Siddharth & Rhea

We'd been dating long-distance for the better part of two years — Siddharth in Bengaluru, me in Jaipur — and every trip one of us made to see the other felt like a small event of its own. This particular trip, though, he insisted on planning every last detail himself, which was unusual for him.

We spent the afternoon wandering through Amer Fort, and just as the sun started dipping low over the Aravalli hills, he led me up to a quiet terrace overlooking the whole city. I was busy taking photos of the view and completely missed him getting down on one knee until he cleared his throat.

The ring itself had been designed from scratch through Tesora's custom process — a round solitaire he'd spent weeks getting exactly right, sketch after sketch, because he wanted something that felt entirely 'us' rather than off a shelf. He later admitted he'd nearly given up twice trying to get the prongs just right.

Watching the whole city glow gold beneath us while he asked the question — it's a moment I don't think either of us will ever fully be able to put into words.

"He designed that ring himself, piece by piece, over weeks. Every time I look at it, I see how much thought went into every single detail."

— Rhea