All great things begin with biryani.....
One midsummer night in 2017, DM, a mutual friend of both Kanwal and Shiraz, 'set up' a group dinner, seated Kanwal next to Shiraz, and tried to nudge them into having a conversation. Unsurprisingly, Kanwal was too distracted by the aromatic spices of a mouth-watering plate of succulent chicken and caramelized onions layered in between fluffy rice.
Thus the initial 'set up' on 28th and Lex at Chote Nawab in NYC did not go far.
Classic, Man
As summer rolled into fall, Shiraz and Kanwal's friend groups started to merge and the two began seeing a lot more of each other. When Yale Cancer Center's Closer to Free 100-mile bike race took place- Shiraz made his initial trip to New Haven. He played off his visit as a tribute to his love of biking and visiting his cousins Azzah & Bilal, but Azzah sensed perhaps there was something more to it and questioned why a New Yorker was willingly coming to New Haven.
Similarly, Kanwal's friends rolled their eyes when she randomly brought up Shiraz's impressive knowledge of history, shared love of good food, and how he helped her meet Jidenna. They questioned her profusely on why she was irritated he didn't offer to pay for an Almond brunch if she didn't see him as more than a friend.
In classic millennial fashion, both Shiraz & Kanwal denied their feelings to themselves, to each other, and to their friends and family....but eventually Shiraz bought Kanwal a piece of chocolate cake topped with ice cream, and the denial melted away, letting the truth spill out.
God's Plan
As Shiraz (who doesn't like sweets) joined Kanwal for dessert outings; and Kanwal (who doesn't like sports) joined Shiraz for bike rides and basketball outings, they spent more time getting to know each other and realized they had actually met prior to the 'set up" at Chote Nawab.
During the previous Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic tradition, on what was believed to be Laylat-al-Qadr, (The Night of Decree when blessings are plenty and prayers are accepted) both Kanwal and Shiraz had stayed up late praying. After prayers Kanwal joined her friends, at a local diner, to eat suhoor (breakfast before the sunrise) in order to prepare for the day's fast. While Kanwal was eating someone came over and paid her table's bill...but before she looked up to see who it was, the kind patron had already left.
As Kanwal and Shiraz prepared for Laylat-al-Qadr in 2018, Shiraz recalled going to prayers, eating suhoor at a local diner, and paying a table's bill to pay forward an act of kindness someone had once done for him. As he said this, the light-bulb went off for Kanwal and she excitedly realized that her kind patron had in-fact been, Shiraz.
In a World Apart
Fast-forward to a summer at a think tank where Kanwal and Shiraz were working on questions around fostering positive societal advancement....
.... Shiraz asked a specifically engaging question... to merge his and Kanwal's journeys into one beautiful life together, Inshallah.
"Give your heart and soul to me and life will always be, La Vie En Rose"