STORIES

'Tell Us Your Story" by Jetha Tulsidas'


With "Tell Us Your Story" we embarked on a journey to understand and narrate the tales of love of young couples getting married this year and a few those who have been through the process and learned valuable lessons.

On this page, you will read about chance encounters where destiny gives love a push, beautiful beginnings where hearts connect, magical moments when sparks fly, budding love where souls find solace in each other, but also stories of personal struggles, trials and tribulations, challenges and obstacles, and love conquering all through resilience and determination. Every love story is unique, each story unfolds with its own blend of emotions, like a bird opening its wings. 

We invite you to indulge yourself in these enchanting narratives and let love inspire you to create your own extraordinary story.

STORY 1 :Reena & Vishal

STORY 1 :Reena & Vishal

  • Jul 05, 2023


Vichal first met Reena at a wedding where his friend's sister was getting married. He was with a group of five friends, and they noticed a girl sitting on her own. She caught their eyes, and each of the boys went to ask her for a dance, but she turned all of them down.

Vichal finally mustered the courage to approach her. Instead of directly asking her to dance with him, he asked her why she was not dancing, and they chatted. Reena found his approach different from that of his friends. She appreciated that he did not force anything on her. Eventually, instead of asking her to dance, he asked her for permission to dance with her and she accepted.

Reena had come to the wedding of her aunt's sister and was not comfortable dancing with someone she didn't know. She appreciated the respect that Vichal showed her. This made him stand apart from all the others. In fact, she felt protected having someone she could trust. She danced with Vichal and felt really safe with him.

During the party, they decided to share their respective phone numbers. In those days, neither of them had a mobile phone, and they had to use the fixed line at home. Vichal did not expect Reena to call him, but she did, after a long wait of two months.

They decided to meet for the first time at Jardin des Pamplemousses. For them both, it turned out to be a moment of sharing. They could talk freely about everything that was going on in their respective lives. Reena felt right away that Vichal was the one for her. She came from a poor family and felt valued being accepted by Vichal. This element of trust and respect remained at the forefront as their relationship developed.

The big issue arose when they decided to make their relationship official. Their parents disapproved of their relationship and did not give them their approval to get married. There was no way to convince the parents to change their minds. Vichal was very young at that time and had tremendous respect for his parents and could not bring himself to disappoint them. As for Reena, she had grown up under the care of her grandparents and felt she owed everything to them. The two lovers met and discussed the issue between them and realized it would be impossible for them to be happy by going against their parents' wishes. They further did not want to be the cause of a situation that would lead to feuds between their two families. They, therefore, agreed to put an end to their relationship.

The decision to break up was a huge sacrifice for them both because they had grown to love each other, but they accepted it. They both chose to stay true to their words and never called or tried to contact each other, even though they were hurting inside. It was the ultimate test of the trust they had in each other.

Seven long and agonizing years went by as Vichal and Reena silently suffered in the absence of each other.
One day, Vichal entered a shop to buy something to eat and when he reached the counter, he found himself face to face with Reena. Of all the counters in the store, he had unknowingly chosen the line that led to where Reena worked. Both were stunned to see each other again after so many years. Reena processed Vichal's purchase, and after he left, she went to the side and broke into tears, unable to hold back the feelings. For Vichal too, it was an intense moment. He didn't know Reena worked there and never expected to see her again. Yet, he often thought about her and wondered whether she was already married.

After that day, Vichal came Reena's workplace often just to see her. The two of them started talking again. Vichal mustered the courage to ask her if she was married and she said: "I didn't find another one like you." She asked him the same question and he replied: "I also couldn't find anyone like you."

During all those years, Reena did not attend any weddings and limited her outings to avoid meeting Vichal again. She now realized that she had never felt anything for anyone the way she felt for him. In fact, the day they met again after so many years, she felt that 'Bondié inn voy li la'.

In conversation with Vichal, Reena learned that he was going through a tough time as his mother was seriously ill at the hospital. She felt that it was her duty to go and visit her. It was in the course of that visit that, for the first time, Vichal's mother really got to know the girl that her son loved. A relationship developed between the two women, and Reena went to visit her a few more times. One day, Vichal's mother told Reena: "Mo garson pa finn maryé mem, to gett li kan mo nepli la." That was her way of accepting that Reena was the one for Vichal and that she should not stand in their way. The doctor had already told her that she did not have much time left, and she wanted to see her son get married. For both Reena and Vichal, it was a moment of liberation, proving that only time can heal what reason cannot.

After Vichal's mother gave him her approval, he talked to his father, who also agreed to his son's marriage to Reena.
The love story that started at a wedding unfortunately reached its conclusion with a funeral. Vichal's mother passed away only two months after she finally got to know and truly appreciate her future daughter-in-law. Reena is grateful to her for finally accepting her into the family. Together with Vichal, she decided to have their civil marriage on the date of his mother's birthday so they will always remember her.

Reena and Vichal are finally looking forward to their life together. Despite the long break in their relationship, they have kept the teenage love they had when they first met. Vichal never argues with Reena over anything, and he does not use harsh words with her ever. One day, Reena forgot to put salt in the food, but Vichal ate it without any complaint, saying "To inn prend lapenn to inn cuit, asterr ki mo pou dirr. Pa ferr nanyé monn manz li."

For Vichal, love is trust and faith in each other. He feels that the privilege of being able to trust your partner makes a relationship different. Vichal's sister-in-law tells him that his story is like that of Ram and Sita; he got separated from her as a penance in order to appreciate her more when he got her back.

Reena loves Vichal because he showed her how to be loved and how to love. She cannot stay angry with him for long; she only has to look at him, and she can't help but smile. That's one of the many things that Vichal loves about Reena; she forgives easily and does not take anything to heart.

Reena and Vichal are finally getting married on May 5th, 2023, with the blessings of their families.

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STORY 2 :Lovena (Doobmanee) & Ashwin (Nunkumarsingh)

STORY 2 :Lovena (Doobmanee) & Ashwin (Nunkumarsingh)

  • Jul 05, 2023


Lovena comes from a middle-class family. As the eldest daughter and the first grandchild, she was the one everybody turned to whenever there was any important decision. She found herself handling a lot of responsibilities early, especially after her parents started having health issues. She, in fact, found a job and started working even before she finished her HSC.

Even though Lovena believed in love, her responsibility towards her family came first. She considered her relationships with others as a duty towards them and often felt taken for granted. Sadly, she earlier met someone who shattered her faith in relationships, and it came to a point where Lovena felt hesitant to accept anybody in her life. All her younger cousins were married, but Lovena had still found no reason to marry.

Ashwin grew up with his grandparents. His parents were working, and there was nobody to look after him, so he stayed at his nani's place till the age of 16. After that, he studied at Ecole Hôtelière and later found a job in a hotel. At that time, Lovena's brother-in-law was also working at that same hotel, and the family thought Ashwin and Lovena could be a match. Ashwin accepted to take Lovena's number and sent her a message, mostly out of obligation. He was also not so keen on getting married.

Lovena took some time before replying to Ashwin. She was, by then, working on night shift for an offshore company, and Ashwin had quit his job at the hotel and was now working on a cruise as a pastry chef and was travelling far away to Germany and Belgium. This relationship initially felt like it was going nowhere. The time difference between Europe and Mauritius made it difficult for them to communicate with each other. They both, moreover, had demanding jobs and were finding it hard to accommodate space in their lives for a relationship. It felt more like a long-distance friendship than a relationship. In fact, they even stopped being in touch twice and restarted texting again without realizing that a seed had already been planted, and it was only a matter of time before it grew into something.

After four to six months of conversing with Lovena, Ashwin's interest for Lovena grew into something deeper. He realized that he had developed feelings for her. Having grown up away from his parents, Ashwin shunned social connections and tended to be self-reliant and independent. He never had somebody to confide in when he came back home, someone to ask him how was his day and make him feel like his life mattered. Opening up to another person was a totally new experience for Ashwin and speaking with Lovena became a source of comfort and solace. Every day after he finished work at 10 p.m., he would call Lovena to talk to her, and when he could not, he felt restless, as though he was missing something that had become essential to him. He started doing whatever he could to connect with her daily. Some nights, he was so exhausted that he would drift off to sleep mid-conversation, only to wake up and continue where they had left off. Lovena was always patient and waited for him. They would chat for hours, even as the rest of the world was asleep; two lost souls connecting across oceans and continents.
Lovena could see the effort that Ashwin was making for her, and she was not indifferent to it. She could also see that Ashwin was trying to make something of his life, and she was sympathetic to that. She grew up seeing her parents handle various situations that they faced and show their love by supporting each other. Her father had a hectic life, working hard and coming home late, and at times, she would not see him for long periods. Yet, her mother kept the relationship going through her efforts to support him. Eventually, when her father suffered from health problems, her mother was there for him.

However, Lovena's idea of an ideal relationship was not with someone who worked odd hours in a hotel or on a cruise ship away from home. It made her feel insecure, reminding her of her father's absence when she was growing up. Moreover, as their relationship was an arranged relationship, there were always some elements of doubt as to whether she had made the right choice. However, Ashwin reassured Lovena and gave her reasons to keep believing no matter the situation. Since he wasn't in Mauritius, he knew he had to give the relationship time to grow by constantly nurturing it.

For two years, Ashwin and Lovena corresponded only by phone and WhatsApp messages without getting to meet each other. Then in July 2022, Ashwin finally quit his job and came back to Mauritius to find work. This ship that had sailed for so long in rough waters finally needed a safe harbour in his life. He contacted Lovena to meet her and on their 1st day out, they went to 'La Vanille Nature Park'. On that day, they sat and chatted for hours without paying attention to the time. They realized on that day itself that the feelings they had for each other were for real. They didn't wait long to let their parents know about their relationship. This good news was welcomed with joy and, probably, relief also by their respective families. Within a few days, they contacted a priest to set the date of the wedding which will be for later this year.

Lovena and Ashwin are now working hard and saving each penny they can to make their budding relationship work. But first, they must overcome the ups and downs of their relationship. Since returning to Mauritius, Ashwin has taken a job in school administration to be able to earn a living. He also works part-time at KFC from 5am to 10am as they need the additional money. Lovena asked to change her work schedule so that she doesn't work overnight and can at least be there when Ashwin comes home from work. She also does extra work to be able to earn a little more money. They, however, prioritize each other's needs and make time for each other despite their busy schedules. The most cherished gift Ashwin received from Lovena was a cell phone which is essential for them to stay in touch. They try to make the most of their time by calling each other between jobs, on the way to work or on their way home. They also make sure to greet each other with at least a hello in the morning and a good night in the evening.

One thing that persuaded Lovena to give the relationship a chance is the simplicity shown by Ashwin since their first conversation. He is always respectful towards everyone. Lovena considers a person's character to be really important and appreciates that she has found in Ashwin someone who is deeply caring. Ashwin is always asking her whether she ate, what time she slept, or whether she took her medicines. Lovena grew up taking responsibility for others and probably secretly longed for someone who would do the same for her and make her feel valued. Ashwin cares for her as she is, even when she has the occasional meltdown or throws a tantrum due to the responsibilities on her shoulders. This, to her, is a unique gift that sets Ashwin apart from other people.

Ashwin loves that Lovena is a woman who knows what she wants but is also simple, humble, and down to earth. He finds her very beautiful but their love goes beyond appearances. They share a unique bond and complement each other. Lovena is also very caring towards Ashwin, making him feel like he matters, which is something he probably missed as a child growing up away from his parents.

They started out as two people who initially did not believe in marriage. They took hesitant steps, neither of them believing they would reach this far. It is said that believing in love may be hard at times, but not believing in it is even harder. So they chose to believe despite unfavourable circumstances. Love, as it turns out, is a journey of small steps taken together. Relationships take time, effort, and patience to grow, but with dedication and commitment, they can flourish into something beautiful.

Ashwin will be embarking on a new journey in November this year, this time it will be a journey of love and commitment to Lovena, the woman who made him believe in love.

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STORY 3: ISHNEHA & RUMESHWAR

STORY 3: ISHNEHA & RUMESHWAR

  • Jul 05, 2023




Rumeshwar saw Ishneha for the first time at a prayer ceremony. She immediately caught his attention and he asked his uncles and cousins if they knew who was that girl. Rumeshwar later told his religious guru about his love interest, and the latter enigmatically told him: "You can go anywhere you want in any country in the world, but it is near a river here in Mauritius that you fill find your destiny."

Ishneha's family happened to live close to a river in Rose Belle, indicating that she was the one for him. Rumeshwar's family were overjoyed to learn about this. They knew Ishneha's mother and were pleased that their son was thinking of settling with Ishneha. They went ahead and made an official marriage proposal to her parents.
However, when Ishneha was informed about this, she unexpectedly rejected the proposal. She remembered seeing Rumeshwar at the ceremony. The latter had smiled at her, but she did not return his smile because she did not know him. She was still studying and was serious about her studies. She wanted to later set up her own business, be successful, and make her parents proud. She believed in her dreams, and falling in love was not in her plans.
This setback was hard for Rumeshwar to deal with because he had grown to develop feelings for Ishneha and envisioned a future with her and nobody else. Rumeshwar has had a troublesome childhood. After completing his SC, he was preparing for his HSC when his father fell sick. The family business went through a tough phase as his father had fallen victim to people he trusted, causing him to incur heavy losses, including the loss of property. Rumeshwar had to drop out of college to look after his father's business, take responsibility of the household to help his mother, and allow his elder brother to pursue his education. Instead of attending classes like his friends, Rumeshwar attended court to settle family matters. One of his aunts helped him run the business and he employed someone to speak to suppliers and partners on his behalf because he did not yet have the skills to do it. He regularly went to China to bring clothes and electronic toys in bulk and went door to door to sell them in the neighbourhood.
Rumeshwar was able to successfully save his father's business but was left deeply scarred. He constantly felt like his life was draped in a dark shadow. He started spending his nights in pubs, drinking, driving, and riding motorbikes as an escape. When he travelled to other countries, instead of staying in hotels, he roamed the streets talking to people, getting to know about their lives with a view to find meaning in his own. That was until he saw Ishneha at the prayer and felt that, for the first time, some of the darkness had been lifted from his life. Thanks to his business, he had saved money and built himself a house; now, his dream was to make it a home by getting married and having someone by his side.

It was hard for Rumeshwar to deal with rejection from Ishneha when the news was brought to him. He thought about it and told himself that if the words of his guru were true, then Ishneha would come to him someday. He decided to wait for her.

The family, in the mean time, was confident that Rumeshwar and Ishneha would be together. Rumeshwar's uncle, who lived close to Ishneha's place, went to talk to her, but she politely explained to him that she was keen on pursuing her studies. One day when Ishneha came home, she learned that the two families had talked and come to an agreement. Not willing to go against her parents' decision, she asked for some time to talk to the guy and get to know him. Even though she was initially hesitant to get to know Rumeshwar, she thought that maybe they needed to meet in person and form an opinion about each other. This gave Rumeshwar the chance to express his feelings to Ishneha directly rather than through other people. This meeting, however, did not go as planned. Ishneha found that Rumeshwar did not understand her dream and would thus not be able to support her the way she wanted. She felt that their lives were too different: she was a homely girl who loves spending time with her family, while he enjoyed going to pubs with his friends and travelling. She became more convinced about her priorities and did not want to compromise her goals for the sake of a relationship. She proposed to Rumeshwar that they remain friends, but he was not willing to accept that. He felt terrible being rejected a second time.

