Rohan, 28, a software engineer living in Hyderabad, brings his girlfriend, Meera, home for dinner. He thinks it is casual. His mother thinks it is a wedding preview. Within an hour, the neighbor "drops by" to borrow sugar. Within two hours, Rohan’s phone is buzzing with messages from an uncle in the US: "She seems respectful, but is she vegetarian?" The family sits in a circle. They do not ask about career goals; they ask about ghar ka khana (home food) preferences and horoscope compatibility. Rohan laughs nervously. Meera smiles. In India, a relationship is never just two people—it is a merger of ecosystems.