Adam- I'm coming to pick you up ❤️

Adah put her phone back on the work desk and began going through the file of her new court case. But her phone pinged again.

Adam- Excuse me, at least type an Okay ☹️

Adah sighed before typing an Okay and put her phone back. But her phone pinged again.

Adam- Just an Okay? No heart emoji?

Adah rolled her eyes before raining heart emojis in the chat. She put her phone on silent before putting it in the drawer. At last, she focused back on her work. However, she couldn't get even half of it done when the door of her office swung open and her fiance entered the room.

"Hey, cutie pie!" Adam smiled and took long steps towards her who was sitting behind her desk and looking at him in confusion. He gave her a side hug before kissing her cheek which received him a harsh push from her.

"We are not married, Adam," She warned him as she began to collect the files and papers spread on her desk.

"Oh yeah, you may get pregnant with one kiss." He commented with sarcasm.

Adah gave him a look before carrying her handbag and heading out of the office room. Adam walked behind her.

✿ ✿ ✿

Some time later, Adam and Adah were sitting among their families for a family dinner. Adah couldn't focus on the chicken biryani in her plate because her half-sister Zeba was looking at Adam as if he was a Gol-Gappa.

"So when are you both planning to get married?" Adam's mother asked.

Adam and Adah exchanged looks before politely ignoring the question. Adam put a big morsel in his mouth while Adah too began throwing spoonfuls of biryani into her stomach.

Their families looked at them in bewilderment. Adam's mother sighed before saying,"Both of you are twenty-eight. If not now, when will you both get married?"

"Once we feel like getting married," Adam replied once he was done chewing the food.

"I hope you get that feeling soon." His mother mumbled before continuing her dinner.

✿ ✿ ✿

That night Adah kept twisting and turning on her bed. Sleep was miles away from her. But then the ping of her phone brought a smile on her blank face. She picked it up from under the pillow and saw Adam's message.

Adam- I can't sleep. Mom's words are ringing in my head. 😕

Adah- Me too ☹️

Adam- So should we get married?

Adah- Maybe. It's been very long since we got engaged.

Adam- Okay, I'll talk to Mama in the morning. 😉

Adah- I want to tell you something.

Adam- I'm listening, I mean, reading. 😁

Adah- No, we will talk about it tomorrow. I'll come to your clinic for lunch.

Adam- As you wish, cutie pie 🥧

Adah- Good night 🌜

Adam- Love you 😚

She smiled to herself before putting the phone back under the pillow but not before putting it on silent.

✿ ✿ ✿

Next afternoon Adah and Adam were sitting in a restaurant adjacent to Adam's clinic. He had ordered a Chicken Korma for both of them. They were silently eating the lunch but then Adah dropped the bomb on him.

"I think Zeba likes you."

Adam stopped chewing the chicken in his mouth and looked at her in utter bafflement. He took a gulp of water before saying,"And why did you take the discomfort of enlightening me about her liking towards me?" He asked with heavy vocabulary as if he lived in the Victorian era.

"Because I want you to be careful." She said while dropping her spoon.

Adam looked at her keenly before picking up her spoon and making her eat a spoonful of rice. Adah chewed the rice while waiting for him to say something.

"I was getting that sort of hints, but I kept ignoring the signs." He confessed.

"What do you think I should do about it?" She asked.

Adam smiled and put another spoon of rice into her mouth.

"You can marry me and mark me as your territory."

"Hmm, nice idea." She smiled.

"I have talked to Mama. She was delighted about our decision to get settled."

"Hmm, good thing."

"That's it, no words of love for me?" He asked feigning disappointment.

Adah just shook her head on his dramatics and took the spoon from his hand before continuing to eat her lunch.

✿ ✿ ✿

That evening, their families were again gathered in Adah's home. Her stepmother was serving Kheer to everyone while Zeba was sulking in one corner. But Adah could care less about her half-sister.

"I don't want anything extravagant. Just a simple Nikah ceremony." Adah expressed.

Her demand of simplicity earned her looks of shock from the elders as well as Adam.

"Adah, there can't be a wedding without Ali Xeeshan's lehenga and a Dilli-Style Korma."Adam's mother smiled.

"That money could be donated to any orphanage. That would be a much more beautiful beginning of our married life."

Her words silenced all of them. They wanted to protest but then protesting against her beautiful wish seemed heartless to them.

