In 2013, Vik and I began our sophomore year of high school and encountered each other for the first time. We had our 4th, 5th, and 6th period classes together. Clearly, the universe was trying to tell us something.

She asked me to be her partner for our final project in Photo 1. As we shot a stop-motion short film together, her personality really began to shine through. Conversation flowed effortlessly. It felt like we had known each other for years. That was the moment I truly fell for her.

Later that month, we had our first date at Chapel Hill Mall! Shoutout to our moms for providing transportation (we were 15).

On January 14, 2014, I officially asked Vik to be my girlfriend at her locker after school. She replied with an enthusiastic “sure!” Needless to say, I was ecstatic. Even in the early days, I felt a special connection with Vik that I had never experienced with anyone else. I had an intuition that our relationship was going to last a long time. Vik later told me that these feelings were reciprocal. Though it was early on, these feelings indicated a commitment to each other; each envisioning a future that included the other person.

We moved to Cincinnati for college in 2016, starting new lives and finding ourselves in the process. This period of rapid change was scary and hectic, but Vik supported me through it all. She encouraged me to pursue new friendships and interests. Though we both changed as people throughout this time, we supported each other in this growth. I fell even deeper in love with the person Vik became. Embracing each others’ growth only brought us closer together.

In 2020, Vik and I moved into our first apartment together in Clifton. Sharing a tiny home was another big step for us as a couple. Even in isolation, I cherished the time we spent together cooking dinners, doing puzzles, and taking walks around the neighborhood. We were so fortunate to be able to spend that time together.

In 2021, we celebrated our college graduation and geared up for an unforgettable final summer in Cincinnati. I landed a job in New York, which was a very exciting opportunity. Though outside of her comfort zone, Vik joined me in a new and unfamiliar place. Starting fresh in a new city had its growing pains, but I found a sense of home in my partner who loved and supported me through them.

Starting fresh together offered us great opportunities for quality time as we explored the city. Before we knew it, we were making weekly trips to Bagel World, lounging in our local park, and daydreaming about what is yet to come in this phase of our lives.

On September 30, 2022, I proposed to Vik on our rooftop (she said yes!). The roof was really my plan C, but after the fact, it seemed like the best choice all along. We shared many picnics and watched many sunsets on that roof. New York was a leap-of-faith in our lives together. What better way to celebrate our growth together than the rooftop of our tiny apartment, overlooking a once unfamiliar city that grew to become our home? Special thanks to Jake and Gail for hiding on the roof for their great documentation of this moment.

Next comes October 7, 2023 when we get to celebrate these past 9 years of love and mark the beginning of everything to come. To everyone reading this, we are so grateful to have had you as a part of our journey together. We hope to see you all in Cleveland!