“Who the Hell Are You?”: The Beginning of Drishti Nanwani Tolani and Chiraag Tolani’s Full-Circle Love Story

While all love stories are special, some take up a little extra space in your heart, the ones that become a core memory not just for the couple getting married but also for the guests who attend their big day. And Drishti Nanwani Tolani and Chiraag Tolani's story was one such. A story that didn’t begin with sweet conversations or cute date nights, theirs began with a line that no one could forget. The very first words Chiraag ever said to Drishti were, “Who the hell are you?!” And those words gave their relationship a touch of the typical enemies-to-lovers trope that set the tone for everything that followed.

A perfect balance between grandeur and deeply personal touches, their four-day wedding celebration that was captured by WeddingNama by Ankita and Akash, in Bali, which also happens to be Drishti’s hometown, became the stage for some of the most memorable moments for both the couple and their guests, with each of their wedding functions thoughtfully planned to reflect the couple’s vibrant personalities. 

“We met at Chiraag’s 23rd birthday party at home,” Drishti revealed that their love story had unfolded at Chiraag’s 23rd birthday house party, where Drishti had reluctantly tagged along with her cousin — an invitation she almost declined. She shared that her cousin was invited, and he had told her to come with him because some of her friends would be there. She added that she didn’t usually go to events if she didn’t know the host or wasn’t directly invited, but it was also the first time this cousin had extended such an invitation, so she figured, ‘Why the hell not?’ But what followed next was not something Drishti was expecting.

“‘Who the hell are you?’ These were the words uttered by Chiraag when he encountered the mysterious young lady at his doorstep during his 23rd birthday house party,” said Drishti, sharing that the young lady was, in fact, her, who had reluctantly decided to attend this stranger’s party with her cousin. “Definitely a memorable first impression.”

But their first date was different; it was a practice date. “We had both been failing miserably on the dating front at that stage. And we had been friends for about 6 months or so,” the couple shared. “It was a practice date, so we could give each other feedback. It was very smooth. We went for dinner at her favourite Italian restaurant at Bondi Beach and then for a movie. I think we both felt like we weren't just friends anymore by the end of the night.” 

Although looking back in hindsight, Chiraag doesn’t think he actually ever officially asked her out properly, we kind of just fell into this natural rhythm.

Their journey together, however, wasn’t a linear one. Drishti revealed that she didn’t know that Chiraag was the one for her for a very long time. “We dated for four and a half years. And then we broke up. And were apart for 7 years. And then got back together in 2022 and then married in 2025. I think deep down I always knew. It just took me longer to have the epiphany moment.

Chiraag echoed the sentiment as he added, “I couldn’t pinpoint an actual moment - I just had a gut feeling that the story wasn’t over.”

Having known each other for over 15 years, their early memories blur into one long conversation. “There are so many memories from the true early days and also many from the early days of CD 2.0, as we call it.” They describe it simply as “a never-ending conversation with a best friend.” A connection that started on Facebook Messenger, survived BlackBerry Messenger and WhatsApp, and now lives between the walls of their home. “This is what we both found impossible to replicate, I think. It was always so easy to talk to each other about anything and everything.”

When it came to the proposal, Drishti exclaimed that it unfolded exactly in true Chiraag fashion. “The planning of the proposal was an example of Murphy’s Law in motion. As for the actual proposal,” Chiraag shared. "We had dinner with my cousins earlier that night, and afterwards we were thinking about going to get some dessert but Chiraag said he had to swing by his place to get something first. So we went to his place and he gave Drishti a little velvet pouch. Inside it was a necklace with a wand from Harry Potter as the pendant,” Drishti chimed in. She then shared that he had told her that there was a little something that went with the necklace hidden somewhere in the apartment for her to find. 

She further shared that Chiraag stood on the balcony, overlooking Sydney Harbour, being all suave, with fairy lights everywhere, while she went on her little treasure hunt and soon found the golden snitch.

In a seemingly fairytale moment, Chiraag had told her that the wand was the key that opened the snitch, and he helped her open it. Inside the snitch was the engagement ring. “Chiraag didn’t actually say anything, though,” Drishti said as she remembered saying, ‘I think there’s supposed to be a question that goes along with this?’ “And then Chiraag said, ‘My knees hurt, and the ground is wet, so I am not getting down on one knee, but will you consent to being my wife?’” She remembered laughing hard at his statement and rolling her eyes before she said yes to him. “And then, we went to get ice cream. The ice cream was good.”

Their relationship dynamic is best described through humour. “The running joke during the wedding was that he's the bride and I'm the groom,” said Drishti, calling herself the introverted organised queen, while Chiraag is the insomniac jetsetter and resident cartoonist. Chiraag likens them to a buddy cop movie — her calm and collected, him the wacky liability.

