And so we began our journey...

Sid (or Aseem) grew up in Cary, NC, just a ten minute drive from where Komal was living her life, drinking water and minding her own business. Sid went to ECU at the same time Komal was there, and he claims he had his eye on Komal back then, but Komal was too engulfed in trying to understand hemodynamics and replacing potassium during her intern year to notice. Fast forward 6 years, and Komal and Sid end up in the same city, working for the same hospital system! The rest is history!

Komal's take: I remember Sid and I were texting back and forth about what to do for our first date. Places were slowly opening up, but it was still scary because we were both seeing a lot of bad outcomes from Covid at work. I suggested a mediocre place, only because it was big enough to socially distance and I knew it would be empty because the food is subpar. Minutes before our first date, I found out that I had passed my Critical Care Boards, and I thought to myself, "well even if this date goes terribly, it'll still have been a good day overall." Turned out the date was good enough to have another date...2 days later! Sid's take: I was pretty stoked Komal and I were going on our first date. I put on a hat, plaid shirt, khakis and headed over to a Mexican restaurant that she chose. I was probably 10 minutes late, but I figured she wouldn't mind. As soon as I saw her, I literally said, "wow, stunning," just low enough for only me to hear. We had a great first date and divulged each other's life stories with such ease. It was right after that first date I realized that I wanted to get to know this aloof, smart, goofy, beautiful girl even more.

Komal: I fell in love with Sid when he carried a nervous me, my skis, his skis, and his bookbag down a mountain in Vail, Colorado because I was too scared of the icy slopes. I remember I was mad at the mountain, and quite honestly, a little psyched out because we ended up on a harder slope than anticipated. With no questions asked, he made a plan, took control, and fixed the situation. There was no judgment on his part. In fact, he treated the situation with love, care, and respect. He even planned a cute picnic on the slopes. I fell in love with him that day, and I will stay in love with him for these very reasons. Sid: I fell in love with Komal on our first date. She was passionately telling me her life story, what she's been through, the trials and tribulations she's had, and I was awed by her beauty, charisma, and resilience. I told myself that's my person. I was going to do everything in my power to make this relationship work -- no matter how hard she made it for me!