The late afternoon light slanted through the windows of the Malhotra home, painting the living room in honeyed stripes. Aryan sat on the sofa, eyes half-closed, still riding the gentle, wine-fueled haze of the morning. His head lolled against the cushion as he scrolled through messages on his phone, one hand still holding the empty water glass Diana had pressed into his palm.

Diana emerged from the kitchen, plucking a stray grain of rice from her salwar and smirking as she approached him. She carried a tray with two cups of masala chai—one for him, one for herself.

"You've been awfully quiet," she teased, setting the tray on the coffee table.

He looked up, bleary-eyed, and managed a half-smile. "I'm... contemplative."

She laughed softly, pouring the tea. "Contemplating what?"

He leaned forward to accept his cup, his fingers brushing against hers. "How I survived your kitchen ambush this morning."

Diana raised an eyebrow. "Ambush? That was called 'romance.' "

He blinked at her, trying to keep a straight face. "Romance in a juice-jug disguise is still an ambush."

She nudged him with her shoulder. "I thought I was creative."

"Creative is putting saffron in the wrong pot," he replied, taking a sip of chai. The warmth spread through him, clearing the last of the morning's dizziness.

Just then, the front door flew open and Arya bounded in, eyes wide with excitement.

"Maa! Bhaiya!" she called, waving her phone. "You two will never believe this—Mom's group chat exploded!"

Diana exchanged a knowing glance with Aryan. "Oh dear."

Arya plopped onto the sofa beside him, phone thrust under his nose. "Look at this!"

Aryan peered at the screen. It was a family group chat—his cousins, aunties, and friends from college had all sent laughing emojis and teasing messages once news got out about his... enthusiastic morning antics.

Aunty Sunita: "I see the honeymoon effect has lasted! Pookie bhabhi-wala to the rescue! 😂"
Cousin Riya: "Aryan bhai's living his best life! 🥂"
Uncle Raj: "When your son is more romantic than your daughter! 😉"

Aryan's face burned an even deeper shade of red. He looked at Diana, who was stifling laughter behind her hand.

"Maein, kya kiya tumne?" Arya cackled. "I can't believe he actually drank the wine."

Diana's cheeks pinked. "It was a brilliant idea at the time."

"It wasn't brilliant—it was diabolical," Aryan grumbled, swiping through the notifications. "And now everyone thinks I'm some... Casanova."

"Maybe you are," Diana said with a wicked grin.

Arya snorted. "Please. I want the saga details. There were video snippets, apparently—"

"Video snippets?!" Aryan leaped up, nearly knocking over his chai. "Who—"

"Oh, relax," Arya said, holding up her phone. "They're just quick clips. People made memes. Even Dad sent one—he's calling you 'Love Bhaba.'"

"Your father—" Aryan buried his face in his hands.

Diana slid off the sofa and sat next to Aryan, wrapping an arm around him. "It's okay. Embrace the legend."

He peeked at her. "I'm not sure I want to be legendary for spilling wine all over your 'juice.' "

Diana hugged him. "You're legendary for a lot more than that."

Arya leaned over, reading the group chat aloud in a melodramatic voice. "Rajat: 'I never thought my son would out-romance me.' Hahaha!"

Aryan groaned. "Fantastic."

"Come on," Diana said gently. "It's all in good fun. Everyone's happy for us."

He sighed, then managed a small smile. "I guess."

"Plus," Diana added, poking his cheek, "now you're officially the most talked-about husband in the family."

Aryan rolled his eyes, but turned serious. "Thank you for, you know, making life... interesting."

Diana grinned. "That's my job."

Arya jumped up suddenly. "I need to show the team at the studio! If bhaiya is a legend here, imagine what they'll do with this story."

Diana stood, smoothing her outfit. "Very well. Go—spread the news of our epic romance."

Arya waved her phone triumphantly and darted out the door. Diana turned back to Aryan and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a quick kiss.

"Better?" she whispered.

He kissed her back softly. "Better."

A few hours later, Diana and Arya pulled into the parking lot of Diana's fashion company—where afternoon light bounced off the glass exterior. Arya hopped out, phone at the ready, while Diana gave Aryan a reassuring smile.

"Good luck," he said, giving her a quick kiss.

"I don't need luck—I need caffeine," she joked.

Aryan waved as she and Arya disappeared inside, then got back into his car. He drove off toward his own office building, mind buzzing. He'd always viewed himself as rational, composed, discipline personified. Yet two months of marriage and one rogue bottle of wine later, he was being immortalized as the family's romantic wildcard.

But he didn't mind.

Inside, Diana and Arya had taken over a design table strewn with fabric swatches and sketches. The interns were crowded around, eager to hear the "household gossip."

"So," one intern said with a grin, "how many types of memes are there now?"

Another held up her phone. "This one's my favorite—'Aryan in the wild: Pookie Husband Edition.' "

Diana laughed, tousling Arya's hair. "Well, I gave up wine years ago—I guess I shouldn't judge."

Arya punched her shoulder playfully. "Smart move."

Diana gestured to the design board. "Okay team, let's focus. I want to see how this prints on silk."

The interns bustled back to work, and Diana turned to Arya, who was grinning ear to ear.

"You're living the dream, interns have memes of you," she teased.

Arya shook her head, still chuckling. "My life is complete."

Diana caught sight of her phone vibrating on the table. She glanced at the message preview: "Coffee?" It was from Aryan.

She replied quickly, "Sure, twenty minutes." And showed it to Arya.

"Dinner date? Or inviting you to pick him up drunk?" Arya teased.

"Both?" Diana said, pressing her lips together to hide a smile.

"Just be home in one piece," Arya said. "Or I'll join the 'Aryan Legends' chat."

Diana rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. Go help with those midi skirts."

Arya waved and headed off, still giggling.

Diana tidied the table, then turned away, spotlights faint in the studio casting her shadow tall against the wall. She touched her hair, then paused, thinking about the morning's chaos, the evening's laughter, and the unexpected thrill of seeing Aryan let loose.

She collected her bag and headed downstairs, passing by mannequins draped in flowing silks—reminders that creativity and chaos could coexist beautifully.

****

When Diana arrived home, daylight had nearly faded. Aryan was waiting in the living room, wearing a casual shirt and jeans, a single mug of coffee in his hand.

"Coffee for the almost-legendary husband," he said, handing her the mug.

She took it gratefully and sat beside him. "Thank you."

They sat in companionable silence, sipping their coffee as the first stars appeared outside.

Aryan glanced sideways at her. "So... have you survived the pookie memes yet?"

She laughed softly. "Barely."

He nudged her gently. "I'm sorry, truly. I didn't mean to become the town joke."

Diana laid her head on his shoulder. "It's not a joke. It's love."

He stroked her hair. "I'm learning that love looks a lot like... accidental wine ambush and office gossip."

She looked up at him, eyes shining. "And it tastes like midnight chai."

He smiled. "That too."

Their laughter faded into a comfortable quiet. Diana sipped her coffee, savoring the warmth. Then she set the mug down and turned to him fully.

"You know," she began, voice soft, "I've never been this happy."

Aryan's eyes met hers. "Same here."

She reached up and kissed him, a gentle reminder of the day's playful chaos and the deeper bond they shared.

He responded with equal tenderness, and for a moment, the world beyond their living room vanished—memes, family chat, office drama and all.

All that mattered was the two of them, learning, laughing, and loving each other more every day.