Karisma and Rohan's story started like any good modern day love story - online! It all kicked off in the digital realm of dating apps, where they matched in the spring of 2016. Rohan, on a weekend boys trip to NYC, was probably too busy being a tourist, leaving Karisma in suspense as she waited for a message. Alas, no message arrived, and the match expired faster than a New York minute. But fear not, dear reader, fate had other plans. Fast forward three weeks, and Karisma's back in the swiping game. And guess who she sees? Yep, it’s Rohan, making a comeback like the lead in a rom-com sequel. Was she cautious after the initial ghosting? Duh, but she was like, "Why not? Lightning doesn't strike twice, right?" Wrong. Lightning does what it wants, and this time, Rohan slid into her DMs like the smooth operator he is. As they got to chatting, they found out their worlds weren't just colliding online – they lived 15 minutes apart, had several mutual friends, and attended the same high school (Plano East, which is basically like a small college campus). They finally met up for coffee and wondered how they hadn’t met before and questioned if they unknowingly were at the same wedding just a few weeks before! Now in classic consulting style, Rohan had a packed schedule, so he had to dip out of their coffee date early. But, he made it up to Karisma with a pizza date just a few days later. The pizza was fantastic, but the real MVP of this love story? Dessert. Rohan had been hyping up these homemade ice cream sandwiches for days at this point, and Karisma was dying to figure out if she had bagged a pastry chef or just the Pillsbury dough boy. Karisma teased him that if he really wanted to win her over, he would find a portable refrigerator to bring her a few sandwiches for her to try. Rohan, as the out-of-the-box thinker he is, made sure to bring a cooler with ice packs and plenty of ice cream sandwiches for Karisma to take home. Once she had a bite, Karisma knew Rohan was sweeter than the ice cream she had just tasted and the rest is history!
Now before we get to the actual proposal story, let us take a little detour to chronicle Karisma and Rohan’s past. We all know Karisma and Rohan love to travel. And while on these wonderful trips, you could be sure that at some point Rohan would get the classic “sooooo, are you proposing?” message. Even beyond the not so subtle peer pressure, it seemed the universe was also ready for Rohan to pop the question. On their fifth-anniversary trip to Hawaii, they stopped by at the Dior store, you know, since it’s Rohan’s namesake (Dior please sponsor us!). As they were checking out, the sales associate approached them and said “We have a photographer in the store today. Would you like to do a photoshoot?”. Cue Karisma’s mental gymnastics: “OMG a Dior photoshoot!” and “This is a set-up. He’s proposing. All of my family and friends must be lurking nearby. Everyone left their phone at home and Rohan bought everyone burners so I can’t track them on Find my Friends!” Spoiler alert: no proposal, this was all just a big coincidence, much to Karisma’s disappointment. But don’t worry, Rohan had plans to make it up soon! Fast forward a year and Rohan is in his last semester of business school and ready to pop the question. The challenge? Finding the perfect ring and proposal spot. Karisma must be a mind reader because she started sending him a barrage of ring options and proposal spots around the world. Now, for those of you who know Karisma well, you know she is a type A queen and that this was just the beginning. She figured out the exact ring design she wanted, and even the exact length to width ratio for the diamond that would make her finger sparkle just right. Now onto proposal planning. Rohan knew Karisma loved the charm of a European villa, but with graduation just around the corner, they wouldn’t be able to jet set over the Atlantic any time soon. So, he found the next best thing: the Commodore Perry Estate - basically an Italian villa nestled in the hills of Austin. Now location was one thing, but planning a surprise for someone who could give the FBI a run for its money? Challenge accepted. Rohan planned their trip to the Commodore Perry, disguising it as a late sixth anniversary staycation. As they strolled to dinner, they took the scenic route so they could see the sunset before dinner. As they came over to the balcony, Karisma saw the floral arrangements, champagne, and a ready-to-roll photographer. Cue the waterworks, a speech that is blacked out of both their memories, oh and a YES! May 29th, 2022 marked the beginning of their next chapter in life!