FACT #1: Our friendship began with lighthearted cyberbullying. A: Till this day Dhruva claims he was never the one behind those messages - I think it’s safe to say I believe him now. D: IT WASN'T ME! FACT #2: We had our first in-person conversation at the start of 8th grade. A: We were at a mutual friend’s pizza party and Dhruva was sitting atop a pillar eating pizza straight out the box while we chatted away for hours. D: The pizza smacked. Tasted even better while perching. FACT #3: We went as each other’s “date” for our high school’s Model United Nations after party. A: Little did Dhruva know at the time that I had a crush on him and the date meant more to me than just two best friends going along with a bit. D: The "bit" felt a little too real for a sec. I was into it. FACT #4: We almost dated when we were 16. A: I confessed I had a crush, but Dhruva revealed he was moving to Dubai and withheld the fact that he felt the same way. D: Withheld that info for 10 years. I'm like that. FACT #5: We played a LOT of basketball together. A: Growing up, whether it was a tournament, league, free play at school, or just casual pickup, we would always play together. It’s what kept us in touch and close even after he moved to Dubai and we both left for college. D: Shot my shot like Kobe in the 4th when the time came #clutch FACT #6: We reconnected in NYC as *adults* in 2022. A: With Dhruva’s military training and the pandemic, we had not met for nearly 3 years in person. Out of nowhere, Dhruva spawned in Times Square for a work trip just a few blocks away from where I lived. We went on a stroll in Central Park and caught up on everything we had missed out on in the last few years. It was like nothing had changed and we fell back into a familiar routine of texting, calling, FaceTiming, and sending Snaps to each other for the rest of the year. D: Fellas, who knew that paying for her coffee would make up for zero comms over 3 years? FACT #7: Dhruva canceled his original holiday plans to attend Anshika's holiday party in 2022. A: I found out that Dhruva decided to change his plans to celebrate the holidays with me and my friends. We had a whirlwind of a weekend that ended with us snuggled up on the couch watching Sunday football and chowing down fresh NYC pizza before Dhruva had to drive back down to Virginia. D: Simped so hard, all I can say is "Go Birds." FACT #8: We convinced each other that long-distance was worth it. A: After swearing off long distance relationships, Dhruva changed my mind by claiming that VA and NYC were “really not that far”. D: She ranted for 40 minutes about how she couldn't do distance, and I ignored all of it. My takeaway - sheer disregard sometimes works pretty well. Rarely. Okay fine, this ONE time. FACT #9: Anshika got pranked on our first official date. A: We were sat down at Mono+Mono and Dhruva asked me which 3 food items I would typically avoid ordering on a first date. After hearing my answer, he proceeded to order the items I mentioned - chicken wings, oysters, and burgers. And that’s why we’re still just friends! D: Got way too close to the limits of sheer disregard there. BONUS FUN FACT #10: Just kidding, Dhruva proposed roughly 2 years later. A: The proposal was disguised as my father’s belated (by a year) 60th birthday celebration. Big family milestones were often celebrated at Taj Faluknuma Palace, so I happened to suggest the location that the proposal was already being planned at. When the day came, we arrived at the palace in a horse-drawn carriage, stewards handed out champagne, and rose petals fell from above as we climbed up the stairs. As my family began to trail and I approached the balcony alone, I noticed a table set for 8 and not for 4. Behind me a voice echoed “So what do you think?” D: After a few *choice* words were said and several tears were shed, I officially proposed! Successfully gaslit her into thinking this was all her idea. The long con was diabolically beautiful.