Since they were in disagreement, Rumeshwar wanted to bring Ishneha back to her home at the earliest, so he could be alone with his thoughts and sort out the turmoil in his head. However, when they arrived at Ishneha's home, her family thought everything went fine and suggested that Rumeshwar stays for dinner, making things even more uncomfortable for both of them.

When the family learned that things that Rumeshwar and Ishneha had not clicked, they kept working behind the scenes to bring them together. Ishneha rejected the proposal for a third time. Rumeshwar started feeling really uncomfortable with the constant pressure the two families were putting on Ishneha. He finally went to meet Ishneha's family and explained to them that Ishneha and himself were not going ahead with the relationship and that they should stop intervening to force them to be together. He wanted Ishneha to be free to choose her path and pursue her dreams.

The successive rejections by Ishneha were devastating for Rumeshwar, who had grown up facing so much hardship. He went back to his old ways, riding motorcycles, visiting pubs and enjoying himself with his friends. After some time, he realized that this was not filling the emptiness he felt inside him and wanted to be away from the pressures of his family and society. He took a drastic decision and bought a plane ticket to leave the country for sometime, hoping it would help him find peace.

Two weeks before his departure, Rumeshwar unexpectedly came across Ishneha at the mall. He could not hide his disappointment at the way things had turned out between them; the annoyance was visible on his face when he looked at her. Curiously, seeing him this way caused Ishneha to feel terribly bad. Her reaction was so intense that she actually had a panic attack.

Later that day, Rumeshwar was surprised to receive a message from Ishneha her asking to talk to him. He called her, and she finally admitted that she actually had feelings for him. She told him that deep down, her feelings had been growing, but she denied it to herself. She wanted to say yes to his proposal, but she could not bring herself to put an end to her dreams of completing her education and having a career. However, each time she rejected him, she had a feeling of anxiety and anguish. She was not able to focus on anything else. And now the thought that he was leaving for good gave her a panic attack. She asked him how he still felt about her, and he told her that since the first day he saw her, she had been the only focus of his life, and there had never been another woman for him. He stayed around even though she rejected him three times because he could see that she had not moved on and was indeed focusing on her studies that were important to her.

After that, things started to flow on its own. They texted regularly and called each other. From voice calls, they moved to video calls and from video calls to meetings and dating. Rumeshwar progressively realized that he needs to be more understanding of Ishneha's goals and must not try to force her into a relationship. When Ishneha prepared for her exams, he stayed constantly in touch with her, waited for her and assisted her during her revision. Even though Rumeshwar had to stop school at an early age to support his father's business, he could appreciate how important Ishneha's studies were to her, and he truly wanted her to be successful. He was there for her and gave her his full support when she finally set up her business like she had always wanted.
Alongside this, Rumeshwar made some major changes in his life. He had been a smoker since he was 11 years; since meeting Isneha, he has learned to control his smoking. He also stopped riding motorbikes and going to pubs. He no longer feels the need to travel to find solace in some faraway country and only wishes to travel in the company of Ishneha. Rumeshwar waited more than 4 years for Ishneha, but his heart always knew that it was going to be her.

As for Ishneha, she realized over time that Rumeshwar truly cares for her. She is now convinced that a relationship with someone who truly understands and supports you is not a hindrance but a blessing. Together they have come to an understanding of each other's perspectives, which has helped them surmount the many challenges they faced because of their different personalities, lifestyles, goals and dreams. With Rumeshwar by her side, Ishneha has someone who will fight for her, no matter what. This has enabled her to overcome her anxiety and trust issues. She has come to see that love is sometimes found beyond all your expectations.

Then came the issue of informing the parents that after breaking up three times and having vehemently asked to be left alone, they had found that they were actually made for each other. After some hesitation, they finally went ahead and revealed their relationship to their respective families. Both sides were overjoyed, and the two lovers got engaged in November last year.

Rumeshwar and Ishneha will getting married and uniting their souls on February 2024.  

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STORY 4 :Keshika & Hetish

STORY 4 :Keshika & Hetish

  • Jul 05, 2023

It is said that an invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance.

The story of Keshika and Hetish started more than 20 years ago, when they were 7 and 8 years old, respectively. They met during a wedding when Hetish's uncle got married to Keshika's neighbour's daughter. Keshika was one of the bridesmaids and, over the few days that a typical Hindu wedding lasts, the kids had plenty of time to interact and play together among a group of children.

Keshika and Hetish never got to meet again until 20 years later when, like many modern stories, they became friends on Facebook. They did not interact much at first, apart from a few likes and comments shared. One day, Hetish received a friend suggestion on Instagram. That's when he really took notice of Keshika and went ahead and added her as friend on that platform too. They both had liked the same inspirational quote, and it served as a basis for them to interact. They soon found out that they have the same astrological sign, and their first conversation revolved essentially about this. They, however, quickly found that they had similar likes and interests, and shared similar views about a variety of topics, making it easy for them to interact. As time went by, they became aware they had a level of compatibility and understanding with each other that they never had with anybody else.

When Hetish and Keshika finally met in person, there was no awkwardness between them, no silences to be filled. They conversed effortlessly and found themselves finishing each other's sentences or giving similar answers to questions. Their chemistry was undeniable. Over time, their conversation moved to more personal stuff and they talked about their respective families. That's when they realised that they had actually met when they were kids. They were left shaken by the coincidence and realized that they were truly meant to be together.
They searched for the pictures of the ceremony to compare, ane even though there was none with the two of them together, there was no doubt that they were the two kids who met 20 years ago. Keshika still has the dress she wore as bridesmaid on that day.

By then, they had aready developed a strong liking for each other and their relationship developed from that. For Keshika, since Hetish walked into her life, he has brightened her world. He taught her how to be more confident, how to smile, and how to love. She loves how polite and attentive he is, how caring he is about little details that concern her. As for Hetish, he loves Keshika's generosity, her kindness and the intelligence she displays in her words and vocabulary. He thrives on the unconditional support she gives him, helping him muster the courage to go the extra mile to make their shared dreams come true.

Both Hetish and Keshika grew up in homes where there were strong family ties. As the eldest in her family, Keshika was always the one all the cousins would turn to for advice on issues they faced and this gave her a level of maturity. She took after her mother, who is creative, knows her mind and can handle any situation, and her father, who is calm and down to Earth.

Hetish grew up as the only boy in the family, having only a sister and cousins who are all girls. This enabled him to develop an understanding of women's feelings. He also has a very close bond with his mother; they both instinctively know when the other is not well. Hetish has also inherited great qualities from his dad making him someone disciplined, courageous and a problem solver. One of Hetish's favourite person is her dadi who always pampered him and gave him lots of love.

When the time was right, Hetish and Keshika decided to make their relationship official by informing their parents. During their families' meeting, the interaction between them was incredibly smooth and there was no sign of disagreement. Even though they were meeting for the first time, it felt like they had known each other since a long time and was only rekindling an existing relation. Hetish's parents having already married their eldest daughter understood the apprehensions parents have when marrying their daughter, and they used their experience to make Keshika's parents feel at ease.

Hetish and Keshika, in turn, easily fitted into each other's family as if it was always meant to happen. One other coincidence that played a role in this is that Keshika's Nana and Nani had a late son who shared the same birthday as Hetish. Upon meeting him, they felt that Hetish has a lot of the qualities that was in their son, and this made the bond between them a very special one. Keshika's parents see Hetish as the son they never had, one who will stand with the family in ups and downs.

Keshika in turn got to meet Hetish's only grandmother just a few months before she passed away. She approved of her and showered her with a lot of love and blessings in the little time she got to know her.
Despite all these elements that bring them together, Hetish and Keshika. For example, one of them is a Liverpool fan and the other is a Manchester United fan. However, besides the occasional banter, they choose to use the common passion as football fans to enrich their relationship.

In terms of personality, Hetish, being a civil engineer, is a problem solver while Keshika, being into sales, sees communication as key. However, they both believe that trust and understanding are essential in a couple. They find that they are stronger as a team and handle every situation with a "Me and You" vs. the situation instead of "Me vs. You."

The real test of their bond came during Covid-19, where they faced a series of challenges. Keshika first found herself redundant at work and was unemployed for a year. During those times, Hetish never let me down and was always there to provide her support and encouragement. Then, Hetish was among the first batches of people sent into quarantine after one of his colleagues was tested positive. It was the most stressful two weeks for them as they did not know if he would come back safely. Luckily, everything went well and Hetish was back. However, one year later, Hetish tested positive again. It was a worrying time because, back then, there were no medicines available yet. Once again, with God's blessing, he go better, but only after going through a lot pain and suffering. During those times, Keshika did all she could to bring food to him and make him feel that he was not alone. She even went to his place on Mother's Day to spend time with his family, knowing how much they count for Hetish. Then finally, Keshika's dad was tested positive to Covid in 2022 and was admitted to hospital in critical condition. They were told by the doctors that his chances of survival were weak. In those times, Hetish and his family provided Keshika and her parents their full support. They came together as one family and prayed together. Eventually, Keshika's father survived from the ordeal with the grace of God. This episode strengthened the link between the two families and brought Keshika and Hetish even closer together.

The connection between Hetish and Keshika goes beyond physical attraction, they are two halves of a whole, perfectly complementing each other. It is a connection that is at the soul level. It is a story that was written in the stars.

When it came to finding an auspicious date for their wedding, it inadvertently happened to be the same date that Keshika's dadi and dada got married. For Hetish, he was to be the first man in the family to get married after a long period of 23 years. The last time was on his uncle's wedding during which Keshika was a bridemaid.

Hetish and Keshika got married on the 30th of April, binding their souls together in holy matrimony.

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STORY 5: NEHA & JHEVIN

STORY 5: NEHA & JHEVIN

  • Jul 05, 2023


Neha grew up in an environment full of love and kindness. Her father was a taxi driver and her mother was a housewife. Even though they had an arranged marriage, he was very much in love with her and used to call her 'The Queen'. They were both very considerate towards others and would never let anyone down. When Neha's grandparents fell seriously ill, her parents sacrificed a lot to be at their care. Yet they did it lovingly. This set out an example for Neha who, in turn, has a lot of respect for the elders and, now that she is a teacher, is full of empathy for her pupils.

Despite the loving environment, Neha experienced life without artifice. She grew up being very skinny and as a result, developed low self-esteem. Moreover, since she did not come from an academic background, she never believed in her capacity to do well at school. When she passed her exams with flying colours, even her father told her he did not expect her to do so well. Nevertheless, she got brilliant results at her HSC exams and went to France for her studies, harbouring inside her the feeling that she can actually do much more than people expect from her, if only she could believe in herself.

Jhevin grew up in Port Louis in a modest family where both his parents were salesmen. Jhevin's father met Jhevin's mother when the latter came to do shopping with her mother for her sister's wedding. Even though they were of different faiths, Jhevin's father overcame all the challenges and stopped at nothing to marry the woman he loved. They had to work really hard to make a living. There were times when they struggled in the face of dire poverty, but Jhevin's father had a winner mentality and gave everything he could for his family. Jhevin was their only child, and he grew up being inspired by his parents' love story, which he saw as a timeless classic.

When Jhevin was seven years old, he was struck with vitiligo, a skin disease that causes discolouration. His parents supported him the best they could. Jhevin, nevertheless, found it hard to live with his skin disease as he was often bullied at school. Kids would tell him hurtful things about his appearance, and this turned him into a solitary child. Then one day, when he was in college, he realized that this was a fight that nobody else could fight for him. He had to stand up for himself, and it involved learning to accept himself and being comfortable in his skin. This turned Jhevin into a warrior. From that day onward, he refused to see his skin disease as a barrier to his personal and his professional life.

One day, after a succession of disappointing meetings, Jhevin joined a dating site. That's where he met Neha. She had registered on the site to appease her mum, who was getting worried seeing her focus only on work and not making marriage a priority. In a certain way, both Jhevin and Neha felt that, if they were to meet the one that was made for them and avoid further disappointments, certain conditions had to be met, and a dating site provided this cushion.

Once they clicked on the dating site, Jhevin and Neha decided to meet at a restaurant. Being a perfect gentleman, Jhevin did some research on Neha and found out that she had studied in France and had been teaching for 10 years in a French school. He therefore ordered wine for her at the restaurant, and she drank it out of politeness. The wine, however, made her a little tipsy. As they were leaving the restaurant, she slipped, and Jhevin caught her. It was the universe conspiring to enable him to showcase his qualities. Later, since Neha had to drive to a place she didn't know and it was getting dark, Jhevin chose not to let her travel alone. He accompanied her by driving in front of her all the way. Neha was touched by Jhevin's gentlemanly attitude towards her.

Their relationship started picking up from there, but soon Jhevin realized that he wanted Neha to accept him as he is. Initially, when he met her, he tried to hide the patches of discoloured skin by wearing long sleeves. But now that they were getting serious about the relationship, he wanted to be honest with her. So, one day, they brought up the subject, and he asked her if she is okay with how he was. By doing so, he made himself vulnerable and risked losing her.

It is said that falling in love is like handing someone a gun and trusting them not to pull the trigger. Neha did not. She had started to love Jhevin, and her love for him was more than skin-deep. When she looked at Jhevin, she saw more in him than meets the eye. Neha had always been fond of the movie Padmavaat. She loves the idea of a hero proving his love by defending his wife's honour through actions, not just words. She could feel that Jhevin is a fighter. Like the hero of Padmavaat, Jhevin had fought and won a great war. His was the greatest war ever, the one that is fought in the dark chambers of our own souls. This is what won Neha over.

Three months after they met, their budding relationship would, however, hit a hitch. Jhevin got the opportunity to travel to Canada. It was his dream to visit this country and Neha encouraged him to do so. He was supposed to return to Mauritius after 3 weeks, except that, when he was in Canada, the whole world went into lockdown. Suddenly, Neha had no idea when Jhevin would come back. They tried to stay in touch by having voice calls and spoke for hours on end, giving each other their support in the stressful times of Covid. When Neha had her birthday, Jhevin attended via video call and shared a birthday cake with her.

Their relationship would take another twist when 3 months into the lockdown, Jhevin decided to make productive use of his time by applying for a job. To his surprise, he received an offer from a top firm in Canada. This job opportunity was a game-changer for Jhevin but posed a threat to the budding romance between him and Neha. Neha chose to let Jhevin make a decision that was best for him as their relationship was not yet official, and she did not clearly know where she stood in his life.

When the travel ban was lifted, Jhevin came back to Mauritius and went into quarantine. Neha did not know when she would meet him again. One day when Neha was at work, she was surprised to receive a visitor. It was Jhevin who had come to meet her. Neha was in bad shape that day as she had been suffering from a flu. She told Jhevin, "My hair is a mess. I wished you could see me with my hair properly done and with some make-up on."
Jhevin replied: "I find you very pretty as you are." He then told her: "I came back because what is waiting for me here is more important than anything that I left behind."

