As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in warm tones of saffron and rose gold, the garden buzzed with a lazy kind of excitement. Everyone from both families lounged on white-cushioned cane sofas under fairy-lit canopies, sipping nimbu paani and iced mojitos, lost in laughter and chatter.

A calm, dreamy vibe hung in the air—until a loud car horn shattered the peace like a slap in a silent room.