The rooftop restaurant was draped in strings of amber fairy lights, casting a golden glow over the private corner table. Below them, the city hummed, but for Arjun and Ishani, the world had narrowed down to the space between their chairs.

Ishani looked breathtaking. She had chosen a modern, midnight-blue silk saree that shimmered like water. The blouse was barely there—a daring, deep-cut back held together by a single, delicate gold string. Every time she moved to take a sip of her wine, the silk shifted over the dangerous curves of her hourglass figure, her deep navel peeking out above the low-slung waist of the saree. A heavy gold kamarbandh sat snugly against her skin, highlighting the flare of her hips.