Outside, the sky blushed with the gold and orange of early evening. They settled on the arcade's glowing steps, sipping chilled cola from paper cups and sharing a greasy pack of fries.
Shruti leaned her head lightly against his shoulder, still brimming with energy. "Arjun?"
"Hmm?" he said, taking a sip.
"Let's buy a gaming console."
He turned, blinking at her like she'd just suggested buying a spaceship. "What?"
She looked up at him, eyes sparkling. "Let's get one. A good console. With racing games. Horror games. Silly dance games. All of it."
He chuckled, eyebrows raised. "Since when are you the gamer in this marriage?"
"Since today," she said, biting a fry. "It was fun. Really fun. I want to play with my husband when we're free. Is that… wrong?"
Arjun stared at her for a beat, his heart tugged by the way she said it. My husband. Like it was the most natural, cherished thing.
He grinned, leaning his head against hers. "You just called me your husband in that soft, romantic voice to trick me into spending money."
Shruti's lips curved. "Did it work?"
"Completely," he admitted. "What's next? You want matching gaming chairs too?"
She gasped, eyes lighting up. "Can we?!"
He groaned, laughing. "See? I walked into that one."
"Yup," she said smugly. "And now we're a gaming couple. No backsies."
Arjun shook his head, affection in his gaze. "Fine. But I'm choosing the horror games."
"And I'm choosing the dance ones."
"Deal." He held out a pinky.
She linked hers with his, sealing it with a grin.
And as the evening breeze ruffled their hair, they stayed like that — two kids at heart, plotting their next little adventure.
---
At the gaming store, Shruti walked the aisles like a connoisseur, hands clasped behind her back, pausing at each shelf as if she were selecting fine art rather than video games. Her eyes sparkled under the store's soft white lights, and the sheer seriousness on her face made Arjun grin as he trailed behind, pushing their cart.
She stopped at the racing section first, pulling out a popular title. "This one. It has night tracks, snow tracks, and city races. You'll hate it because I'll beat you at it."
Arjun chuckled. "Confidence, huh? Okay, we're getting it. But don't cry when I lap you."
"In your dreams, Mr. Overconfident."
They moved on. She picked up a co-op cooking game, tilting the case so he could see the cover art of tiny chefs in chaos.
"This is for when we want to test our marriage," she said with mock seriousness. "I heard couples either bond or break up over this."
Arjun laughed. "And you're choosing that risk?"
"Of course. What's life without a little danger?"
He added it to the cart. "Fine. But you wash the virtual dishes."
"Deal."
At the horror game shelf, Shruti hesitated, then grabbed a title with a creepy, shadowy mansion on the cover. "For you. So you can pretend you're not scared."
Arjun smirked. "You screamed louder than me at the VR zombies."
"Lies," she said, sticking her tongue out. "You screamed like they were real."
They picked a detective mystery game, and finally, as if fate insisted, Shruti grabbed Fruit Ninja.
Arjun raised a brow. "You sure? Didn't the bombs defeat you last time?"
She gave him a determined look. "I'll practice. I'll beat you. And you'll regret ever mocking my ninja skills."
He held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. Let the ninja have her rematch."
At the counter, they added two extra controllers and a fancy charging dock. The cashier rang up the massive total, and Arjun handed over his card without blinking.
"You look far too pleased about emptying my wallet," he teased as they left the store.
Shruti linked her arm through his, beaming. "What's mine is yours, what's yours is mine."
"And the bills are mine."
"Exactly," she said, laughing as they walked back to the car.
---
By the time they reached home, the sky had dimmed into navy blue, and the streetlights flickered to life one by one, casting warm golden pools on the quiet road. A gentle breeze ruffled the trees, carrying the distant sound of someone playing a flute.
Arjun unlocked the door and pushed it open, dropping the heavy bags onto the couch with a dramatic sigh. He stretched his arms above his head, groaning. "Remind me next time to buy less fun."
Shruti flopped beside him, the floppy-eared teddy bear tucked under her arm like a cherished prize. She hugged it tighter, resting her cheek against its soft fur.
Arjun turned his head to look at her, the tension in his face finally easing. His eyes softened, and for the first time that day, he looked completely at peace. "Thanks."
Shruti blinked, confused but touched. "For what?"
He shrugged lightly, his voice quieter now. "For today. For dragging me out. For cheering me up. For making me scream like a little kid at the horror VR… and for not recording it as blackmail material."
She grinned. "Oh, I should have recorded it. Could've used it during fights."
"Cruel woman," he said, mock glaring at her.
Her smile turned gentle. "Can't I even do that much for my husband?"
The words settled in the room, soft and warm. Arjun closed his eyes, exhaling slowly, his lips curving into the most content smile. "You can do anything, Shruti. Literally anything."
She watched him for a moment, heart full at the sight of him so at ease. Then, unable to resist, she leaned over and ruffled his hair gently. His eyes fluttered open in protest, but the smile stayed.
"Then I declare war," she said playfully, standing and stretching. "Tomorrow. Fruit Ninja rematch."
"Bring it on," he murmured, his body sinking deeper into the couch cushions, sleep already beginning to pull at him.
"And racing. And cooking. And maybe horror, if you don't chicken out."
"Dream big, ninja girl," he said, eyes closing again. "Dream big."
Shruti giggled softly, switching off the bright ceiling light and leaving only the soft glow of a table lamp. The room hushed as the outside world quieted too. The buzz of neon signs, the laughter of the arcade, the beeping of machines — all of it faded, leaving only the soft hum of the night.
Arjun drifted off, the floppy teddy slumped by the sofa, his partner-in-crime padding quietly toward the kitchen for a glass of water, already planning their next adventure.
And outside, under the navy sky, the city kept breathing — but inside that little home, everything felt light again. Everything felt right.
To be continued...