•••

Adah was trying to fall asleep on her new bed. She wasn't feeling at home. Well, because now her home was no more her home.

Adah and Adam got married with simplicity. And at that moment she was lying beside him, on his bed, in his bedroom. She was trying to fall asleep while Adam was finding ways to touch her. Just like then she felt his hand move under her t-shirt.

"Adam, stop touching me." Adah protested.

"Why? We are married now, Adah." He whined.

"Not tonight, Adam. I'm extremely tired and your uncomfortable bed is not helping." She pulled his hand out of her t-shirt and closed her eyes again. Adam made an annoyed face before he too closed his eyes.

✿ ✿ ✿

"Good morning, cutie pie." Adah felt a kiss on her cheek that went down to her neck. She smiled with her eyes still closed as she enjoyed the sensation against her skin. When Adam was done peppering kisses on her neck, he wrapped his arms around her and put his head in the crook of her neck. Adah began to gently caress his curly hair.

"Oh, so you can be romantic, hmm?" He mumbled against her skin sending shivers down her spine. Adah kissed his forehead as her response. But then her eyes fell on the oval-shaped clock hanging on the wall.

"Oh, it's ten o'clock already!" She shrieked out.

"Relax, Adah. Breakfast is served around twelve in our home, it's still pretty early."

"Twelve o'clock is lunch time in my home, Adam." Adah spoke in utter surprise. She knew their timings were different than that in her house. But she didn't expect them to be so lazy.

"It's normal for us, yaar." Adam shrugged.

"To be hella lazy?" Adah asked sarcastically.

"If you think of it that way then let it be. Welcome to my hella lazy family." He smiled and closed his eyes to take a small nap.

Adah shook her head and got up from the bed. She pulled out a lawn suit from her luggage that was yet to be put in Adam's closet. She took a quick cold shower to freshen up her mind and body and got dressed for the first day of her marriage. She stood in front of dressing table and began combing her hair. Adam had fallen asleep again. She couldn't understand how one could sleep for so long.

Adah headed downstairs and entered the kitchen to fill her empty stomach. She found packets of noodles in a random drawer and decided to make some for the breakfast.

✿ ✿ ✿

Adam and his parents were eating the noodles Adah had cooked for the breakfast. Adah was simply sitting beside Adam and sipping on her coffee.

"Adah, you seem terrified by the timings of this house." Adam's mother smiled.

"I am terrified, aunty. You guys eat your breakfast when I eat my lunch."

"You'll get used to it."

"I don't want to get used to it. It's an unhealthy lifestyle to live. I'll try my best to not get effected."

"Best of luck, then. They succeeded in making me lazy when I came to this house."

And she continued with eating.

✿ ✿ ✿

"Adah, what about our honeymoon?" Adam asked when they were leisurely sitting in the lawn.

Adah looked up from the magazine she was reading,"I don't want any honeymoon, Adam."

"Seriously, Adah? Look, we did a simple wedding as per your wish. Now we are going on a honeymoon on my wish. And tomorrow we are going for shopping." Adam declared stubbornly.

Adah made a face and threw the magazine on coffee table.

"Adah, no tantrums. Don't you love me?" He asked.

"I do love you, Adam. But I don't like travelling." She whined.

"Adah, we are married now. As your friend, I am okay with your lame excuses. But as your husband, I expect you to be understanding. Please. I can't go on my honeymoon alone, can I?"

Adah took a long pause before uttering,"Okay."

"That's like my cutie pie!" He pulled her both cheeks and pecked her on lips.

✿ ✿ ✿

It was past midnight. Adam and Adah were wrapped in sheets with nothing underneath. Adah had her head on his chest while Adam was caressing her bare back.

"Adam..." She mumbled his name.

"Hmm?" He hummed in response.

"We did the thing."

"Yes, we did the thing." He smiled on her choice of words.

"Then what's the point of going on a honeymoon?" She tried her luck.

"Adah, please don't start again. I am in a very good mood. We just had... our first sex. It feels so... surreal." He said dreamily.

"Excuse me, I am the emotional one here. So you don't need to behave like one."

"Okay, leave it. It's pretty late already. You should sleep now." Saying so he covered her naked back with quilt.

"Hmm, good night." She kissed his chest and closed her eyes.

Adam smiled and began playing with strands of her hair,"Adah, I love you." He mumbled to her.

"Hmm." She hummed in her sleep.

He too closed his eyes as the warmth of her body lulled him to sleep.