I first met Shawn when I was a college freshman. The mysterious sophomore had platinum blond hair and bore a large scar on his head. He was cute, but always too busy in college, so he was just a friend. He was the kind of friend who found me on my birthday, smashed chocolate syrup into my face, and left without so much as saying “happy birthday.”
On my 22nd birthday four years later, Shawn attended another one of my celebrations, thankfully without syrup. Before I knew it, the two of us remained at a 24-hour Dunkin Donuts, a romantic first date indeed. It seemed Shawn finally had time to hang out, just as dental school began growing more intense. Meanwhile, my parents grew ever ready for me to finish school and start my life. I strived to balance school, my personal life, and my family’s interests. I found myself asking: what are my priorities? Where will Shawn fit into my family?
Life unfolded, and it seemed the more I faced challenges, the more I knew Shawn was a priority–his love and support was my future. With tremendous help from my older brother, I introduced Shawn to my parents. He immediately brought so much light and laughter into my family’s home, the same way he did into my heart. I haven’t looked back since.
Nishat and I first met during my sophomore—her freshman—year in a tucked-away hangout space on campus that no longer exists. Although we would run into each other by chance, in between classes, we became friends. In fact, my iPhone contact photo of Nishat was snapped during one of those moments.
While some sparks flew that sophomore year, it would take me another four years to finally ask her out and yet not much changed as we would still see each other in between classes. Yet, our real first date—no it wasn’t at Dunkin’—made me realize just how out of my league she was. Try as I might, I’ve never been able to keep up with her wit, her looks, or her dart-throwing skills. Not to mention, during our first date, she questioned whether I ever had braces (I did) and determined that, despite my saying otherwise, my teeth were crooked (they aren’t) and needed fixing (they don’t).
Nevertheless, I cherish all the little moments we share—I knew Nishat was the one when she surprised me with homemade pistachio ice cream in which she hand-peeled the skin off each pistachio. Proposing was the easy part. The hard part? Long-distance wedding planning amidst two families that come from different cultures, religions, and traditions. The even harder part? Trying to convince my fiancée that, no, I don’t need her to straighten my teeth out before the wedding.