“I made it snow for him once for Christmas.” Drishti gushed as she remembered the most romantic thing she had done for Chirag. “In Sydney. It was about 40°C outside. I put white blankets all over the sofa and the floor and bought fake snow and put that everywhere (it was truly a pain to clean up). Got a picnic basket and some hot chocolate in a Thermos, Mac and cheese, and we had a picnic in the snow.” She added that Chiraag isn't one for very outward displays of affection. But shortly before proposing, the couple had gone to the Whitsundays in Queensland for their anniversary, and he had booked them a helicopter ride to Whitehaven Beach. “Honestly, it was the most beautiful beach in the world, and we had champagne at the beach. This and the proposal itself are probably the most romantic things he's done for me,” Drishti chipped. And when it came to planning the wedding, they envisioned something deeply personal. Drishti dreamed of eloping more than once, while Chiraag initially imagined a “Big. Fat. Sindhi. Wedding. In Scotland,” until reality set in.

Eventually, Bali became the perfect answer. After shortlisting destinations across Southeast Asia and factoring in auspicious dates, they landed on Sofitel Nusa Dua. A venue that not only matched their beachy vision but also felt right in every way.

Every detail of the wedding reflected them—from enchanted forest sangeets inspired by Harry Potter and Drishti’s novel Enchanted Incognito, to a jetsetter-themed reception complete with the seven wonders of the world. Their outfits were just as thoughtfully chosen, with Drishti sourcing hers from Delhi and Jakarta. “My mum and I booked a trip to Delhi and Jakarta. Four days in Delhi, four days in Jakarta. In 4 days, I tried on about 150 outfits.” Drishti elaborated on their outfit hunt before the wedding. “ We had arms all scratched from beadwork and embroidery. But I had not only chosen my wedding outfit, reception gown, and Ghari outfit, as well as an outfit for our reception in Sydney after the wedding, but I was also bringing most of them home with me. The reception gown I had seen online beforehand, and I was pretty set on it. It is a Seema Gujral gown. I was just very lucky that Pernia’s had it in stock in my size for me. So I could take it with me then and there. But what took a lot was my wedding lehenga. I almost put down a deposit with Dolly J for a bespoke outfit when I saw the Kalighata outfit that I ended up choosing at Pernia's. Once again, it was almost a perfect fit. I took the lehenga skirt and the dupattas with me that day. I wanted some change on the blouse, so they made me a new blouse and shipped it to me later.”

If that wasn’t enough, Drishti further shared that her Ghari and Sydney reception outfits were from Anita Dongre. The reception lehenga was again the perfect size and fit. “Then we went to Jakarta, and I met with Anjali Mahtani, who made my sangeet outfit and my Janiya outfit for me. She is also helping me to repurpose my wedding lehenga and reception gown now so I can continue to wear these special pieces for many years to come.”

While the bride was all hyped about her wedding outfits, Chiraag’s family turned his shopping into a full-fledged collaborative mission—culminating in a Sabyasachi wedding outfit. “So, my parents, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin and his wife’s family all came to Bombay with me to go shopping! So, it was a very collaborative effort from all of us - trying everything from Gandhi Market to Kala Ghoda.” In the end, the outfit selection was as haphazard as any Chiraag plan. His much more organised sister had shortlisted a bunch of outfits at different stores, and in the end. While his wedding outfit was from Sabyasachi, and his Sangeet fit was from Anita Dongre which was shortlisted by his sister.

Meaningful moments weren’t limited to ceremonies. Drishti shared, “I wasn't expecting it at all, but my Ghari Puja was actually so special and fun. We danced and sang and it was also my favourite look, so that helped. And it was followed by a poolside lunch with some of my favourite Indonesian dishes and, of course, pizza.”

But for Chiraag, he said, “If we’re talking meaningful…it wasn’t even an actual wedding function. A lot of relatives had come a day or two early for the events, so we hosted a ‘small family dinner’ of about 100 people. It was fun to hang out with my friends and family without having to be ‘switched on in wedding mode’”

At the end of it all, when asked how they felt, the answer was simple: “Exhausted and Hungry!” Four days in Uluwatu followed — sleeping, eating, swimming, and finally slowing down.

Looking back, neither would change a thing. Their advice to couples is grounded and heartfelt — focus on what truly matters, ignore the noise, and remember that people won’t remember the tablecloths, but they’ll always remember how your wedding made them feel.

And as they step into this next chapter, Drishti looks forward to travel and new traditions, while Chiraag is most excited about one thing: “Having all the wedding planning being over and done with!”