How We Met
Shamik and I met in 2014. I had just graduated college and started a new job in downtown Detroit. He was one of the first people I met at work on my first day. Some people say never date a coworker, but I have to say its worked out pretty well for us – maybe we are the exception to the rule?
how they asked
I had made reservations for dinner on Saturday at a new steakhouse in downtown Detroit called Prime & Proper. We decided to go downtown a little early to walk through the Christmas markets and do a little shopping, but little did I know he had alternative plans. We arrived at a Christmas market across from the restaurant and got drinks to enjoy by the fire outside while we waited for our reservation at 7pm. As we sat down he asked me if I wanted to play the game Heads Up. I thought this was a little odd because usually it takes some convincing on my part to make him play with me when we are in the comfort of our own home, but I went with it.
The game started off with some general words, but then the word “Will” popped up on the screen. Immediately I started to get the idea of what was about to unfold. If you have played the game heads up before you know it is a charades type game where you act out or describe the word on the screen to your partner who will then guess the word. I stumbled for a minute at the word “Will”, but eventually gave him the clue of “Blank and Grace” – “Oh Will!” he answered.
He flips the phone down to indicate the correct answer and next pops up “You.” That is when I started to lose my composure a bit :). The Heads Up app records the person describing the clues while it is going, which allowed him to capture my entire reaction to the proposal on camera. Not to mention he had two photographers in the background snapping pics of us the whole time. (I guess I am a little oblivious).
Immediately after the proposal we did a mini engagement shoot with the photographer and headed over to the restaurant. To my surprise, Shamik had cancelled our dinner reservations and only ordered champagne. He told me it was Indian tradition to see his parents after the proposal so we had to go home right after our drinks. I was a little to caught up in the moment to question him so I went with it. On the drive home I immediately FaceTimed my parents to tell them the news! They claimed they could not get FaceTime to work so it ended up being a normal phone call which ended with Shamik oddly rushing them off the phone. I was so caught up in the moment that I went on to the next person on my list – my best friend Dilara.
I called and FaceTimed her – no answer. “911 SOS” I texted to her, “Answer your phone!” No one was there to enjoy my moment with me, I was bursting with excitement and I was striking out. Next thing I know we are home and as Shamik hits the garage door button I hear an eruption of cheers. Standing before me in his two car garage was about 60 of our closest friends and family. I was stunned, speechless and started crying all over again. My Parents, Dilara, Shamik’s family, our friends, my cousins were all standing before me – I could not believe it. He had organized the entire thing, invited everyone on both sides, ordered all the food, his brother made us a custom drink menu. It was the biggest surprise of my life, and it put the cherry on top of the whole night. I will never forget that night, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for us for years to come.