Jhevin could have pursued an ambitious career in Canada, but there was nowhere in the world he would rather be than with Neha. This was the proof she needed of the depth of his love for her.

At that time, Neha's parents had started to guess that she had someone in her life. On her birthday, Jhevin had sent her a gift from Canada via DHL. Neha had always had a secret passion for bakery, and Jhevin had understood the dream she held in her heart and gifted her a KitchenAid to bake cakes. She felt that he understood her more than anyone does, and she was touched by his deliberate intention to do what it takes to please her and treat her like a queen.

Nevertheless, Neha was slightly apprehensive about how her parents would respond to Jhevin. The latter, however, had come such a long way and, like his father before him, was not going to let anything stand in the way of his love. Jhenvin went to meet Neha's parents to make the relationship official. It turned out that Neha's apprehension was unjustified; her parents accepted Jhevin wholeheartedly, and everyone in her family was truly happy for her. Jhevin quickly became a new member of their family, and they are always showering him with affection.

Neha loves having someone like Jhevin by her side who can handle anything life throws at him. He has nothing to hide, making her feel safe and giving her a much-needed boost of confidence. Jhevin, in turn, feels that Neha was made for him. The greatest gift he got from her is her love and compassion. At work, Jhevin is seen as tough and rigid. He is very organized and routine based; everything needs to have its own place and time. He, however, feels that he is a different person when he is with Neha. She understands him thoroughly and knows when he is okay and when he is not, without him having to tell her. She knows that makes him happy and she brings the best out of him.
Since they are together, the couple keeps seeing signs from above that they were meant to be. Last year, in October, at a party for Diwali, Neha's uncle came to them and told them, "I am so happy for you." The following morning, they learned that the uncle had peacefully passed away, departing after giving them his blessings.

As they started preparing for their wedding, Jhevin jokingly told Neha that he wanted a watch as a gift for his wedding, or else he would not get married. They went looking for a watch in all the shops but could not find one. After some time, they stopped and went inside the nearby church. At that moment, Neha remembered that it was her grandfather's birthday on that very day. When they returned from the church, they came across the right watch in the first shop they entered. Neha felt that it was a gift from her grandfather from heaven to bless their wedding.
Jhevin and Neha got religiously married on the 30th of April, exchanging their vows of unwavering support for each other.

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STORY 6 :Shadnabhai & Balraj

STORY 6 :Shadnabhai & Balraj

  • Jul 05, 2023


Balraj was born in La Gaulette on the southwest coast of the island. His father was a labourer and owned a small farm with a few cows. Every morning, Balraj would wake up early and accompany his father when he went to milk the cows and go to distribute the products in the neighbourhood. This taught Balraj the virtues of hard work and discipline from an early age. His family was not wealthy, and despite financial difficulties, Balraj persevered and completed his secondary education. They later moved to Quatre Bornes, and Balraj got a job as a clerk in a bank.
One day, at a birthday party at his uncle's place, Balraj was captivated by the smile of a girl and could not help staring at her. He told himself at that moment that this was the girl that he would marry. The girl was Shadnabhai. She also took notice of Balraj as he was the only young man at the party that day, and he did not take his eyes off her throughout the party. Shadnabhai was then a student of Loreto College, and every morning, she would take the bus to school. Balraj happened to be waiting for a bus to go to work at the same bus stop. Every morning, Balraj would hang around to talk to Shadnabhai and would only board the bus after she had left for school.

This went on for some time until one day, Shadnabhai's father came to know of it. As an educator, he had strict principles and did not like his daughter to be distracted from her studies. Shadnabhai was deeply affected by her father's disapproval. In those days, children were expected to obey their parents. The next day, when Balraj met Shadnabhai at the bus stop, he immediately sensed a change in her attitude. Shadnabhai told him that it was not possible for them to continue seeing each other. Balraj understood the seriousness of the situation and did not want to put her in an embarrassing position. They stopped interacting and stayed away from each other for nearly one year. Balraj was heartbroken, but he never gave up hope that one day, he would marry the love of his life.
Over time, Balraj had become acquainted with Shadnabhai's brother. One day he needed to meet the latter and went to his house. The moment, Shadnabhai's father saw Balraj, he immediately knew who he was. He had done some research about the young man who used to meet his daughter at the bus stop and found out that Balraj was a sincere and hardworking man. He also learned that Balraj was from La Gaulette, where he also came from and that probably made him more sympathetic to him. He asked Balraj about his intentions with Shadnabhai and informed him that he had no objection to their relationship but insisted that they wait until she completes her studies.
This turn of events made Balraj and Shadnabhai's relationship official. They could now meet without hiding and did not have to rely on chance encounters at the bus stop. They, however, had to wait to be able to tie the knots. Shadnabhai had an older sister, and it was customary for younger sisters to wait until their elder sister married first. Balraj and Shadnabhai waited for two years and finally got married on August 5th, 1984.

Initially, the newly married couple had to stay with Balraj's family. He knew that he was bringing a girl that came from a privileged background, and he wanted to ensure that she did not have to make any significant sacrifices in regard to her comfort and facilities. At the same time, however, Balraj also had to balance his responsibilities towards his own family and their way of life. The differences in culture and background were significant, and Balraj had to walk a tightrope to meet the expectations of his family and the needs of his new wife.

After some time, the couple had their first child, followed by a second one. Tragically, their little family was struck by a tragedy when they lost their second child when he was only 17 days old. The baby fell sick, and despite their best efforts, Balraj and Shadnabhai could not save him. They felt helpless watching him suffer, and Balraj was left devastated by this loss. The baby resembled him and was born on January 6th, just one day after his own birthday. These little signs made Balraj feel even more connected to his son, and he missed him terribly.

The loss of their child was a devastating blow to their dreams of building a family cocoon. They felt a sense of despair that got them to reevaluate their life. Balraj proposed that they move away to their own home, feeling that he needed to devote his full effort to rebuilding his family after the tragedy. To be able to do that, they had to start from scratch, which proved to be challenging as Balraj was the sole breadwinner. They had debts and loans to repay, and they literally had to count every penny. They could not afford a grandiose life and lived with only the bare necessities. For Shadnabhai, who came from a wealthier family, this proved to be a real test of her love for Balraj. She aligned her effort with that of her husband and devoted herself to her family. They confided in each other and did their best to look in the same direction.

When Balraj was younger, he remembered his father being very spiritual and having regular prayers at different moments of the day. During those hard times, Balraj started praying regularly too and became more spiritual. Shadnabhai's family had never been as religious as Balraj's family, but in support of her husband, she also started fasting alongside him. They regularly went to the temple and have kept doing so until now. This shared spiritual practice not only strengthened their bond as a couple but gave them the guidance to resist the allure of materialism and greed and a sense of direction to navigate through the ups and downs of life.

Slowly but surely, the new house started taking shape. It was around this time that Balraj was sent to Pune in India for a training course of 12 weeks. It was the first time that he was away from his family. It was around 2 a.m. when his plane landed at the Mumbai airport, and Balraj heard the song ‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha’ being played. He wondered what his wife and his two kids were doing at this time, and he was flooded with strong emotions and sadness. He immediately wanted to come back to his family. The words of the song relating to the feelings of a guy whose life is changed after one look at a girl reminded Balraj so much of his own journey since the first time he saw Shadnabhai at the birthday party, the sacrifices he has had to make and the challenges they have overcome together. At that moment, he truly felt how much his family counted on him.

Balraj's family was constantly on his mind throughout his stay in Pune. At that time, the international means of communication were limited, and even transport families were not available where Balraj was staying in India. Balraj and Shadnabhai tried to stay in touch through ISD calls and wrote letters to each other. The experience of separation deepened their love and somehow brought them even closer together.

When Balraj finally came back, he saw his family in a whole new light. The time he had spent away had given him a chance to reflect on his life and his priorities. He became more aware of his responsibilities towards his wife and his family and became more devoted than ever to helping them achieve their dreams. Over his whole career, Balraj would go to the office early and work with the discipline which he learned from his father. When he came back late in the night, his wife would be waiting for him, and they would sit and have dinner together. Shadnabhai was a devoted partner for Balraj, taking care of all his needs and proving to be an unmatched pillar of support in his life.
Balraj retired from work earlier this year after 46 years of service to the bank. His children have grown up, they have done well in their studies and are all university educated. They all work in good positions and are doing well in their respective fields. To Balraj and Shadnabhai, these achievements are a matter of great pride, considering where they started and the sacrifices they have had to make to keep their dream alive.

This year, Balraj and Shadnabhai will celebrate their 39th wedding, a testament to the dream they shared long ago of building a life filled with love and commitment together.

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STORY 7 :Cindy & Yadav

STORY 7 :Cindy & Yadav

  • Jul 05, 2023


Yadav's and Cindy's love story began when they were in college. One day, Yadav arrived late to tuition after missing the bus and ended up sitting next to Cindy. She immediately caught his attention, and he spent the rest of the class gazing at her. They subsequently began hanging out together as part of a group of friends. For Yadav, what started as a physical attraction developed into something more serious as he got to know Cindy better. He was drawn to her cheerful and amicable personality and found that she had a touch of craziness that appealed to him. He also appreciated her natural simplicity without artifice.

Cindy's first impression of Yadav was that he looked really nice in his school uniform when he came to tuition, but she was cautious because he seemed like a player. When Yadav proposed to her, she turned him down. Despite Cindy's reservations, Yadav was determined to win her over. He spent months wooing her, showering her with attention and small gestures of affection. He was patient and persistent, and eventually, she began to appreciate his genuine kindness and caring nature. She finally realized that she also had feelings for Yadav, and they started dating.

What started as a physical attraction evolved over time. Cindy began to rely on Yadav for his calm and steady presence in her life. She felt that she could tell him everything that was on her mind and in her heart. When they went out, Yadav would take the bus to accompany her home, then take the bus back to return. He also went all out to create something special for her birthday each time, keeping it a surprise until the last moment. Yadav, in turn, learned to appreciate Cindy's intelligence and insight, which he applies in resolving his own issues. He feels that Cindy understands him really well and knows what he needs in order to be there for him. They often know what each other is thinking and have a connection that they do not feel with other people. Cindy gets Yadav to think before taking action while she learns patience and resilience from him. They are very complementary and make each other better.

Their love story was all roses and rainbows until the time came to make their relationship official and involve their respective families. Cindy feared that their cultural differences would never allow them to be together and was worried about how her family would react. Yadav was more optimistic because his own parents had gone through their own struggles in their relationship, and he felt that they would understand him. By that time, Yadav and Cindy had been together for three years, and they occasionally posted their pictures on Instagram. One day, Yadav's mother came across the photos of her son with a girl and asked him who she was. Yadav's father also asked him about her, and he admitted that Cindy was his girlfriend. Unlike what Yadav originally thought, his parents were not agreeable to his relationship with Cindy. They tried to make him change his mind by voicing their doubts about whether a girl from another culture would understand their own. Yadav could feel the no-nonsense tone of their voices and understood right away that things were not as he expected.

Yadav had to inform Cindy that his parents did not agree to their relationship, and this created a big uncertainty between them. They decided to keep a low profile for some time without breaking up. Then one day, there was a wedding in the family; Yadav's mother's sister was getting married. Yadav took that as an opportunity to bring Cindy with him and introduced her to his mother. He was relieved to see his mother and Cindy get along well and chat for a long time. However, a few days after the wedding, Yadav's mother came to him and told him once again that this relationship would not work. Yadav's plan had failed, and he took it as a hard knock. But now, Cindy was with him in the fight, and they were determined to be there for each other through thick and thin.

Cindy knew that it would not be an easy task to convince the parents to accept the relationship, but she was willing to do whatever it took to make it work. She has been passionate about books since she was young and tends to relate to strong characters. Her favourite heroine is Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice, who is not afraid to speak her feelings and stand up for what she wants. Inspired by her, Cindy was determined to win Yadav's parents over. She realized that if she wanted to be accepted by Yadav's family, it was up to her to make an effort to understand their culture. Yadav's parents are very religious and fast 3 or 4 times a week and perform prayers before starting anything. Cindy started learning more about Hinduism and Indian traditions. Over time, Yadav's parents got to see Cindy's sincerity and her genuine efforts to learn about their culture and appreciated her openness and willingness to adapt. They slowly started to appreciate Cindy's character and finally accepted her as one of their own.

Once things got better on Yadav's side, Cindy decided to talk to her own parents. Initially, they did not take it well and would just ignore the conversation when she brought it up. Yadav decided to put his weight behind Cindy to support her. Yadav has been into sports and keeping fit since he was young and practices Boxe Francaise, where he was a national champion. For him, boxing is 70% about having the mental strength to never give up, no matter what is thrown at you.

Cindy's parents are from China and are also attached to their culture. They primarily speak Mandarin. Yadav, therefore, took a basic Mandarin course to be able to communicate with Cindy's parents and show them that he was willing to make an effort to bridge the cultural divide. They were surprised that this guy could speak Mandarin while so many youngsters in their own family could not. They saw that he was making an effort and considered it as proof of his love for their daughter. Yadav continued visiting their house and even cooked in front of them until they were finally convinced and gave their approval.

Yadav's reference is the movie Interstellar where the travellers found themselves lost deep into space and let themselves be guided by the only sentiment they felt at that moment, which was love. Likewise, when Yadav and Cindy found themselves alone, uncertain about what the future held for them, they chose to trust the love they felt and knew to be real.

After several meetings, the two families finally gave their blessings for the Yadav's and Cindy's union. The wedding will be celebrated following the customs and traditions of both cultures. Yadav and Cindy are happy that they were able to convince their parents of their love, and this is now a source of strength for them. It makes them feel confident that they can overcome anything as long as they have each other.
Yadav and Cindy are set to begin a new chapter in their lives when they exchange vows and become one in marriage in June 2023.

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STORY 8 :Poonam (Pratibha) & Adharsh (Jivesh)

STORY 8 :Poonam (Pratibha) & Adharsh (Jivesh)

  • Jul 05, 2023


First love is a dream that you never want to wake up from. Adharsh first laid eyes on Poonam in 2005 when he was in Standard 4. She had come to his class after changing schools following a change of address. Adharsh still remembers the feeling of déjà vu he got when she entered the classroom as if he had lived this moment before. His heart started beating faster than usual, and he had butterflies in his stomach. It was the first time Adharsh was feeling like this; it was like discovering a part of himself he never knew existed. The teacher would later make Adharsh the happiest person in the world when he changed the seating arrangements to make Poonam sit beside him. Even though Adharsh was just a small boy, he knew he would never feel like this for anyone else again.
Poonam, however, did not feel the same way about Adharsh. They were still kids at that time, and to her, he was only a cute little good boy with a round haircut. One day in class, Adharsh and Poonam's question papers were mistakenly interchanged, and the teacher shouted at Adharsh in front of the classroom, thinking it was his fault. He took the blame and kept quiet to protect Poonam. This made her feel sorry for him, and they became friends. Sometime later, another unfortunate event happened: Poonam lost an envelope containing her money to pay some fees at school. The headmaster brought her in front of the assembly and asked the students if they had found the envelope, but the kids laughed and made fun of her plight, causing her to break down in tears. This made Adharsh feel bad for her, making him aware of how much Poonam's feelings counted for him.

