and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

The hug was sudden and full of excitement.

“Arjun… you did all this?”

“You always wanted a date night.”, he said slowly.

“So this is our first date night as husband and wife!” she said happily.

Arjun laughed softly, holding her for a moment.

Then she suddenly pulled away. Arjun was this close to turn her and kiss her passionately.

“Wait.”

He raised an eyebrow.

They made eye contact.

“I need to get ready properly,” she declared. “This is important. And pictures are a must for memory.”

Before he could respond she was already rushing inside.

Arjun watched her go… and then exhaled slowly.

Because there was a small problem.

A very obvious one.

Her sudden hug had not helped his composure at all.

His body had reacted instantly to her warmth, her excitement, the way she had pressed against him without realizing what it did to him.

His patience had taken a serious hit.

He looked down briefly and shook his head with a quiet laugh.

His “little soldier” had already decided to stand at attention.

Fortunately for him, Adah had hugged him from behind earlier while admiring the balcony setup. From that angle she hadn’t noticed anything.

And thankfully she had run off to get ready before his reaction became more… noticeable.

“Lucky timing,” he muttered.

By the time she returned, dressed and glowing with excitement, Arjun had regained enough control to act normal again.

Dinner passed slowly and pleasantly in soft conversation and quiet laughter. Not to miss, occasional teasing. The earlier exhaustion had faded from her face, replaced by a gentle glow.

After they finished eating, they moved to the seating area near the railing.

The cool night air wrapped around them comfortably while the lights flickered gently nearby.

Adah curled closer to him instinctively, her shoulder leaning against his chest.

For a while they simply sat there enjoying the quiet.

Then Arjun asked casually, “How did you feel last night?”

The question landed between them like a spark. It made her freeze slightly. In all this, she didn't saw this coming.

Her eyes dropped immediately.

Instead of answering, she leaned forward and hid her face against his neck.

Arjun felt her warm breath against his skin.

“Adah?” he prompted softly.

For a moment she stayed silent.

Then her voice came quietly, almost shy.

At first her words stumbled over each other. She struggled to explain what she had felt. She wanted to say but wanted to be cosy to him and let him do whatever he wants. She doesn't expect more than what Arjun was currently doing. She knows that he knows what she wants.

Not even her wildest thought, she was expecting it coming. Still...

Still hiding against him, she began speaking quietly.

“I was… nervous,” she admitted slowly. “More than I thought I would be.”

She paused, fingers gripping his shirt lightly.

“It was all happening so fast… and I kept thinking if I was doing everything right.”

Her voice softened further.

“There were moments when everything felt overwhelming. Not in a bad way… just… intense.”

Arjun listened without interrupting.

She continued slowly, choosing her words carefully.

“But you never rushed me,” she said.

Her voice carried quiet certainty now.

“Every time I hesitated… you noticed.”

“You slowed down. You asked me things without making it awkward. You made sure I was comfortable even when I didn’t know how to say it properly.”

She lifted her head slightly but still avoided eye contact.

“And that’s when I realized something.”

Her fingers tightened against his shirt again.

“I trusted you completely.”

The confession came out softly but firmly.

“I knew you wouldn’t do anything that would hurt me… or push me beyond what I could handle.”

Her voice grew warmer.

“Even when everything felt new and overwhelming… I never felt scared.”

She finally looked up at him.

“Because it was you.”

Arjun held her gaze quietly.

“And despite how intense it was…” she finished gently, “I never once felt unsafe.”

Silence settled between them.

The music played softly in the background.

And the lights on the balcony flickered gently in the night air.

Arjun listened without interrupting.

His arm tightened slightly around her shoulders.

When she finished, she remained there, still hiding against him.

Arjun leaned closer, his voice calm but thoughtful.

“So you were overwhelmed.”

She nodded against his neck.

“And tired.”

Another small nod.

He tilted his head slightly, watching the quiet balcony lights flicker around them.

Then he said slowly, almost thoughtfully, “Good.”

Adah lifted her head instantly.

“What do you mean good?”

A faint smile appeared on his face. Because the calm in his voice carried a very different meaning now. He leaned back slightly, looking at her with a quiet confidence.

“You’ve rested all afternoon.”

Adah blinked.

His tone was still gentle. But something in his eyes had changed. And suddenly she remembered the way he had looked at her in the bathtub earlier. That same calculating calm.

Arjun stood up and offered her his hand.

“Come inside.”

She hesitated for a second. Then placed her hand in his. He led her back toward the bedroom. The door clicked shut behind them. She heard him walking close towards her. His steps slow and calculative. She was his prey. A prey which could never satiate his hunger enough. Each time he will have her, he will ask for more.

Will Adah be able to handle his love? Arjun asked himself. Either way she has to take it. Arjun sirf Adah ka hai. Ab Adah apne Arjun ka isme saath toh degi hi.

And the last thing Adah heard before being engulfed by him was his quiet voice near her ear.

“Let’s see how brave you really are tonight.”

.

.

.

The balcony lights flickered gently behind them as the door closed.

The night outside remained quiet, the candles still burning softly in the evening air. Whatever happened next would remain safely hidden behind those doors… known only to the two people who had just begun the most interesting chapter of their lives.

But one cannot help but wonder.

So allow me to ask you something, dearest readers.

Our dear Adah has confessed her complete trust in her dangerously patient husband… and Arjun now knows exactly how powerful that trust can be.

After such a tender evening, what do you suppose awaits our newly married couple tonight?

Will the night unfold in soft whispers and stolen kisses beneath the quiet glow of candlelight…

Or will our devoted husband once again prove that patience is merely the calm before a far more thrilling storm?

And more importantly…

Should our dear Adah prepare herself for gentleness… or for the very determined affection of a husband who waited far too long to finally call her his?

Pray tell, dear readers.

What do you believe awaits behind that closed door tonight?

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Yes, thoda sa bridgton inspired. But just end me.

Happy reading!

Comment section is open for you all.