DEVRAJ
The idea of engagement was far from foreign to us. We had been increasingly discussing plans for after her graduation and our life afterward. In a very Priya-esque fashion she already had a clear idea of which ring wanted and her criteria for the proposal: private, meaningful, and most importantly well-documented.
Planning a few months in advance I set the date for the day after she finished the hardest part of her clinical clerkships: April 22, 2017. The place would be Old Town Alexandria: the backdrop of some of our favorite dates, including our first. I made a scavenger hunt leading to the waterfront, and envisioned the sun shining over the Potomac River behind us.
PRIYA
Dev and I had known each other for 10 years, and both of us had become very comfortable with the idea of spending the rest of our lives together. I knew my family was already planning for a wedding, so I wasn’t completely unaware that a proposal would be happening sometime soon. However, I had been preoccupied with my clinical rotations, and was counting down the days until I would be done with surgery. When that day finally came, I was on my way to Old Town to meet Dev for brunch, and couldn’t help but notice how grey the skies were. Rain was on its way and a walk along the waterfront was probably out of question. But I wasn’t going to let that spoil my mood: I was just so happy to finally see Dev and spend some time outside of the hospital.
DEVRAJ
The weather was unfortunately the only factor I couldn’t control. I had been checking the forecast nonstop all week, hoping that the cloudy skies would clear. I woke up early on Saturday morning and made my way around Old Town, placing clues and roses at storefronts. Once everything was set up, I waited anxiously next to my burlap banner, rehearsing my lines, with the photographer nearby. It was only then that the rain started to fall. Only moments later, I received a frantic call from Priya, imploring me to reveal my location. It sounded like she had caught on to what was about to happen.
PRIYA
As soon as I received the first clue at the crepe shop, I knew today was going to be the day. I hadn’t anticipated running through Old Town in the rain, so I may have taken a shortcut. Nevertheless, I was so excited to find Dev by the waterfront, with a bouquet of roses and the most perfect ring. We spent the rest of the morning taking pictures in Old Town and going back for all the clues he had so thoughtfully written.
However, the excitement didn’t end there. I returned home to find my family and friends gathered for an engagement celebration. I was so taken aback by the number of people and the wonderful planning effort Dev and my loved ones had expended into making the day so memorable.