When their primary school days were over, each got admitted to college, and they parted ways. Adharsh had kept his feelings to himself, and Poonam only remembered him as a quiet and well-mannered kid who used to sit next to her in class.

The years passed, and one day Adharsh happened to meet a friend from his earlier days. In the course of their conversation, Adharsh asked the guy if he had any news about Poonam. The friend informed him that she was taking tuition from a certain Maths teacher. In the spur of the moment, Adharsh decided to change teachers and started taking tuition with the same teacher as Poonam, just to get to meet her again. When he saw her in tuition, he again had those butterfly feelings in his stomach. Poonam, however, did not immediately recognize Adharsh. In the tuition class, the girls sat at the front and the boys at the back, and Poonam hardly took notice of the newcomer.
Later that day, Poonam received an SMS from Adharsh asking if she recognized him from school. In those days, there was no Instagram or WhatsApp, and they could only communicate through SMS. Adharsh had been able to get her number through a girl. It was thus through SMS on 14th Feb 2011 that Adharsh proposed Poonam for a date. Poonam told him that they needed to meet first. Poonam now remembered Adharsh from primary school and saw that he had grown into a tall, intelligent, and good-looking boy. At 15, those were the criteria a girl would look for, and since everyone else in college had a boyfriend, Poonam accepted Adharsh's invitation for a date. They, however, had to wait for several months, until July, to be able to go on their first date. Their colleges were far apart: she went to Forest Side State Secondary School, and he was at the Royal College of Port Louis. They, therefore, did not meet often. Whenever they met after tuition hours, they could barely talk, although they both had butterflies every time they saw each other. They communicated mostly by SMS as they did not have smartphones. One day, Poonam's mum found her sending texts to Adharsh, and she got punished, but she still kept in touch with him. Their second date came after two years, in August 2013.

Even though they were not meeting physically, Poonam felt that they were getting to know each other, and the trust between them was building up, which was important to her. However, Adharsh was frustrated that they could not meet and go on dates like a normal couple. He felt that Poonam was more interested in a friendship than a relationship with him. Given the situation, Poonam suggested that they take a break so they could each focus on their studies. That was the best decision for them, according to her, but Adharsh did not take it well. He felt that he was being dumped. They got into a fight and ended up saying horrible things to each other. They finally decided to stop talking and even blocked each other on social media.

During that time, Adharsh made the blunder of sharing some personal stuff that was between him and Poonam with his friends, and they made fun of her. Poonam was deeply hurt by this. Adharsh realized, to his horror, that he had made a terrible blunder and tried to get in touch with her to apologize, but Poonam did not want to even listen to him. Time passed, and they both finished college. Poonam went to the university while Adharsh took up a job. He tried many times to get in touch with Poonam and ask for her forgiveness, but she denied him, saying that she did not want to have anything to do with him.

In October 2016, three years after they separated, Adharsh wrote a post on Facebook where he poured his heart out. He mentioned how his mother's death, which took place a few years earlier, had affected him and expressed how much he truly loved Poonam and regretted losing her. This prompted Poonam to get back in touch with him, asking him why he had to share his stories in front of everyone. She admonished him to move on.
Somehow, being able to express what was on his heart made Adharsh feel lighter. He listened to Poonam and tried to move on and date another girl, but the feeling was not the same as how he felt for Poonam. During that time, Poonam tried to focus on her career. Nevertheless, since they were now back in touch, they kept checking in on each other as friends and supported each other. Their mutual college friends told them that an ex-boyfriend and ex-girlfriend cannot stay friends for long, that they were made for each other and would end up being married one day.
On the 11th of October 2019, a few days after Poonam's birthday, she finally agreed to meet Adharsh as a friend. It was their first meeting after six long years and only their third since their first date in 2011. That day, when they were together, they felt as if there had never been a break in their relationship. They felt as close as they did in their college days. After some time, Poonam finally sent Adharsh a message to say she loved him, and they began dating again. In 2021, they made their relationship official by introducing each other to their parents. Poonam's parents invited Adharsh to their house. He was apprehensive about talking to her parents but showed his determination by going to meet them alone, without relying on his parents. From the beginning, it had been his story, and he wanted to conclude it in his own way. It was only after everything was settled that he later brought his family along.
On the 5th of February 2023, Adharsh planned a surprise proposal for Poonam at the beach in a romantic setting. He blindfolded her and got on his knees with a ring in his hand to propose to her. They contracted a civil marriage on the 14th of February, 2023, 12 years after he first asked her for a date.

The relationship between Adharsh and Poonam has been a roller coaster. For Adharsh, it started with a crush. He had a conviction from day one that she was the one. As a boy, he enjoyed the privilege of being able to make his own decisions and had more freedom in expressing his emotions. For Poonam, being a woman, love is often at the conclusion of a relationship. She had societal and familial constraints that prevented her from jumping into a relationship without knowing the person well enough. For Adharsh, love was a conquest; it meant fighting for the one you love. His first crush was more than just a passing fancy; it was a transformative experience that moulded him into the person he is today. For Poonam, love was a slow and steady process that involved allowing the relationship to mature and develop over time. She believed that friendship provides the nurturing soil for love to take root and blossom over time. Even though they broke up many times and were apart for long periods, the seed of love that was sown during their school days kept growing inside them because they never really gave up on each other.
Adharsh and Poonam are getting married religiously on the 25th of November, 2023, sharing a common dream of a beautiful future together.

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STORY 9 :Janeesha & Parvin

STORY 9 :Janeesha & Parvin

  • Jul 05, 2023


According to author Murakami, our chance encounters are due to ties made in past lives. Janeesha and Parvin grew up one street away from each other in Quatre Bornes, but they never met.

Janeesha lived in a modest family staying in one single room, and her parents struggled for years to build a house to accommodate their growing family. Her mother worked as a hairdresser, while her father was a salesman. When, due to unforeseen circumstances, the factory where Janeesha’s father worked closed, the family had to make a lot of sacrifices to make ends meet. Janeesha realized early on that her dream of living the life of a princess was unattainable, and she learned, from a young age, to be practical and content with what she had. She later took a job to be able to pay for her further studies, and when she succeeded in getting her teaching diploma, she felt a deep sense of accomplishment seeing the pride in her parents' eyes.

Janeesha became a devotee of Sai Baba from an early age and found a sense of stability in her life through her participation in spiritual activities and singing devotional songs. The feeling of belonging and connection she felt within the group became an integral part of her existence. However, she noticed a recurring trend among her friends: they all left the group once they found romantic partners. During one of the prayer sessions, Janeesha silently expressed a wish in her heart for a companion who would not take her away from her spiritual abode but rather walk with her on the spiritual path that she had chosen.

Parvin also grew up in Quatre Bornes, one street parallel to where Janeesha lived. Like Janeesha's mother, Parvin's mother was also a hairdresser. Similar to Janeesha's family, Parvin's family lived in a single room as well. Parvin had a challenging childhood, marked by poverty and financial crises and required government subsidies as a needy student to be able to attend college. When Parvin was young, his father, who worked as a mechanic, would call him and his brother to watch as he performed menial tasks, so his sons could learn how to do things. Similarly, since the family was poor, her mother would not afford to go to another hairdresser and would teach her sons how to do hairdressing so they could do her hair for her. Brought up in this manner, Parvin developed a calm personality and a disposition to listen to understand and appreciate how things work. Even in relationships, he first aims to understand before taking action. He learned from his parents that there is a way of doing things, to talk to people and treat them with consideration. Later, Parvin picked up a small part-time job to ease the burden on his parents’ expenses and to pursue his studies, as he knew that education would be the key to a better future.

After completing college, Parvin joined the university and coincidentally travelled by the same bus as Janeesha, and they stopped at the same destination without knowing each other. One day, Janeesha noticed Parvin on Facebook and remembered him as the guy she occasionally saw at the bus stop. She sent him a friend request, but he didn't notice it. However, this made Janeesha pay more attention to him at the bus stop. She began to notice his simplicity and innocence. He never showed anger or frustration, and he was always courteous and respectful to everyone, despite the hustle and bustle of people waiting for the bus. To Janeesha, it felt like her eyes were opening to something beautiful that had been there in front of her all along. Janeesha wondered if Parvin had someone in his life since he was always alone.

On December 31, 2016, as Janeesha sent New Year greetings to her friends and contacts, she decided to send her wishes to Parvin as well. This time, he finally saw her message and replied to her. They started chatting and enjoyed the conversation. They found they had many things in common: they lived in the same neighbourhood, attended the same educational institution, travelled on the same bus, shared similar interests, and even their mothers had the same profession. At the end of their conversation, Janeesha listened to her gut feeling and proposed to Parvin that they meet. For Parvin, it was the first time a woman had come forward to ask him out, and it was a completely new feeling for him. They met up on the 6th of January 2017, took the bus and travelled to Reduit like they had been doing every morning for 3 years, except that this time, they did it together. They sat for a chat and instantly felt a connection. Janeesha was initially nervous about meeting a guy she knew only through Facebook, but the respect Parvin showed towards her put her at ease, and the way he looked at her made her feel special. From then on, they would organize their time so they would meet at the bus stop and travel to the university together every morning. After their classes, he would wait for her so she does not have to come home alone.

One day, Janeesha asked Parvin to accompany her to a prayer session where she would be singing. Parvin was not particularly spiritual, but his parents had always been religious. Parvin's father woke up early every morning to start cleaning before performing his prayer rituals, and Parvin's mother used to sing during prayer sessions when he was a kid. On that day, when Parvin accompanied Janeesha to the gathering, she unknowingly chose to sing the exact same religious song that Parvin's mother used to sing during kirtan and bhajan every Friday. Parvin had a vision of seeing his own mother singing when he was a child, and it evoked strong emotions within him. It was at that moment that Parvin knew that Janeesha was the right one for him.

After that, Janeesha and Parvin started meeting regularly. One day when Janeesha was taking out her laptop, a Hindi movie song called "Humdard" started playing. She teasingly invited Parvin to join her for a dance. Parvin, being shy, is not used to the spontaneous expression of his feelings. Yet, at that moment, he allowed Janeesha to lead him outside his comfort zone, and they had their first dance together. As they danced, Parvin couldn't think of anything else but the way Janeesha made him feel. Even though he doesn't understand Hindi, he felt deeply connected to the song and to Janeesha, and it brought tears to his eyes. That moment proved to be magical for Janeesha as well. The words of the song that spoke about having someone by your side to share your pain resonated strongly with her. She was like a flower that had grown in its own unique environment and climate, and she knew that she deeply needed someone to accept her, appreciate her, and be there for her. It was clear for her that the someone could be nobody else but Parvin.

Some time later, that same year, Parvin, who loves playing football, had a friendly match and asked Janeesha to accompany him and cheer for his team. During the match, Parvin had to remove his glasses and could not see clearly as he is shortsighted. Throughout the game, he kept turning towards Janeesha to make funny gestures at her while she desperately tried to tell him that his parents were there and were witnessing it all. It was through this funny situation that Parvin's parents came to know on that day that their son had someone special in his life.
Later, as Janeesha pursued her Bachelor in Education at MIE and Parvin completed his computer studies at UOM, the couple didn't get to meet frequently, but they were still there for each other. Every day, when Parvin returned home tired, Janeesha would get in touch motivate him and push him beyond his limits. He eventually graduated and secured a job as a software engineer, while she got her first job as a biology teacher. After starting with very little, they were finally able to start drawing the outline of a future life together. Their financial situation improved, and they were able to treat their families and each other in ways they never had before.

Parvin and Janeesha are both sensible and empathetic in nature, enabling them to navigate the ups and downs of their relationship with maturity and humour. Janeesha believes in expressing her love through acts of gratitude, demonstrating that when a woman feels loved and appreciated, she naturally takes the initiative and showers her love on those who matter to her. In 2021, Parvin surprised Janeesha by planning their engagement with the help of her parents and brother. This made Janeesha feel that she, in turn, wanted to do something to make Parvin feel special in gratitude for the love that he had brought to her life. On Parvin's birthday, she planned a wedding proposal for him on top of Peter Both Mountain. She organized everything down to the smallest detail and succeeded in making it the most romantic day in Parvin's life.

Janeesha and Parvin are getting married in July 2023, and the two lovebirds who grew up one street apart will finally get to start building their love nest together.

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STORY 10 :Vidushee & Tarvind

STORY 10 :Vidushee & Tarvind

  • Jul 05, 2023


Everybody dreams of a love story that starts with love at first sight and ends with a happily ever after. Tarvind and Vidushee fell in love at first sight when they were in their teens. Their chance at a happily ever after, however, only came at the end of a long journey that lasted 21 long years.

Their relationship started even without any word being said between them. Tarvind had gone to visit his friend on the 2nd of January 2002, and Vidushee was there; she was coming down the stairs and passed in front of him. Tarvind looked at her and saw that she was also looking at him. Their eyes locked, and time froze. He was mesmerised by her smile, and she was captivated by his handsome face. All it took was one look at each other.
When we meet our love soulmate, our first glance is both a question and a recognition. Our heart asks, "Who are you?" while our soul exclaims: "At last, you are here!"

Tarvind hesitated before asking his friend for Vidushee's number and eventually gathered the courage to do so. He sent her a message, and they started communicating. SMS was becoming a craze at that time, Tarvind and Vidushee started communicating through text messages. After some time, they began talking on the phone and finally met in person.

Love, it is said, is a path filled with thorns and bruises; the pain we endure is a testament to the depth of our love.
Uptill their meeting, both Tarvind and Vidushee had a joyful and carefree childhood. He lived essentially with his grandparents and was spoiled by his grandmother. In his free time, he liked to ride his bicycle to the beach, play football with his friends and go fishing.

Vidushee was also a happy child pampered by her father, who gave her anything she liked even before she had to ask for it. Her father was a policeman. He loved to bring his daughter along on his bike wherever he went, and people would expect to see her with him when they met him. Vidushee was attached to her dad and shared joyful moments playing football and volleyball with him.
She was only in form 2 in college when she met Tarvind. It was not in her mind to fall in love. They both did not quite understand what was happening to them.

Eventually, the news was brought to the parents' ears that their kids were meeting in secret, and it did not sit well with them. Vidushee and Tarvind were in college, and studies had to be their priority. For the two lovers, the mental torture started. They were not bad, and they did not want to disappoint their parents. Yet the attraction between them was undeniable. They would therefore try to hide and talk to each other, but each time their parents stumbled upon them conversing or exchanging messages, their anger flared up. There would be shouting, scolding and even physical punishments. The parents staunchly refused to accept the continuation of this relationship. In their eyes, Tarvind and Vidushee were mere children, and their relationship was automatically wrong.

