Pooja & Jakub

Jakub - Looking back, I was lucky that I didn't get a "plus one" to Soumo and Sheena's wedding. After a very festive Sangeet, us younger folks continued celebrating at Barcade in Jersey City. They say you can pick up women at bars. What they don't tell you is not to literally pick them up off the ground.

Pooja - I was Shaonli's (Soumo's sister) "plus one" to Soumo & Sheena's wedding. The first time I met Jakub, he swept me off my feet…. Literally! Lucky for him, he did not drop me.

Jakub - Thanks to the miracle of social media, I found Pooja tagged in a friend's photo from the wedding we met at. So I delivered the best pickup line I could come up with...

Pooja - A couple days later I saw a little red dot on my Facebook messenger. When I opened it I was surprised to see that it was Jakub, the guy who picked me up at the bar after the sangeet. It wasn’t the best pick up line but I couldn’t resist an ice cream date!

Jakub - I can still remember how Pooja looked on that first date... black/white striped top with black slacks, bright orange nails, and her hair seemed to bounce and flow in the breeze like a scene straight out of a Bollywood film. I must admit I was nervous but it was almost uncanny how much we seemed to have in common. And for the record she is still avoiding that match on the tennis court.

Pooja - For our first date, Jakub took me out for ice cream. It was a refreshing change of pace from being asked to go grab a drink at the bar. We sat, talked, laughed, and it was the most comfortable Ive felt with someone I barely knew. The conversation between us just flowed so easily and for the first time, I felt like I could truly be myself on a date. We talked about our love of skiing, cute animals, traveling, and how there was no way Jakub could ever beat me at tennis. Who knew this sweet first date would leave me with my amazing life long partner ♥️

Jakub - Pooja was watching Snapchat videos from friends on her phone when suddenly I hear "Cheers to Pooja and her boyfriend!" Cue the panicked look on Pooja's face. "Oh! So that's what you call me to your friends?" I said with a smile. Pooja looked sheepish, but the cat was out of the bag. Truth be told, I planned on having that conversation with her later that weekend anyway, but her friend Tee saved me from having to broach the topic myself.

Pooja - We were road tripping up to spend New Years in Pittsburgh when I got a Snapchat from my friend, Tee. Once I realized what she was saying in the Snapchat I panicked and tried to close it before Jakub heard anything but it was too late! I froze…he stared and smiled, then said “so that’s what you call me…” and the rest was history!

Jakub - 18 months, 22 trips, 11,000 miles driven, 18 audio books, and maybe too many rest-stop coffees. Sometimes love knows no bounds.

Pooja - Getting into grad school was such a happy achievement for me and I was so proud of myself! But I was also a little bit nervous. 5 hours one way was quite a drive. I knew long distance was hard, but I wanted this relationship to work. I knew what we had was really special and that we would make it work. 2 years of FaceTime dates, daily calls, A LOT of iMessages, and monthly in-person trips made our love and us stronger than ever ♥️

Jakub - Months of planning... check
Sneakily measure Pooja's ring size... check
Avoid all topics about marriage/engagement... dangerous, but check
Come up with a great proposal speech, forget it, and also not remember what I actually said in the moment... check
Hearing her say yes... priceless :)

Pooja - I thought that we are just going to be celebrating our 3 year anniversary. I had no idea he had some thing more planned. After a wonderful couple days of skiing and doing puzzles by a cozy fireplace, he surprised me with chocolate covered strawberries and champagne. Before I even realized what was happening, he dropped down on one knee. It was the easiest ‘Yes’ I have ever said and I’m so excited to marry best friend. I never thought that I would meet someone as amazing as Jakub at my friend's wedding. Everything happens for a reason. I truly believe that now.