It was a rainy July 4th...

...and Kristen and Gaurav were both enjoying the weekend with friends in Montauk.  They both found themselves watching a soccer match at Zum Schneider's that afternoon, but neither noticed the other...yet.

Later that day, they would each make their way to the Surf Lodge.  Kristen had just secured her next "Endless Summer" cocktail at the bar, when a tall dark and handsome stranger approached her and complimented her shirt, an American flag-print crop-top. 

Shortly thereafter, Kristen approached Gaurav on the porch outside to demand that he guess her age.  Kristen's 30th birthday was fast approaching and one of the ways that she emotionally dealt with the transition was to seek constant validation from strangers as to her youthful appearance.  When Gaurav guessed that Kristen was 30, she indignantly declared that every other man at The Surf Lodge had told her she looked no older than 24.  Gaurav, a numbers guy, was proud of his accuracy and gloated as Kristen stormed off, likely with his drink. 

Later that night, Kristen's friend Pia declared, "Kristen, who is that beautiful Indian man?" It was then that Kristen looked up and caught Gaurav's gaze again, this time with a new sense of promise.  Gaurav would go on to spend the rest of the night circling Kristen like a hawk and intermittently offering to buy her drinks. 

Gaurav texted Kristen a week later and they met for cocktails at the University club, where Gaurav was a summer member.  After regaling Kristen with stories of his family's royal past and his success as a Bollywood star in India, Kristen was putty in his hands (note: Kristen has since been unable to verify either of these claims).  Drinks turned into dinner which turned back into drinks, which they carried into the club's library.  There, Kristen climbed up a ladder and pulled a random book from the shelves.  She was shocked when she saw the cover - the title contained her father's name, William Ellery! It turns out there was a minister by that name in 1800's and this was his biography.  Was it fate?  Later that night Kristen texted Pia that she had found her husband.  When later asked (for the purposes of this summary) Gaurav assured the author that he had felt the same. 

All photography provided by Lelia Scarfiotti