The chaos around them would get Vidushee and Tarvind to temporarily halt their communication, but they then get it going by shifting to new technologies, transitioning from SMS to messenger platforms, then to hi-five, MSN, and eventually roaming applications. This obstination made the parents feel disrespected and fueled their frustration. In this manner, the two lovers ended up turning their families against them. It was them against the world.
Even though he disapproved of the relationship, Vidushee's father was more empathetic in his reaction. On one occasion, he saw Vidushee and Tarvind coming down from the bus together but chose not to make a scene and never mentioned the incident at home. Over the years, he had built a foundation of trust with his daughter and harboured a genuine desire for her to be happy. Though deeply concerned about the situation, he understood that forbidding the relationship upfront would further isolate Vidushee and make her feel alone in her distress.
As a result of all this, Tarvind and Vidushee found themselves isolated from their close ones. They faced an uphill battle in reconciling their love with the expectations of their families and society at large. Things would get even more complicated when Tarvind started working. His job got him to travel abroad, and suddenly Vidushee found herself on her own. She no longer had his support and understanding in the shared battle they were fighting together. Whenever she accompanied him at the airport, she felt a profound sense of loss when the time came for him to leave, and she would start crying. She would be so affected by this that Tarvind would tell her maybe she should stop coming to the airport.

When Tarvind was away absence, Vidushee could not openly call him in the presence of her parents, and this made her even more lonely. In an effort to stay connected, she even made him buy a laptop so they could communicate through Skype. She would wait for him after work and call him at midnight after everybody was asleep at home so she could talk to him for a few minutes. She could not fall asleep if she did not hear his voice.

While still bearing the weight of family resentments, Vidushee and Tarvind strived hard to build a home as the foundation to start their life together. However, their aspirations were continually deferred, and every step they took seemed to encounter unyielding obstacles. Their projects kept getting postponed. There were times when they would be overcome with discouragement and thought they would not see the end of their issues. At times, they would meet at Caudan and just gaze at the sea, enjoying the moment together and hoping it would merge into forever. Tarvind, especially, is not the kind to fight for anything. He longed for the peace of mind he had in his growing-up years. He could, however, see the pressure Vidushee had to endure and how combative she was, and, in turn, felt the need to fight for their dreams.

They chose not to give up on each other together and, through their unwavering commitment, overcame numerous ups and downs. When they were together, they found a refuge for their restless minds and troubled hearts. Their days would begin and end with phone calls to each other, and no matter the difficulties they faced, they were able to put their minds to rest just by talking to each other. As the years passed, they witnessed the transformation and developments in each other and, in parallel, progressed in their respective professional lives.

Vidushee and Tarvind are intellectually connected. All decisions they take are in consultation with each other. They discuss a lot, and they never disregard each other's opinions. Since the very beginning of their relationship, they have never been egoistic or acted out of self-interest. They have always shown fairness and consideration towards each other and towards everybody else, including their respective parents. They never considered eloping to get married without their parents' blessings. Despite the odds against them, they chose to endure all the difficulties in the hope that someday, their love would be accepted and respected by their families and society.

The turning point eventually arrived when Vidushee's parents met Tarvind and got to know him for real. It eased the perceptions created by gossip and what people told them about the relationship. Moreover, Vidushee's father felt sick and had to be in a wheelchair. In this time of trial, Tarvind stood as a steadfast pillar of strength for the family. His unwavering presence and support became a testament to his character, gradually winning over his mother-in-law's trust and earning her deep admiration. The family's perception of the relationship underwent a transformation, and they finally recognized the purity of Vidushee's and Tarvind's love that weathered the test of time. Their parents, once apprehensive, now look upon their union with pride.

After all the struggles and challenges they had faced, Vidushee and Tarvind finally can, at last, see the light at the end of the tunnel. They have braved the storm and stood as a firm rock for each other at all times. They now look forward to getting married, settling and spending time together. This has been their one enduring wish ever since they locked eyes. From the days of their youthful innocence, they have matured into responsible adults but never gave up on the tender feelings of their first love. Their journey has been like a penance that lasted 21 years; now, they feel they deserve their happily ever after.

Vidushee and Tarvind will join in holy matrimony in August, vowing to spend the rest of their lives growing old together.

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STORY 11 :Vassamba & Dassen

STORY 11 :Vassamba & Dassen

  • Jul 05, 2023


When Dassen was a small kid, his parents sent him away to live with his grandmother in Curepipe. She had a tea plantation, and he helped her to pluck tea leaves. While little kids his age snuggled in bed, Dassen would be on his feet in the chilly mornings, circulating in the cold alleys of the tea plantation and working quietly. In his free time, Dassen joined a group of friends with whom he played football and found a sense of connection. However, most of the time, only 4 or 5 boys would be present; the others would not bother to come, making it difficult for them to train properly and participate in matches. Dassen got fed up with their attitude. He hated putting his effort into something and being let down. He, therefore, decided to leave the football field and dedicate himself to running, an activity he would be able to do without having to depend on others. Dassen had always had a liking for running; he was in Std 5 when he won his first gold medal in a race.

Unknown to Dassen, these years spent waking up early to breathe the invigorating air around the tea plantation had filled his lungs with strength and endurance. He thus discovered an affinity for running. He felt connected to nature and enjoyed a sense of freedom, and his solitude became his companion as he ran across sugar cane fields, in the forest, on mountains and near rivers. Dassen quickly developed into a formidable athlete, winning competitions all over the island. He was the national champion over 800m and 1500m for several years and was called to represent Mauritius in the World Championships. Dassen thus got to travel to countries like England and Norvege and visited Reunion Island numerous times, and even won a race against the famous athlete, Jean Louis Prianon, who came from France for the competition.

One year, at the peak of his career, Dassen was in line to get a scholarship to go to America. This represented a lifeline for him to move forward in his life and secure his future. He was, however, left dejected when he learned that the scholarship opportunity had been awarded to someone else. Once again, he was being let down by people he trusted and, as he would often do in the course of his life, whenever he left rejected, Dassen moved away to be alone and stopped participating in national competitions. He kept waking up early and going out for a run but did so on his own as a lonely figure.

Dassen's mother was, at that time, working as a supervisor at a factory. One day, she told her colleagues to look for a girl to marry his son. One lady at the factory told her about her niece who was of marriageable age. They fixed a date for Dassen's parents to come and see the girl.

Vassamba was 17 years old at that time. She was the eldest of a family of 4 sisters. Her family was not well off. Her father worked at Cargo Handling Corporation, and her mother was a housewife. Vassamba stopped going to school when she was in Form 3 and supported the family by taking responsibility over her younger siblings, playing the role of a mother to them. As Vassamba grew older, her parents started getting worried about her future and wanted her to marry and settle.

Dassen's mother came to see Vassamba on 13th February 1995. In those days, parents came to look at the girl first; then, if they were happy with what they saw, they passed on the message to the boy. Vassamba's parents asked her whether she agreed to the marriage proposal, but she was shy and did not know what to say. The following day was the 14th of February and Valentine's Day was being celebrated. Vassamba's aunt arrived with a bouquet and chocolate and a greeting card. Dassen had bought a bouquet, and his brother, who worked in the field of art and culture, designed a souvenir made of marble with a poem engraved in it. When Vassamba saw it, she found that it looked really nice. She was happy and agreed to the wedding.

Vassamba got to see Dasssen for 10 mins two weeks later at her aunt's wedding. She, however, did not talk to him as she was feeling shy. Dassen later came to her house to make a measurement of her finger and got an engagement ring made for her. This finally gave them an opportunity to talk for the first time.
The two families met, and a civil wedding was fixed for the following year on the 25th of February. However, there was cyclone class 4 on that date, and there was no electricity for the whole day. Vassamba's family had made biryani and other preparations for the guests, but because of the cyclone, they could not go ahead with the celebration as planned. Most of the guests who were invited could not leave home to come to the wedding because of the cyclonic conditions that were prevailing. Vassamba's uncle finally managed to find a van and went to collect Dassen and his family to bring them along. A smaller wedding was thus celebrated later in the day, with only a few close family members present.

After the civil wedding, Dassen came to Vassamba's place on weekends, and they met and talked in the presence of the parents. The young couple was married later in the year, on the 5th of May, at Bell Village. It was the day that Sir Gaetan Duval passed away, and the wedding procession crossed paths with the funeral convoy on the way.
Vassamba was 18 when she married, and Dassen was 27 years old. Dassen, who was working as a cook at Leal & Co at that time, found himself with increased responsibilities after his wedding. He needed to secure a more stable job and a better salary for his family. During that time, Dassen, who dedicated his life to sports, tried to use to experience and achievements to get a job as a sports officer but unfortunately faced repeated rejections in his job search. After 3 years, he left his job at Leal & Co and started working in a restaurant. He also did some overtime at a filling station or cleaning people's yards to make some extra money.

Dassen had not been able to complete his house at the time of his wedding. Consequently, Vassamba had to live with her mother-in-law as a temporary arrangement for a year until their own house was ready for them to move in. Vassamba, however, found it hard to adapt to her new house. She grew up in Vallée des Prêtres, where there is a milder climate, and she could not get used to a place where it rained all the time and was too cold. She often fell sick and was depressed. The young couple stayed in their new house in Curepipe for only one year and a half, then started looking for a new house. Dassen was aware of his responsibilities towards his wife and wanted to give her a new house where she would feel at ease. A temporary solution came through Vassamba's aunt who was opening a restaurant at Rempart. She proposed that Dassen and Vassamba come to work for her and get to stay at her place. Dassen and Vassamba sat together and thought about this offer. They finally went ahead, activated the repayment of the loan contracted on their house, sold the house and went to live at Rempart.

The couple eventually stayed at her aunt's place and worked at the restaurant for 3 years before moving to Vassamba's mum at Vallée des Prêtres and buy a plot of land nearby. Dassen kept his promise and finalize the purchase as a gift for Vassamba on her birthday. To be able to do that, they had to take a loan. Dassen was working as a bricklayer but was not earning much. Determined to make their dream come true, Vassamba took up a job in a store. By that time, Dassen's health had deteriorated. He started falling sick and could not work regularly. Forced to rely on herself, and not willing to be dependent on her parents, Vassamba looked for a better job and found one at Young Bros. She proved to be a very efficient employee at this new company and was appreciated by her bosses and colleagues. This job provided her with the stability she required, and she was able to make some savings to complete their house.

Despite her hectic schedule, Vassamba visited Dassen twice daily when he was sick in the hospital. She would bring home-cooked food for him and make sure he was properly fed, like she used to do for her sisters when she was younger. She never let him down like others constantly did throughout his life. Their married life has not been about bouquets of roses, chocolates and poems like it promised to be. Nevertheless, Dassen and Vassamba stuck together with a sense of duty and managed to build a family, accomplish their dream of having their own house, and support their children in their education. Their daughter, now an adult, has completed her graduation and will be getting married this year while their son is studying at the Lycée Polytechnique to complete his BT (Brevet de Technicien en Fabrication Mécanique). Both inherited their father's gift and have regularly won medals in sports competitions.

As for Dassen, when he does not have his health issues, he still wakes up at 6 a.m in the morning to go for his jogging. In his free time, he enjoys going fishing, where he can sit quietly and remember the days when he successfully represented Mauritius in international competitions and was hailed as a national hero.

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STORY 12 :Siksha & Ravish

STORY 12 :Siksha & Ravish

  • Jul 05, 2023


When Ravish was a small boy, his father tried to get him interested in his studies by telling him if he did well, he would go to a good college, marry a good wife and be happy in life. Ravish concluded from this that the secret to being happy is to find a good girl who will make a good wife.

When he was in college, he saw Siksha in his GP tuition. Ravish used to sit in the middle of the long table separatig boys and girls and Siksha happened to sit just opposite him. She came to class, focused on the lesson and walked away once tuition was over without paying attention to anybody. Occasionally, during the class, she noticed Ravish staring at her and got red in the face. Ravish was captivated by her, but since she had no friends, it was difficult to be introduced to her through someone. He kept looking for ways to approach her after the tuition. At times, when he would see her enter a shop to buy something to eat, he would also go inside and buy bread even if he was not especially hungry. He would enter the same bus as her, sit next to her and tentatively tried to engage in conversation with her. She, however, avoided all his attempts by giving him one-word answers. This did not deter Ravish in his endeavour. He would purposely pay extra fares just to remain on the bus until she reached her destination and then take another bus to come back to his place.

One day, it happened to be raining, and Ravish had brought his father's umbrella with him. On that day, Siksha was walking to the bus stop with rain heavily pouring. This gave Ravish a chance to be a gentleman by presenting his umbrella to cover her head. The sky contributed in this manner to bring them closer. From then on, Ravish prayed for it to rain every day when he went to tuition.

Just when Ravish thought he was making progress, Siksha told him that she was not interested in him as he was a small boy, and she was interested in people who went to the university. This threw cold water on Ravish's aspirations.

Siksha had always been very attached to her mum. The latter was a woman of strong character, hardworking and focused on making progress. She married very young and became a mum early, and always wanted her children to study, and get their degrees and qualifications. Siksha initially did not like going to school but inspired by her mum, she became studious. Her mum always told her that she needed to have someone who has completed his studies and gone to university, and who is responsible and holds a good position in life. Ravish did not correspond to this profile. Even though she found that he looked like an actor in a TV series she used to watch, she could not ever imagine marrying someone like him. Their relationship, therefore, did not progress much further over the two years.
After college, Ravish started working in an audit firm while following a part-time course. This career choice fitted even less into the profile Siksha was looking for. They would meet each other at the bus stop, and Ravish would get super excited seeing her. He eagerly looked for opportunities to come and sit beside her on the bus. However, the moment Siksha saw him; she would take out her book and pretend to be reading. It went on for some time, but unknown to Siksha; she had entered into a game. She was flattered by the attention Ravish gave her and enjoyed making the effort to avoid him, knowing that he would keep coming back.

One thing that played in Ravish's favour was that Siksha did not have many friends to confide in, and, as a result, whatever happened between them stayed in her mind only. She would tell only her mum about Ravish, how he went out of the way to cover her head with an umbrella when it was raining or went with her to buy bread. On Diwali, Ravish came to Siksha's with his sister to bring sweets for her and her family. For the first time, Siksha's mum got to meet Ravish. She already had a good impression of him based on what Siksha had been telling her. After Ravish and his sister left, she told Siksha that Ravish is a cute boy. The fact that her mum liked Ravish changed the relationship between Siksha and the latter a little. They remained in touch, and he send her messages from time to time.

When Siksha went for her work placement, Ravish invited her for lunch; Siksha accepted the invitation but later told him that she was coming with a friend. This left Ravish feeling disappointed as he was hoping to get to meet her alone. Later, she came alone but told Ravish she had already had lunch. Ravish was put off by this, and the much-awaited meeting lasted only for 10 minutes before they parted ways.

One day, Ravish saw Siksha at the mall with her mum from a distance, and he called her on her phone. He was annoyed to see her check the phone but choose to ignore his call. On his third attempt, she finally picked up, but she did not reply and just cancelled the call. Ravish was irritated by this put-off. He walked to Shiska and her mum, greeted them and casually asked her why she was ignoring his call. Siksha was left red-faced, and her mum was surprised to hear what had happened. Her reaction had something positive in it; it showed to both Ravish and Siksha that she did not intend to be an obstacle in a potential relationship between them.

