The "official" date wasn't at a five-star hotel. Arjun had rented out a restored 1920s wooden yacht, the Asha, and anchored it in the quiet waters off Marine Drive. No press, no bodyguards on deck—just the silhouette of Mumbai’s "Queen’s Necklace" glittering like a fallen constellation behind them.

Arjun had traded his tuxedo for a charcoal linen shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was currently struggling with a bottle of vintage Italian red that Isabella had insisted on.