Karim and I attended Mid-Cities Jamat Khana growing up, which is where we officially met and became friends on Khushyali in 2010! From talking in the lobby after khane every Friday and Chandraat, to seeing each other in REC on Saturdays, to going to Camp Mosaic together, we finally went on our first “date”, to Sonic! We shared an M&M Sonic blast. 14 year old Haania and 16 year old Karim continued to be best friends even through college. Over the years our bond got stronger. We kept in touch regularly and would meet back at Mid-Cities when we were home during school breaks. We were best friends and truly watched each other grow into our own. Our feelings were always there, but it truly became something more when we graduated from college and ended up back in Dallas. Fast forward to March 2020 - Karim and I officially start dating and the decade of friendship beforehand wasn’t forgotten. People always ask how long we've been together, and it’s tough to pinpoint an exact date because that relationship has been kindling since the very beginning, so much so that everyone knew we'd end up together. Inshallah we continue to be each other’s best friend and our love for each other continues to grow.

I took Haania to a nice dinner to celebrate her fancy new job. We went to Marie Gabrielle Restaurant and Gardens in Dallas - a place I knew Haania wanted to go to but couldn't because it was closed to the public due to COVID. Luckily, it was available to book for private events so I reserved the venue as the perfect spot to propose. There's a beautiful garden right outside the restaurant - I suggested we take a stroll before dinner. I led her through a path in the garden to an area where I had set up white roses and candles. I got down on one knee, told her how much I love her, and asked her to marry me. Once the photographer finished taking photos of the two of us, both our families came out of hiding to surprise Haania! Lots of happiness and warm wishes were shared and then we left Marie Gabrielle for another surprise. I didn't tell her where we were going but we pulled up to the NYLO hotel and walked into the surprise engagement party I had planned for her - with all our friends and families waiting to celebrate with us! Surrounded by people we love, food, music, and some signature cocktails - we danced and mingled the night away. Best day ever.