Sometime after that, Ravish invited Siksha and her family to the wedding of her cousin and played the perfect guest by giving them a warm welcome and introducing them to his family. This made quite an impression on Siksha's mum and changed Siksha's attitude towards him a little more. Ravish and Siksha even got to click their first photos together.
Ravish and Siksha had earlier agreed on a deal that Ravish would bring sweets to her on Diwali, and the next year, she would do the same to him. When Diwali arrived, Siksha did not do as agreed. Instead, she chose to put on her beautiful churidar and waited for Ravish, but he stood his ground and did come to bring cakes for her. Unknown to Siksha, Ravish had earlier lost a relative and his family was not celebrating Diwali. Siksha was extremely disappointed. Her mum saw her sad in her churidar and could not understand what was happening to her.
This episode got Siksha to be more invested in the relationship. Until then, it was always Ravish who made all the effort towards her. There were days when he would come all over to Reduit from Plaine Magnien just to accompany her back home after her tuition. On Saturdays, he would wait for her at the bus stop of Ebene so they could go back together. Ravish would keep sending her messages daily, and she would only occasionally reply. One day, Ravish told her that she messaged him only when she needed him; this got her to react by sending him a series of messages, and when he did not reply, she got angry at him.

On Christmas Eve, Ravish borrowed his uncle's car and brought Siksha to Grand Baie Mall. He bought a dress for her as a gift and purchased fruits for her brother. Everything was going on perfectly, but on the way back, she told him: "Don't expect anything from me because we don't match, and I see you more as a friend."

This affected Ravish, and earlier words that had been said between them came to haunt him. He remembered her telling him that she preferred someone who goes to the university. This got him to question his position as he had invested so much in the relationship, and it would have been easier for him to pursue some other girls who were not as hard to get. He stopped calling Siksha and did not send her any messages for several days. Siksha grew restless and could not understand what was happening to me as she was constantly thinking about Ravish. That's when she knew that Ravish was already part of her life. She had feelings for Ravish but was just not aware of it. She finally messaged him and told him that she loved him.

Since the beginning, their relationship followed a pattern: every time Ravish made a move at Siksha, she moved away, and when he stepped back, she came to him. She needed the space to understand her feelings, and by being constantly in pursuit of her, Ravish denied her this space. At the mall, she enjoyed being with Ravish and appreciated what he did for her, but then he caught her hand, and she felt that he was helping her with a goal in mind. She wanted to feel valued by him without any agenda.

Ravish and Siksha were finally a couple, but now there was another obstacle in the way: they had different ways of seeing things. Siksha grew up with a strong and focused mindset; she has always planned her life in order to feel secure about the future. She was irritated to find that Ravish often took things lightly. They had projected to buy a plot of land and build their house, but whenever she would bring it up, he would tell her that they would have time for it later. Everything got delayed, and it stressed her out. She loved him and needed some guarantee that he was serious and was taking responsibility for their future. She started feeling that he was only words and no action. They were a couple in their heart, but in their mind, they were still far apart. This eventually led to a big clash between them, and they broke up. Ravish tried by every means to get in touch with Siksha, but she blocked him on all social media platforms and on her phone as well. She was so down that her mum asked her what was the issue and she told her that Ravish was not doing anything for them. For the first time, even her mum was disappointed. This enabled her to blow off steam and she felt that at least her mum understood her. This was a necessary step for her true feelings to rise to the surface. She realized that, deep down, she was missing Ravish terribly. However, since she had blocked him, there was no way for her to get back to him. She silently prayed for God to find a way to bring them back together.

Since the beginning of his courtship, Ravish has always proved resourceful. Since Siksha had blocked her on social media on her phone, he looked for a way to reach her. He eventually send her an email telling her he regretted what had happened and wanted to video call her. On that day, he told her that he would do as she said. They met again, but this time they did not know what to say. There was an emotional distance between them. They had had many fights before, but this one had brought both of them to the brink. They finally understood how much they needed each other. Siksha had tears in her eyes. There were so much feeling welled up inside her. She only managed to ask Ravish: "You will do as you said, right?”

It came out more as a plea than a question. She felt that their happiness was hanging by a thread.
Ravish did not even bother to reply. He felt that the time for words was long passed. He now needed to take action. He took the plans for their house that he had brought with him and placed them in front of her, proving that he was serious about the relationship. From the cute boy who fell for a girl in his GP tuition, he had matured and grown into a man who was willing to take responsibility for their future together.

It is said that the greatest challenge in life is not conquering the world but winning the heart of the woman you love. Ravish knew from the outset that Siksha was a difficult girl, but that reassured him that she was not the easy type. She was the good girl who would make a good wife as his father told him. He knew in his heart that she was the one because, even though he had always been independent-minded and did not like to take orders from anybody, Siksha was the only one who could get him to change his ways. She constantly kept him on his toes and made him work hard to get her, but, at the end of the day, winning her over was worth the effort.

Ravish and Siksha are getting married in August 2023, promising to cherish each other as their most precious treasure for eternity.

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STORY 13 :Aurelie & Luxmi

STORY 13 :Aurelie & Luxmi

  • Jul 05, 2023


When Luxmi was a small boy, his dream was to become a pilot. His uncle, who came back to Mauritius from a visit to France, brought him an album with different kinds of planes and aircraft that captured his imagination. He grew up dreaming of flying in the sky, exploring new horizons, and embracing the cultures of distant lands. Meanwhile, Luxmi's father who was a fireman in Nouvelle France, devoted his life to the service of people, always ready to lend a helping hand to those in need. Moreover, as he was the only person in the locality who owned a car, he served the community by tirelessly driving the sick to the hospital when they required urgent medical attention, even at odd hours of the night. Luxmi's uncle was a respected pandit in the community who was frequently called to intervene to assist people with various challenges and guide them, using his knowledge to transform lives. Witnessing his father's selflessness and his uncle's dedication to serving others deeply impacted Luxmi, instilling in him a profound sense of compassion and a desire to make a difference in the life of others. These experiences ignited Luxmi's determination to pursue a career where he could actively contribute to the well-being of others.

As Luxmi grew older, he felt a growing inclination to pursue a career that would allow him to serve others, and instead of pursuing his childhood dream of becoming a pilot, he chose to study medicine. This choice led him far away from his home in Mauritius to Bordeaux and Poitiers in France, where he pursued his medical education. Upon completing his studies, Luxmi found himself working for La Croix Rouge, providing healthcare assistance to the homeless. That's when the NGO, Globe Santé, extended an offer for him to join their team of volunteers in their mission to provide healthcare facilities to help the population in African countries. He embraced the opportunity wholeheartedly and embarked on a journey that allowed him to combine his passion for medicine and his love for discovering new cultures by aiding populations in need.

Slowly, the pieces of the puzzle were fitting together for Luxmi. He had been able to travel abroad and immerse himself in different cultures while fulfilling his family's inherent dedication to helping others. The only issue was that he was in a foreign land and the chances of him meeting and settling with someone with a similar interest in books, music, culture, art, social work, travel and, most of all, Indian movies and Indian culture, were slim.
While performing social work with Globe Santé, Luxmi was sent on a month-long project in Benin alongside a dedicated group of volunteers. Among them was Aurelie, a French native who had also embraced the spirit of assistance. Though they had crossed paths earlier in Poitiers, it was while doing volunteer activities in Benin that Luxmi and Aurelie got to interact. Like him, she seemed to have an insatiable appetite for culture, music, literature, and movies. Their conversations flowed effortlessly and stretched for hours, never experiencing a dull moment when they were together.

One particular day, Luxmi, who was attached to his Indian heritage, decided to share a piece of his culture with the African children they were working with. Taking out his laptop, he played a Bollywood movie for them to enjoy. To his surprise, Aurelie, unfamiliar with Indian cinema until that moment, was immediately captivated by the movie and enjoyed it even more than the children. This unexpected twist created a deeper bond between Luxmi and her, and it drew them together after their time in Benin drew to a close. Back to Poitiers in France, they stayed in touch and Luxmi invited Aurelie to his place to watch another Indian movie. Once again, she was mesmerized by the enchanting narratives, colourful dances, and melodious soundtracks. Luxmi found himself regularly watching Hindi movies together with Aurelie, nurturing their growing friendship as she embraced the world of Bollywood. Luxmi himself used to watch mostly American movies and only occasionally watched Indian movies, but witnessing Aurelie's newfound fascination, he willingly adjusted his viewing habits for her. Their movie-watching sessions and deep conversations became cherished moments of togetherness as they discovered a profound connection that surpassed geographical boundaries and united their diverse backgrounds and cultural heritages.

The revelation of Aurelie's passion for Indian movies and her insatiable desire to explore different cultures was only the beginning of the couple's remarkable journey together. Watching Hindi movies unearthed a treasure trove of emotions, traditions, and narratives that made Aurelie want to visit India. Luxmi, who had long harboured a dream of visiting his ancestral homeland, initially hesitated, uncertain of how Aurelie would perceive India's tapestry of contrasts and complexities. However, fueled by their shared sense of adventure and a desire to delve deeper into the unknown, they took the plunge and embarked on their first major trip together: a journey to India. Their previous experiences in Benin, without basic amenities like water and electricity, had unwittingly prepared them for the tougher aspects of life in India so that they were able to embrace every aspect of the country with open hearts. They thus fell in love with its vibrant culture, tantalizing cuisine, soul-stirring music, warm-hearted people, mesmerizing Bollywood films, and the spiritual depth of its religious practices. They spent one month in India, and, Aurelie, in particular, found herself fascinated by the mesmerizing melodies, intricate dances, and the vibrant religious practices at the temples that left an indelible mark on her. They enjoyed the experience so much that it prompted them to come for a second visit the following year. It was during their visit to India that Aurelie was able to meet Luxmi's mother, who, understanding that her son had found a soul mate, extended an invitation for them to eventually come to Mauritius.

While Luxmi was growing up in Nouvelle France in Mauritius, Aurelie was born and brought up in France, 10 000 km away. Her father was an engineer in Lilles, and her mother was a housewife. Being the only child, Aurelie spent her time reading a lot, nurturing her vivid imagination. It created in her a need to explore the world, just like Luxmi. From an early age, Aurelie witnessed her mother's selfless acts of volunteering, serving food to those in need. This exposure to compassion and service created in her a disposition to be open to others and connect with people, laying the foundation for Aurelie's own path. Aurelie studied medicine, but she discovered that the technical aspects of the profession did not align with her inner calling. Following her heart's compass, she specialized as a speech therapist. This field harmonized with her love for literature while providing her with the opportunity to help others through the power of communication.

The first time that Aurelie got to travel out of France, she felt like she was being born again; she wanted to see everything and learn about everything. She had a thirst for knowledge and her open-mindedness led her to embrace each new experience with unbridled enthusiasm. Her meeting with Luxmi, a testament to the beauty of unexpected encounters, connected her with someone who shared her dedication to volunteer work as well as her yearning for travel and exploration. They were united by a shared sense of wonder and a willingness to embrace the unknown. In their quest to quench their wanderlust, they embarked on an extraordinary adventure to make a tour of Europe and France which they completed over a period of seven years. They visited different countries each time they traveled, went on exhilarating hikes and tasted the unique flavours of each region. They found a sense of belonging between them that transcended borders. Home, for them, is not a place; it is a feeling. Wherever they go, as long as they are together, they are home. During one of their travels, they went to Canada, where they got engaged.
In 2020, Luxmi and Aurelie embraced a new chapter in their life by taking the decision to come and live in Mauritius. They had been travelling for a long time, at a frequency of 4 or 5 times a year, visiting 31 countries in the world. Now they wanted to be stable and build something together. Their arrival, however, got delayed by the outbreak of the global Covid pandemic. It was not until January 2022 that Lumi finally landed in Mauritius with Aurelie, 18 years after he left his homeland.

Driven by his passion for making a difference in people's lives, Luxmi is bringing his knowledge and expertise to the Ministry of Health to tackle the issue of drug addiction in the country. As for Aurelie, leveraging her competence as a speech therapist, she dedicates herself to working with children with autism. She additionally volunteers in the Association for Alzheimer patients, lending her support and care to the elderly. Since coming to Mauritius, Aurelie has learned to speak in creole in an effort to forge deeper connections with the patients. The elderly people appreciate her earnest attempt to communicate with them in their native language in which they are more comfortable. She loves being in a multicultural country that is a rich amalgamation of cultures, traditions, and beliefs. It appeals to her sense of exploration and curiosity and provides her with opportunities to flourish personally and professionally.

Luxmi and Aurelie got married and became one on April 30, embracing their love that transcends borders and cultures.

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STORY 14 :Sarika & Deepak

STORY 14 :Sarika & Deepak

  • Jul 05, 2023


Love is not a finished work of art but a canvas to be painted: you create your own masterpiece as you go by adding cherished moments and precious memories.

When Deepak and Sarika met for the first time, it was not love at first sight. Deepak was at a dinner on the wedding eve of his colleague, and, concidentally, the latter happened to be Sarika's cousin. Deepak and Sarika found themselves seated at the same table, eating 7 curries, and when he noticed her, he got the impression of having met her before but could not situate where it was. This played on his mind and enticed him to want to know more about her. After the meal, when they went to wash their hands, Sarika sensed Deepak's intrigue and asked him: "You are wondering where we met, right?" She reminded him that they met at Pharmacy Capucine, where she works. Deepak went there two weeks earlier to present medical products from his company. It clicked in his head that this was indeed where he saw her. The thing is that Deepak visits 7 or 8 pharmacies daily and meets 10 people in each pharmacy to explain his products. He had to do everything fast as people working in the pharmacies usually had limited time. For this reason, he could not recollect where he saw Sarika.

Deepak grew up in St Pierre and studied Chemistry with Business Management at UOM. After completing his degree, he found himself jobless for a long time, despite attending some 50 interviews. There was limited scope for a job in Chemistry apart from teaching, and he was not fond of teaching. Eventually, he got his chance as a medical representative and was sent on a 15-day training program in India to learn some basic communication skills. As a medical representative, his job consisted in visiting pharmacies to meet the pharmacists to ascertain the availability of his company's products in their stock and to introduce and promote new medical products to the dispensers who were in contact with the public.

The human mind has this thing that when something catches your attention, it becomes a persistent itch; you keep coming back to scratch it. The next time Deepak visited Pharmacy Capucine, he looked forward with anticipation to meeting Sarika. However, when he arrived, she was nowhere to be seen. Deepak asked her colleagues about her, but since he did not know her name, he described her as a lady he saw dancing so well at a wedding. He was told that she had gone out for lunch. The scratch was still there, and Deepak was even more keen to meet Sarika. From then on, he visited Pharmacy Capucine more often on the pretence of work to meet her and get to talk to her, and his interest in her grew. He made sure his visit coincided with the time Sarika's boss left for lunch so that he could stay longer. He realized that to endear himself to her, he had to be in the good books of her colleagues as well. The end of the year was close, and his company had published branded diaries. He brought the diaries and gave them to the dispensers, even though these were meant only for the pharmacists. He regularly brought gifts, pens and other promotional items for Sarika and all her colleagues.

