It was a plot straight out of a movie. It was their best friends’ wedding. She was a bridesmaid. He was a groomsman. Classic.
From their first conversation at the wedding rehearsal, in the church lobby, there was an instant attraction. By the Mendhi that evening, they were smitten. And by the time they got on the dance floor at the reception, they couldn’t stay away from each other.
But the future of the relationship rested on a knife’s edge. There were 2000 miles separating these romantics, and had Carrie not agreed to share her phone number with Rahul, who knows what might have been?
A couple months after the fateful meeting, Rahul hopped on a plane to embark upon the longest first date ever, a full weekend in Colorado. Although they’ll forever debate who initiated the weekend, both parties were equally excited and nervous. Carrie meticulously planned events with friends such that they’d never be alone for too many potentially-awkward hours, and Rahul - well there he was. Friday night started with Blossoms of Light, and then they moved onto Epic Brewery and the infamous Finn’s Manor, where many authentic Colorado beers were consumed. The next day, they headed up to Breckenridge for a full day on the slopes, where the chairlift provided the perfect avenue for Carrie to help Rahul “practice” for business school interviews with questions such as, “where do you see yourself in five years?” and “how many children do you want?” To round out the weekend, on Sunday they went for a winter hike on the high plains, watched the moon rise at Red Rocks, and then watched Zootopia over Denver’s mediocre Thai food. They both deemed the weekend a great success, but emotions were high as Rahul departed back for New York, and the future was never more uncertain.
Soon thereafter, it was obvious to both Carrie and Rahul that they should be together. Despite the distance, they traveled as much as possible to visit each other. Carrie’s first weekend in New York was a whirlwind of social events with many new friends, and Rahul got well acquainted with the Denver residency crew and Colorado mountains. Rahul then moved to Boston to start business school, and Carrie joined Rahul on one of Sloan’s pre-f(x) so they could meet his new colleagues and backpack Italy together. Although glorious when together, those years involved mostly quick phone calls during free moments and virtual date nights via FaceTime when schedules aligned.
Rahul knew Carrie was the love of his life, and he had the perfect opportunity to make it official. What better time to propose than on their scheduled trip to Hawaii with their best friends Raaj and Geneva, the couple whose wedding had started it all. Rahul, who is not generally known for his planning skills, put all of his organizational capacities to work. He obtained the blessings of both Larry and Deb, surreptitiously ascertained Carrie’s ring size, and identified a secluded beach hike where he would ask the fateful question.
On the morning of January 26th, 2020, Rahul’s heart was pounding as the ring sat heavy in the pocket of his swim trunks. But when they got down to Makalawena beach, he gave their friends the signal - “will you guys take a picture of us” and he got down on one knee. And the rest, as they say, is history!
After an amazing week, the couple returned to their long-distance life. But not for too long. The global tragedy of the pandemic had an unexpected silver lining - Rahul’s school went online and the couple got to be together well ahead of schedule. This, in turn, enabled one of Carrie’s long held desires - adopting a puppy. And so, on May 1st, 2020, the couple welcomed Kona Oreo Wagarwal into their home!