Welcome!

We connected on Bumble when Mahesh just happened to be traveling through town (Baltimore) for work. On Monday, I said hello and Mahesh spent the next few days charming me with his wit and kindness. By Friday, we decided to meet each other at Clavel to eat Mexican food (my favorite!). We spent the whole evening chatting away, sharing stories, passions, and plans for the future. At the end of the night, I told Mahesh, "Today is Friday the 13th (it really was! Sept 13, 2019) and a full moon. There are only two ways this date was going to end, as the best date ever or in total disaster." When he asked, "Which one is it for you?" Well, I think you know my answer. And we have been crazy in love since that LUCKY Friday the 13th day. ~Shruti~

The planning for the proposal started two months earlier, when I asked Shruti’s parents if I could have their permission to marry their daughter. Both her parents were very excited and gave me their blessings. I had decided earlier that due to the pandemic and the limited time Shruti was able to spend with our families during that time, that it would important to have both of our families at the proposal. And thus the planning began for a weekend get-away with the entire family to Arrowhead Lake, by the Poconos, in December, 2020. I rented a lake house with the a nice view and backyard to plan the proposal there. Shruti started to suspect so I had to keep her oblivious to some of the details so she doesn’t become more suspecting. When we finally reached the lake house, I realized the weather was too cold to do anything outside. I tried stalling with various activities with the family like cooking, dancing, and singing to see if the weather would clear up but to no avail. All throughout, Shruti seemed to be expecting me to propose to her, changing dresses multiple times so, I started to become anxious as well. As we got closer to the late afternoon, I gathered the whole family (in secret) and planned to have the proposal inside the house. I told them I wanted flowers, candles, and a sound system setup and the plan was in motion.

The parents were responsible for decorations and music system, my brother was responsible for flowers, and Shruti’s sister, Soumya, was responsible for helping me keep Shruti distracted and out of the house for a few hours while they setup. We went to the lake and took some “pre-engagement” pictures, with her sister being the photographer. We spent time going to various parts of the lake to find the “best location” spending almost an hour, thinking that would be enough. By this point Shruti was tired of waiting for the proposal, which worked to my favor. However, I got a message from my brother that they weren’t done and to stall some more. While I was trying to figure out what to do, Soumya came up with a brilliant plan of wanting to watch the sunset and I enthusiastically agreed. I could see that Shruti was getting tired of our antics but she went along, bracing the cold, still unaware of what was actually taking place at the house. After nearly an hour and a half in the cold and the sun had gone down, we finally decided to head back to the house, hoping that everything was set. When we walked into the house, the whole house was dark, with candles set throughout the room, surrounded by petals of roses and a path to the end of the room, where the mic, sound system and a chair was set. As I walked in, my brother handed me my guitar and I walked Shruti to the chair. Now begins the proposal…

While I was planning for the proposal, I had asked Soumya what type of proposal Shruti was expecting. She told that Shruti had always wanted someone to serenade her with songs before someone proposes to her. The song of her choice: “Hero” by Enrique Iglesias. So, when we walked into the house and walked her to the chair, I put the guitar strap around me and stood in front of the mic stand. Took a deep breath and started to strum a guitar pattern. I saw the sparkle in Shruti’s eyes as she recognized the tune, and I started to sing “Would you dance, if I asked you to dance?….” I did a medley of songs, from ”Hero” to “Tu Soch Na Sake” from Airlift to “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. Once done, I got on my knee, and I told her how she had always been the first to ask if we could make it official and the first to say “I love you” but I am going to be the first to ask “Will you marry me?” She laughed and said “Yes!” Our whole family clapped as I put the ring on her finger and cheered as they came and gave us hugs. We took many photos celebrating the occasion. The rest of the evening was spent of calling our families around the world and giving them the good news before having an amazing dinner that the family had cooked. It was definitely a night we would never forget! ~Mahesh~

We are both looking forward to celebrating our big day with all of our friends and family. We cannot wait to see you there! Stay tuned for more details as we plan our big day!