People essentially go to the pharmacy there when they are sick. It turns out that Deepak also was suffering from a special kind of sickness; he was getting lovesick. The more effort he made to please Sarika, the more he fell for her. His visits to the pharmacy soon became the highlight of his whole week. The pharmacy is, however, an unlikely stage for romance to flourish. There was not much space for interaction, let alone flirtation. Moreover, it was Sarika's workplace, and she could not be seen by her boss and her colleagues entertaining the advances of some Romeo instead of working. She found that Deepak was a nice guy and had kind manners, but he was not really her type. The situation was making her uncomfortable. Some days, when she saw Deepak arrive, she would hide under the counter behind packs of Pampers so he would not see her.

Deepak was aware that Sarika was avoiding him, but that did not deter him. He somehow felt that if only he could get her to know him, she would grow to like him. Every time he went, he would ask about her and her colleagues, and they always had nice things to say about her, highlighting her simplicity and her values. This convinced Deepak more that Sarika was indeed the girl for him. He went to the pharmacy once or twice every week, and each time, he took out his visiting card and gave it to her. She took it from him and immediately dropped it in the box where they kept all the business cards to make it clear that she was not keeping it with her. This was her way of showing him that her relationship with him was professional and not more. She did not want to encourage him, but she also did not want to hurt him. Deepak ended up giving Sarika some 30 of his visiting cards.

Finally, after 7 months, Sarika stopped working at Pharmacy Capucine as she needed to concentrate on her studies. She had been following part-time courses since she left college and only started working at the pharmacy because she had to make money to pay for her studies. Sarika came from a family of 5 children, her father was a vegetable seller, and her mother was a housewife. Life became a struggle for her family when her father fell sick and stayed at the hospital for long periods of time. Her mother looked after the house, and her elder brothers left college to start working to ease their financial worries. Sarika was 17 years old when her father passed away, and her elder brothers had to take full responsibility for the house.

For one month after Sarika left the pharmacy to give priority to her studies, Deepak kept coming for his visits and would each time ask her colleagues about her. One day, Sarika was going back home on the bus when she got a call from her colleagues. They had just seen her in the traffic passing in front of the pharmacy. They phoned her and asked her to come and meet them since they had not seen her for one month. Without understanding why, Sarika did something that was unlike her. She pressed on the bell and stopped at the next bus stop to come and meet her ex-colleagues. When she walked inside the old working place, she was surprised to find Deepak waiting inside. He had come for his regular visits and was asking about Sarika to her colleagues when they saw her on the bus. They thought of giving him a push and help him to meet his love interest by bringing her to the pharmacy. Sarika greeted Deepak and politely talked with him, and then spent some time catching up with her colleagues. When the time came for her to leave, Deepak proposed to drop her home. Sarika was apprehensive about this because of her brothers, but she still accepted. Deepak took her in his car and dropped her in front of her house. Just as she was about to get out, Deepak took another business card and handed it to her. This time, Sarika could not just dispatch it away. She took it and put it in her bag. Deepak asked her: "You still won't give me your number?"

Sarika did not immediately reply. But that evening, she thought long and hard about the situation. Sarika knew what her family went through when her father fell sick and how important it was for the latter to have his wife by his side and to be able to rely on her and his sons to support the family. Sarika felt that Deepak had been patient and waited for her even when she was not around. He remained loyal to her and did not go chasing other girls even when she showed no interest at all. He made her a priority in his life. At that moment, Sarika knew in her heart that Deepak was the man who would always be there for her and would look after her.

That night, Sarika finally typed the number from Deepak's business card and sent him a message just so he could, in turn, get her number.

Deepak and Sarika were now officially in touch with each other and could communicate directly. They talked for some time, and Sarika suggested that they meet one week later. That day, she told Deepak: "I want you to understand something. If you are not serious about this relationship, then I am not the girl for. If you are interested, come with your family."

This was the litmus test. At this point, Deepak did not know much about Sarika, and any other person would have probably asked to meet a few times to get to know each other first. However, Deepak did not back off. He contacted Sarika the following day and told her that he had spoken to his close ones, and they were coming over to meet her family.

The families met after two weeks, and the relationship between Deepak and Sarika became official, marking the commencement of a new chapter in their lives. They finally started dating, went out and got to learn more about each other better. One day, Deepak brought Sarika to the pub with her cousins and relatives. It was her first time in a pub, and she drank Smirnoff and beer. At the end of the evening, the effects of the drinks began to take hold and she was drunk. She told Deepak: "I know you love me, but I don't love you as much as you love me. I will ask you to give me some time; I will learn to love you back."

Deepak understood what Sarika meant and continued nurturing their connection little by little, as they patiently allowed their love to unfold and mature. Two years later, by the time they got engaged, she had really fallen in love with him.

One year later, in June 2008, Deepak and Sarika were married. After the wedding, they stayed with Deepak's parents, as Deepak is their only son. Sarika had a good relationship with her inlaws, but she could see that the house was how her mum-in-law wanted it to be when she married. It was her dream house, and Sarika did not want to change anything. She felt that a woman needed to be able to build her house the way she wanted, and she looked forward to someday build her own house the way it suited her. The plan was for them to build their house on the first floor. However, both Deepak and Sarika did not want to burden themselves with responsibilities immediately after being married. They did not want to become parents too soon either; they wanted to have time for each other. Eventually, Sarika fell pregnant 3 years later, in 2011, and then again in 2013. Her deliveries were painful and risky as she had to do it both times by C-section. Before each surgery, she was filled with doubts, remembering the traumas of her father's long stay in hospital. In her moments of vulnerability, she wondered what would happen if she could not make it. At those times, Deepak stood unwaveringly by her side, as she predicted, and she was overflowed with gratitude for her loving partner. As she laid unconscious after the deliveries, Deepak had the privilege of being the first to hold their babies in his arms, as a gift from her to him. It made her smile seeing him take care of their babies with love, remembering the days when she used to hide behind packs of Pampers to avoid meeting him.
After the birth of their two children, Deepak and Sarika realized it was time to have their own home. They took a loan and built it together as a team. It took them 6 years to furnish their house and design it the way they wanted. They still find things to improve in it. In parallel, they built their love just like they built their house. Most people think of love as a fully furnished house; you just have to move in and start living happily ever after. But it never happens like this; love often has many empty rooms when you arrive, and it requires a lot of renovation. Sarika and Deepak worked really hard to fill their house with beautiful things.

The relationship between Deepak and Sarika started slowly. Even though they both dealt with medical products, there was no chemistry between them. Sarika was initially reticent and had doubts. Deepak is not the tall, dark and handsome hero that fills the dreams of many young girls. Sarika finally chose not to chase empty fantasies and favoured the caring and understanding soul who clearly loved her. Over time they have been through all the stages of a love relationship: the dating stage, the engaged stage, the married stage, the before becoming parents stage and the after becoming parents stage, living with the inlaws stage and eventually the stage where they have their own house and family.

Deepak believes that a person's love increases when two people make an effort and walk half the distance separating them. If one person imposes his way, it becomes domination, and the relationship between a master and his slave is not love. He feels you always have to give something to get something in return. For example, even though Deepak is not religious, he still brings Sarika to her prayer sessions because it makes her feel she matters to him. They have now started going to the gym to keep themselves fit. However, because at least one of them needs to be present at home for their kids, they are not able to be at the gym at the same time. They have therefore organized their schedule so that one of them goes between 6-7h and the other between 7h -8h. Their relationship is thus a give-and-take, where each compromises a little for the other. In this manner, they are the perfect chemical equation; they balance each other out perfectly.

Sarika and Deepak celebrated their 15h wedding anniversary this year; their journey together is a testament to the transformative power of chemistry.

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STORY 15 :Hanshika & Sanjeet

STORY 15 :Hanshika & Sanjeet

  • Jul 05, 2023


Our dreams are the wings that lift us up and enable us to reach for the stars. Both Hanshika and Sanjeet had the same dream in their hearts, but they did not know it until they met. Even though they both lived in Mahebourg, their paths never crossed. In fact, they went to the same school and saw each other, but they never truly connected.
Sanjeet lived with his parents in an extended family in a yard where they lacked privacy. His father did aluminium work, but he was not always able to operate due to constant complaints from the neighbours. He could not do otherwise because he depended on it for his living, and the whole family had to suffer from this situation in silence. Sanjeet's mother worked from 7 a.m. till late in the evening at a chicken factory. Sanjeet would try to assist her in the kitchen to prepare dinner for the family. Initially, he wasn't serious about his studies, but when he reached college, his mother encouraged him to work hard so that he could one day do well and move away to his own place, away from their current circumstances.

Hanshika also dreamed of having a house of her own. Her father is a general worker and worked tirelessly to be able to build his house where he lived with his children. However, their financial situation remained precarious, and he constantly struggled to pay for their studies. Like Sanjeet, she never experienced tranquillity in her neighbourhood and dreamed of a safe haven far away.

For both Hanshika and Sanjeet, owning their own house symbolized social progress and peace of mind. Their parents couldn't afford to purchase a new home and had to endure harsh living conditions because they had invested in their children's education.

After leaving college, Sanjeet was keen for a job in the police force, but he suffered a disappointment by being rejected at the entrance test. Eventually, he secured a temporary job in the lounge at the airport, unaware that this would be the first step towards his destiny. Around the same time, Hanshika was undergoing training placements in several companies at the airport. She had the opportunity to witness the arrival of high-profile personalities such as ministers, delegates, actors, and actresses in the lounge. Both Sanjeet and Hanshika enjoyed the atmosphere at the airport that had an aspirational feel, and elevated their dreams to new heights.

It was while working at the airport that Sanjeet got to meet Hanshika during one of her placements. One day, Sanjeet happened to tease Hanshika, and she went away in tears. This affected Sanjeet a lot and made him wonder about his feelings for her. This got him to take more notice of her. Sometime later, when Hanshika moved to another company, Sanjeet felt compelled to reach out to her and inquire about her well-being. Eventually, they ran into each other at a wedding. Hanshika noticed Sanjeet stealing glances at her, but he would quickly look away when she caught him. She found that he looked really elegant and handsome in traditional attire. Later that evening, Sanjeet offered to drop Hanshika home, and they chatted on the way. For the first time, they got the chance to share their dream of someday building their own house. This dream brought them together and cemented a connection between them.

On September 14, 2017, after spending time together during an outing with friends, Sanjeet called Hanshika and asked to meet her. They arranged to meet at the airport compound, where they had both previously worked. That day, Sanjeet told Hanshika that he loved her. Even though she also had feelings for him, Hanshika told him that her parents expected her to complete her studies first. Since they lived in the same locality, it would not be possible for them to meet in secret. She, therefore, asked him to talk to her parents if he was serious. Without hesitation, Sanjeet told her he was ready to do anything to be with her. To prove his sincerity, Sanjeet brought Hanshika to his home and introduced her to his mother just one week after proposing to her. Sanjeet later gathered his courage and approached Hanshika's parents and told them he wanted to marry their daughter. However, her parents did not approve of his request as Hanshika was still completing her tertiary exams. The other issue was that Sanjeet was then unemployed. They did not have anything against him; they just wanted the best for their daughter.
This situation put pressure on Sanjeet to find a job as soon as possible. He once more applied to join the police force but once again faced rejection. Despite the setbacks, Hanshika did not give up on Sanjeet. She understood his dreams and believed in him. Meanwhile, she was also going through a phase of unemployment after completing her studies. Sanjeet encouraged her to pursue a diploma in airport operations and hospitality management, which would open doors for her to work at the airport in the future. She took his advice and, just as she was about to finish her diploma, she landed a job as a Passenger Relations Officer at Airports of Mauritius. She was thrilled about this new opportunity but felt sorry for Sanjeet, who was still unemployed despite his efforts. As a result, their engagement couldn't be finalized, and it was a challenging time for Sanjeet. In desperation, he kept applying to become a police officer and was rejected five times. In the meantime, as he wasn't working, he assisted his father in his job. It was a truly a difficult phase in his life, and Hanshika did her best to support him and boost his morale.

Since Hanshika was now working, the pressure from the family intensified, and it came to a matter of days for Sanjeet to find a job or risk losing her. Just as he was about to lose all hope, he finally secured a job at Mauritius Duty Free Paradise. It was a moment of great joy for both Sanjeet and Hanshika. Working at the airport had always been their dream, and they couldn't believe that they would once again be employed in the same compound.
They could finally start planning their engagement for which they had waited so long. However, one week later, the country went into lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, the engagement ceremony had to be postponed as the lockdown made it challenging to bring their families together. The successive obstacles on their journey towards their dream were incredibly frustrating. The lockdown was extended several times until finally, in the mid of 2021, after a long wait of four years since he first proposed to Hanshika, Sanjeet was finally engaged to her in a sober ceremony between the two families.

Now that both Sanjeet and Hanshika were working, they were able to secure a loan to purchase a plot of land in Mahebourg, where they are currently building their childhood dream home. They are fond of the Mahebourg locality because of its market and proximity to the seaside. They are constructing a spacious house to accommodate their entire family, as their previous living spaces were limited, and they were never able to welcome relatives to their house. While they are now finally moving forward in their life, they want to include their families in their progress. They are grateful to their parents for their unwavering support and wish to provide them with a comfortable and enjoyable time in their later years. However, due to the delays in finding employment and finalizing their plans, the prices of construction materials have increased. Fortunately, their parents, appreciative of their efforts, have stepped in to assist them in covering some of the costs and completing the roof of their new house. They can't wait to put the finishing touch to their home, where new memories will be made, and happiness will reside.

Sanjeet and Hanshika will unite in holy matrimony in November 2023, with their dream house standing as a testament to their unwavering commitment and shared aspirations.

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STORY 16 :Dakshina & Girish

STORY 16 :Dakshina & Girish

  • Jul 05, 2023


The universe speaks to us in whispers and subtle coincidences. Girish always checked his mail every morning before leaving home; that day, he did not. His lecturer never missed any class; that day, he cancelled his morning lecture. Unaware of this change, Girish came to class, but his classmates were nowhere to be seen. He thought of contacting his other friends to fill the unexpected void before his next lecture, but they were all attending their respective classes. He finally called an old friend from primary school who had just joined the university. The latter was in the common room where a party was going on. She asked Girish to come and join her. When Girish arrived, his friend introduced him to her classmates, among whom was Dakshina. Girish met Dakshina. 

Dakshina had just joined the university, and this was the first event she was attending. When her friend introduced her to Girish, she immediately felt at ease with him, as if they had known each other for ages. Dakshina is normally quite shy and can barely talk to strangers, but on that day, she felt like she could stay there and talk to Girish for hours. In fact, she was so at ease with him that she started talking and laughing louder than usual, as if trying to get him to give attention to her. For Girish, Dakshina appeared so beautiful and perfect at that moment; he remembers thinking that, with all the noise in the auditorium, she was like perfection in chaos.

Girsh and Dakshina soon came across each other again in the university compound, and from being acquaintances, they became friends. Girish proposed to help Dakshina with her homework, and they added each other on Facebook. From then on, they were in regular touch. When at the university, they would meet in the common room or study together at the library. They would also attend university parties together and find themselves dancing even after all their friends had left. From being friends, they progressed to being each other's confidants; each time one of them had an issue, they would automatically turn to the other for their perspective and support. People around them would see Girish and Dakshina always together and tell him that they were soulmates. Even Girish's long-time primary school friend, who had played a pivotal role in introducing him to Dakshina, and knew both of them, would tell him they were made for each other. This got Girish to ask himself questions about the nature of his feelings for Dakshina. However, one day, Girish saw Dakshina sitting together with another guy and understood that she already had someone in her life. He chose to remain friends with her.

