2020 -- Our journey began in the year of Covid, TikTok, and Tiger King. We met at an Indian themed pub in Chicago where Divit was too nervous to eat (classic), and we bonded over our culture, spirit of adventure, and sense of humor! Our dates were creative and fun. We cooked meals from different cultures, played endless rounds of Ludo and Backgammon (Tanaya won, duh), binged every single Marvel movie, and quoted obscure Arrested Development references. Somehow, Divit even convinced Tanaya to go on a 17+ hour roadtrip in a Toyota Corolla (shoutout to our chariot, the "Corollavirus" 🚗)! We took great joy in exploring our common interests and found ways to make a tough year memorable. 2021 -- As the world reopened, we put our passports to work. We devoured baklava in Turkey at midnight, ate orange cake on a coastal drive in Greece, danced with balloon hats in Mexico, and toasted "Nazdaroviya 🥂" in Kazakstan. Our adventures abroad solidified our passion for embracing the cultures around us. 2022 -- After a few months of fostering dogs, we expanded our crew with a PJ-wearing, smiling puppy named Whiskey (aka "Honey Bear 🐻", "Thick Neck the Destroyer 👹", and "Chicken 🍗"). She has been a key reminder to keep life lighthearted and playful! 2023 -- Continuing the tradition of long road trips, we took our biggest leap yet and moved our little family to the Golden State. After packing our truck to the brim, we (read: Divit) drove across the country from Chicago to San Francisco. A few months later, Divit set a plan in motion ✨✨✨✨

After months of trying to source a ring from Dubai, Divit finally put his masterplan into motion. It started weeks before the weekend of September 23rd. Divit had been not so subtly sending Tanaya pictures of hikes in Carmel, California - all to make her think that it was her idea to take a trip down to the coast. Little did she know everything was already booked 😈. The weekend of, it felt like that first date all over again. Everything had to be perfect. The universe had other plans (lol). The night before the big day, we arrived at our hotel only to spend the night awake because of Divit's snoring (somebody forgot their mouth guard 😤). The next morning, overcome by nervousness, Divit couldn't eat breakfast (again, classic). To make up for the previous night's symphony of snores, he bought Pumpkin Spice lattes after which we took off to Point Lobos for the fated hike. The entire drive there, the speech played in his head over and over again, only building on his nervousness. After arriving, Divit realized that he hadn't been on this hike before so he didn't know when or where he was going to propose. The criteria was simple; the view had to be memorable, no one should be around, and the speech had to be coherent. Barely five minutes into the hike (note: the trail head was still visible), he found the perfect spot. He reached into his pocket grasping subtly (or so he thought) at the plastic pouch (as opposed to a box) in which the ring sat. He encouraged Tanaya to walk ahead of him - suspicious 🤔. With one hand, he "skillfully" (in his words - to me it sounded like someone was opening a bag of Doritos) managed to unzip said pouch and whip out the ring. He got down on one knee, perfectly delivered his speech and she said "Yes!" 💍

Friends and family, here's the part where you come in. We are absolutely thrilled to host you in Dubai to celebrate our wedding. Your presence means the world to us, and we want to ensure your experience is as smooth and enjoyable as possible. In the next couple of tabs, you'll see information about events, RSVP and FAQs. As we get closer to the date, we will create Whatsapp groups for quicker Q&A and coordination. Looking forward to making unforgettable memories with all of you ❤️