Vikram and Shuchi had their first date at Walkers Coffee Shop on April 30, 2018. At the time they met, Shuchi was getting ready to graduate college in a week.
Shuchi: I was moving across the country in three months, so I was skeptical about starting any new relationships. But something about Vikram felt really special. I asked him to get coffee with me, and he graciously agreed, even though he doesn't like coffee.
Vikram: After coffee (tea for me), we sat on Herty Field on UGA's campus and just kept talking for three or four hours.
Shuchi: I like to think Vikram knew I was the one when I showed him where he could park for free near campus. (I found out later he hates paying for parking.) The entire time we were talking, poor Vikram was being devoured by mosquitos, but he didn't say a word about it.
Vikram: When I got home, I shook my roommate James awake to tell him I had just been on the best first date I had ever had.
We continued seeing each other for the rest of the summer, and things only got better. By the time September rolled around, we both knew we had found the person we wanted to spend our lives with.
In September 2018, Shuchi moved to Los Angeles to start graduate school. For the next 18 months, Shuchi and Vikram continued their relationship long-distance.
Shuchi: While we were long-distance, Vikram was so intentional about making time to call me and see me. Also, whenever he flew out to see me in Los Angeles, he brought me a burrito from my favorite restaurant in Athens. It takes a special person to be willing to do that for you.
At the beginning of 2020, Vikram got a job in Los Angeles! He moved that March, and he and Shuchi were so excited to go on in-person dates again...
...and then a global pandemic happened.
Nevertheless, our heroes persevered and found ways to explore Los Angeles together, even as the city shut down. Besides hiking and going to open-air markets, they also found a nice spot in the middle of the Mojave Desert for stargazing on summer nights. Throughout this time, their love for each other continued to grow.
Even though Vikram and Shuchi planned on getting engaged in 2021, Shuchi still insisted that the proposal be a surprise.
Shuchi: One Saturday in early December, Vikram told me he was going to the grocery store while I was doing homework. Four hours later, he returned...with no groceries. I asked him where the groceries were, and he said he "forgot." So I kind of figured out what was going on, and I spent the next week panicking because my left hand wasn't photo-ready. (I'd broken a nail.)
Vikram: On Sunday, December 12, Shuchi and I went to Will Rogers Beach, where I had organized a picnic setup. The plan was to have a relaxing afternoon before I proposed, but Shuchi was NOT relaxed and couldn't sit still, so I decided to speed things up and asked her to take a walk with me.
Shuchi: When we started walking, I didn't realize what was happening and I kept getting distracted by seagulls. Vikram finally told me to stand still for one minute because he was trying to do something. Then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I said yes, obviously. I still don't know what Vikram was doing for those four hours though.
Now in the throes of wedding planning, Vikram and Shuchi are so excited to begin a new chapter of their lives together, and they are even more thrilled to do so while surrounded by the love of family and friends.
Even though they don't know exactly what comes next, they cannot wait to embark on many adventures together for years to come.