Dakshina had connected with someone on Facebook a short time before joining the university, where she met Girish. She had been in a relationship with him since then. She slowly realized that they did not align on many things, but she anyway tried to make the relationship work. On her birthday, her boyfriend presented her with a hastily wrapped pack of tea as a gift, indicating a lack of understanding and appreciation for their relationship. This left her feeling deeply disappointed, reinforcing her sense of being overlooked and unappreciated. Dakshina grew up in a small family; her father had only one sister, her mother had one brother. She had always been a reserved girl who did not easily open up to others. She seldom used to laugh and never felt special or deserving of being treated like a princess. Now in a relationship with a boyfriend lacking in romance and affection, she was led to believe that the grand gestures and sweeping romance shown in movies do not exist in real life.

Meanwhile, Girish had also started going out with other girls, but none of his relationships worked. He was brought up in a modest family with his many cousins living in the same house. His grandfather was a labourer, and his father was a carpenter. There was no television in their home, and he spent his childhood days playing bared foot in the streets and going swimming in the river. His simple upbringing nurtured within Girish a deep appreciation for life's small gestures of attention and care. However, the partners he met embraced a different perspective of life, prioritizing materialistic pursuits, shopping sprees, indulgent meals, and extravagant outings. One of his girlfriends, devoid of understanding and sensitivity, belittled him by callously throwing the gift he had made for her in the bin. Girish was left feeling unworthy and undeserving of love. 

Girish and Dakshina supported each other as they navigated the tumultuous waters of their respective relationships. They found a much needed understanding in each other. As their bond grew stronger, they looked forward more and more to spending time together. At times, Dakshina would be leaving Reduit and would phone Girish to ask him where he was. He would tell her that he was at Bagatelle, and she would come down from the bus and meet him at Bagatelle to have lunch together or go for a leisurely walk. It often happened that Girish's girlfriend would call him and find that he was with Dakshina, helping her choose earrings. Similarly, when Dakshina's boyfriend would reach out to her, she would be alongside Girish, helping him choose a pair of shoes. These seemingly innocent acts of friendship made Dakshina's boyfriend uneasy. He did not have the kind of connection with Dakshina that she had with Girish. This became a cause of insecurity for him, and he told Dakshina that Girish was having a bad influence on her and was probably using black magic on her.

When Girish completed his studies, he had to choose a gown for the graduation ceremony. He was not being able to make up his mind and told his mum: "Dakshina will know what colour will suit me." His mum replied: "Why her? Why is her opinion so important to you?" This stopped him on his track and got him to wonder why indeed was Dakshina's opinion so important to him.

Dakshina's engagement to her boyfriend had been set for February 2020. However, instead of being something she looked forward to, it gradually into a distressing ordeal for her. Instead of improving over time, her relationship with her boyfriend had gone from bad to worse. Dakshina felt in her heart that it was not going to work between them because they were not made for each other. She felt that she deserved a guy who really loved and cherished her and made her feel like she mattered. Summoning her courage, Dakshina made the decision to call off the engagement, recognizing that staying in a relationship devoid of true love would only perpetuate her own unhappiness. This decision created turmoil in the family, and her boyfriend took it badly. Girish was the only one who supported her as she went through that phase. They talked day and night on messenger, and he cheered her up. As a matter of fact, Girish was also nursing a heartbreak after yet another disastrous relationship. With Valentine's Day approaching, they both felt off mood. To dispel the gloomy feeling, they decided to go to Bagatelle on the eve of Valentine's Day. In the course of their wandering, Dakshina took Girish into a shop to buy him a crystal rose to help him attract the love he deserved. She could see he was suffering from his latest break-up and selflessly wanted to help him. When the lady in the shop saw Girish and Dakshina, she told them they looked good together, but they replied they were only friends. A few moments later, as Dakshina was leaving the shop, the lady tapped Girish gently on the shoulder and told him: "You don't need to look for love because it is already by your side."

Later that night, when Girish and Dakshina met online as had become their routine, they noticed a subtle shift in their conversation. An undertone of tension and possessiveness had crept into their once carefree and lighthearted exchanges. Their friendship had caught fire and was burning with love. Their hearts had been pierced by Cupid's bow. However, before they could quite understand what was happening to them, the country went into lockdown as a result of the Covid pandemic. They were not able to meet anymore. The government regulations permitted individuals to leave their homes only on specific days, according to the first letter of their family name. Once again, fate intervened in their favour. Surprisingly, their names shared the same initial alphabet. They, therefore, planned their outing to be able to meet at the supermarket. They yearned for a glimpse of each other. Yet, when they finally came face to face, they could not talk as they were both wearing a mask. They could only hold eye contact as they pushed their caddies. Girish looked at Dakshina and saw tears in her eyes rolling down her cheeks on her mask.
The poet Khalil Gibran says that before entering the sea, the river trembles with fear. She looks back at the path she has travelled, from the peaks of the mountains, the long winding road crossing forests and villages, and in front of her, she sees an ocean so vast that to enter there means to disappear forever. The tears in Dakshina's eyes were her ultimate act of surrender. It was a mixture of the deep unspoken feelings bursting out from all her pores, the intense longing to be together, the regret for the missed opportunities and the vulnerability of letting go. Their friendship had meant so much to them that they refused to see what was there all along. They needed someone from outside to give them a push. The realization was overwhelming. 

They never met the lady from the shop again.

Sometime later, when the lockdown was lifted, Girish went to meet Dakshina's parents, sat in front of her whole family and told them he loved her. Her parents asked him if he was sure, and he said he was. They knew it was true because the way Dakshina was with Girish was so different to how she was in the company of her previous boyfriend. Even though Girish was not working at that time, Dakshina's parents did not object to his demand because they could see he was determined, and no force in the world could stop them from being together. Girish had no house, no job, no car, but he loved Dakshina. It was the only thing that mattered. 

On Dakshina's birthday, Girish offered her a basket filled with things she liked. 8 years earlier, when her former boyfriend callously gave her a pack of tea in a gift wrapping, she was so down; Girish had then comforted her by assuring her that she deserved someone who understood her and would give her all the things she loved. And now that Girsh was her boyfriend, he filled a basket with chocolates, a teddy bear and personalized gifts chosen with the utmost care for her. Dakshina stood in awe, surprised that Girish knew exactly what would make her happy. He was a friend who knew the song in your heart and sang it back to you when she had forgotten the words. Through his effort and attention to detail, he made her realize that she should never settle for less than she deserves. 

On Girish's birthday, Dakshina, in turn, crafted a truly special gift for him. She meticulously designed and mounted a book giving A to Z reasons why she loved him. This made Girish emotional. His past relationships had made him feel undeserving of love, and he never thought that there might be 26 good reasons to love him. Moreover, by unknowingly putting the title A to Z, Dakshina brought back his long-forgotten childhood memories. When Girish was a small boy, whenever he was sad or disappointed, his grandfather would tell him that their family was unique. Their surname starts with an A and ends with a Z, just like the alphabet. In that moment of realization, Girish felt meeting Dakshina was not a coincidence but a beautifully orchestrated event by the universe itself to bring them together. He now longed to transmit the precious legacy of his unique family name to Dakshina.

Girish and Dakshina will unite their souls in marriage in November 2024 and enjoy the fruits of a friendship that they planted and watered, and that has blossomed into love.

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STORY 17 :Darshinee & Vinaye

STORY 17 :Darshinee & Vinaye

  • Jul 05, 2023


When Darshinee was five years old, her life took a horrific turn: her father had an accident at work and lost his right arm. Following this, he had to stop working, and the family faced financial difficulties as he was the breadwinner. Darshinee was the youngest child, with an age gap of 11 years between her sisters and herself. Her parents were unable to offer her the nurturing care she deserved, and it was mostly her sisters who looked after her. The tragedy created an emotional distance between her father and her, as he could no longer shower her with love as he wished. Since there were no boys in the family to take over the responsibility from their father, Darshinee's mother and sisters found themselves grappling with an overwhelming sense of vulnerability.

Darshinee learned to shoulder responsibilities from an early age, and her journey was fraught with ceaseless challenges. She found strength in her deep devotion to Lord Shiva and faithfully attended the prayers every Monday to gather the courage for the trials that awaited her throughout the week. This was until an encounter in the unlikeliest of circumstances would alter the course of her life. One day, Darshinee was late driving to work after attending her Monday morning prayer session. Nevertheless, when she arrived at Ebène, near Ecole Hotelière, she courteously gave way to a 4x4 vehicle. As the 4x4 drove ahead, Darshinee noticed the driver stealing fleeting glances at her in his rearview mirror. Some way ahead, the 4x4 allowed Darshinee to move alongside him, and, to her surprise, the driver turned his head towards her and gave her a smile. After that, they each went their separate ways.

As the 4x4 vehicle drove away, Darshinee noticed a sign on the van advertising the services that the man offered through his company. Being used to handling different tasks at home, Darshinee thought she might need this guy's help and mentally noted his contact information. Later that evening, Darshinee did something she rarely did before. She searched for the man on Facebook and sent him a message, expressing her interest in his services and asking for more details as she might need his assistance in the future.

Earlier that day, Vinaye was returning from a meeting when a woman gave him priority at Ebene. As he drove past her, he was pleasantly surprised to see that she was an attractive lady. He found himself glancing at her throughout the rest of the trip. However, he didn't expect to ever meet her again. That's why he couldn't believe his luck when he received a message from her later that day. He started chatting with her, doing whatever it took to keep the conversation going. To his surprise, he learned that a link already existed between them: the lady was none other than his own niece's school teacher.

From then on, Vinaye racked his brain to find an excuse to meet Darshinee. In the meantime, they chatted daily, and he found himself growing fond of her. One day, during their conversation, Darshinee mentioned that she had a toothache. Vinaye immediately seized the opportunity and offered to bring her some medicine at school. When Vinaye finally met Darshinee on that day, he thought she looked amazing in the long blue skirt she was wearing. From that point forward, no matter where his work took him, Vinaye organized his schedule to come and meet Darshinee during lunchtime. He made sure to spend a few minutes talking to her, even if only for 5-10 minutes, before returning to work. At that time, Darshinee was going through a dark phase in her life and was on the brink of depression. Vinaye's presence provided a much-needed distraction from her worries. Whenever he was with her, it felt like her issues disappeared, as if the dark clouds in her life were being lifted by the sunshine.

Unlike Darshinee, Vinaye had a pleasant childhood. He was pampered and had everything he desired: toys, new clothes, outings with the family, and plenty of love and affection. He was blessed with the kind of life any child would have wanted, and it bestowed upon him a sense of security and contentment. As he grew accustomed to talking with Darshinee, he realized that, in contrast to his own upbringing, Darshinee's path had been laden with challenges that tested her from a tender age. Nevertheless, he felt a connection with her that resonated deeply within him. He quickly grew to appreciate her honesty and reliability, and enjoyed being there to support her whenever she needed him. Slowly, he began developing feelings for her. However, Darshinee came from a conservative family. Her parents held more traditional views, and she knew they would prefer an arranged marriage for her. She told Vinaye that if he wanted to be in her life, he would have to approach her parents formally and ask for her hand. Once again, luck was on Vinaye's side. His uncle happened to live near Darshinee's place and knew her mother. He got him to speak to Darshinee's parents and make arrangements for an official meeting between the families.

When Vinaye finally met Darshinee's parents, he already knew how important they were to her. In the words of Stephen Covey, when someone is important to you, what is important to them also becomes important to you. On that day, Vinaye promised Darshinee's parents that he wasn't just coming to their house to be a son-in-law but to be a son in their family.

Since that day, Vinaye has remained steadfast in his commitment. Whenever Darshinee calls him regarding any issue, he makes it a priority to be there not only for her but for her family as well. Having grown up facing challenges without a son, they finally feel like they have found in Vinaye the missing piece that completed their family portrait. This, to Darshinee, is the best gift she could have given her parents. Darshinee grew up without much love and affection, and she needed someone dedicated who would love her not just in words but who would go the extra mile to make her feel valued, recognized, and truly loved. Over time, the power of love to heal and nurture brought about a transformation in her life and in her relationship with her own family. She no longer isolates herself in her room at home, seeking solace in her own thoughts and is more involved with everyone with a new sense of belonging. Instead of dining alone, she sits with them, and they have dinner together. In fact, Vinaye and Darshinee feel equally at home in each other's houses and are comfortable dining with each other's families.

The love that bloomed between Vinaye and Darshinee radiated outward, touching the lives of those around them. Since Vinaye's mother met Darshinee, she, in turn, grew to like her a lot and treated her like the daughter she never had. They developed a close relationship. Vinaye's mother often confided in Darshinee, sharing things she didn't even tell Vinaye. She was eager to see them married and started accompanying them on their wedding shopping.
As the couple joyfully prepared for their impending union, fate dealt a devastating blow to Vinaye's life. His mother was diagnosed with cancer, leaving Vinaye shattered. The family did everything they could to seek the best possible treatment for Vinaye's mother, and even brought medicines for her from France. For the first time, Vinaye was emotionally down. He faced the most agonizing days of his life. In those moments, Darshinee became a pillar of support for Vinaye, his brother, and his father, helping to hold them together through the difficult times. Whenever Vinaye couldn't accompany his mother for her chemotherapy, Darshinee was there to take his place. She accompanied her future mum-in-law to every appointment and treatment for two years. Sadly, despite the treatment and the efforts made by everyone, Vinaye's mother passed away. On the day she left, Darshinee was there beside her, shielding the family and protecting them as best she could.

This tragedy that befell their lives strengthened the bond between Darshinee and Vinaye. Thanks to her support, Vinaye was able to overcome his grief over time. They found love and companionship in each other, filling the voids in their lives and bringing each other a sense of peace. As a matter of fact, Darshinee's favourite moment of the day is watching the sunset at the beach. It gives her a feeling of peace at the end of the day's efforts. Through her, Vinaye has also come to enjoy watching the sunset, reminding them of the serenity they have found in each other's presence. They are two life companions who met on the road, and this road led them to their moment of togetherness at the beach, their haven from the storms of life.

Darshinee was only five when tragedy struck her family. As a child, having the love she deserved snatched away from her, she probably felt guilty and unworthy of being loved. That was until Vinaye came into her life and made her feel loved when she thought she could never be loved. Darshinee grew up without anyone she could rely on. The only person she was close to was her grandmother. When she bought her car, she would drive around with her and take her anywhere she needed to go. Just before her grandmother passed away, she left Darshinee a ring with her initials V.B. engraved on it. Two months later, a chance encounter brought Vinaye into Darshinee's life. In a twist of fate, Vinaye's initials also happen to be V.B., as if the universe conspired to bring together two souls destined to find love and solace in each other.

Vinaye and Darshinee will continue their journey by getting married in November this year, embracing the path of their shared destiny.

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