With so much depressive stuff around and about, we thought it would be good to focus on some nice love stories from around the world. This one is by JAYA SINGH. If you also have a story to tell, please get in touch – we’d ‘love’ to share it!
Jaya and Himanshu
As I sat to write about Himanshu and me, a rush of emotions swept over me. How do you capture decades of laughter, lessons and life in mere words? Himanshu and I have been many versions of ourselves over the years – classmates, best friends, soulmates, co-dreamers and partners in the joyful chaos of raising a child.
What we share today wasn’t sparked in a moment of fluttering hearts but slowly kindled over years of shared spaces, meaningful conversations and the gentle unfolding of trust and understanding.
I joined his school in Year 9, a transplant from boarding school life into what felt like a parallel universe. This small town was charming but also slightly obsessed with what people were wearing, saying, doing and, most importantly, who they were smiling at. I, on the other hand, had no such filters. I smiled at everyone. That was revolutionary behaviour. My ability to hold a conversation without combusting was seen as scandalously modern. A simple “hi” from me could launch a boy straight into writing our wedding guest list.
And then came Himanshu.
He cracked jokes in class that made me laugh. I’m someone who rarely laughs at the best of jokes. However, his humour wasn’t just funny, it was smart. We were nothing more than distant classmates. He was busy being the academic prodigy and I was busy being unintentionally dramatic.
It took years of interactions, group projects and school events for anything resembling a real connection to start forming. By the time we realised there was something special between us, school was over. Himanshu and I found ourselves in different corners of the country, chasing degrees and dreams. There were no cell phones; no texting. Just long-distance silence, occasionally broken by “Hello? Can you hear me?” on an STD booth line with a man outside banging the door because your three minutes were up.
College was fast. New faces, new friends, new-found freedom. We were busy making memories and questionable relationship choices. Life was moving forward, as it should in your twenties. We weren’t in touch much, but whenever we did make contact, it was like slipping back into the most comfortable old hoodie – familiar and warm.
And here’s the truth I wish more people talked about. It’s very important to date, to meet people, to try, fail, fall and figure it out before you decide to settle down. We both had our share of stories, some funny, some painful, all necessary.
And once we entered the real world as wiser and weathered people, that’s when we knew that what we had was special and we were ready to commit to it for life and ring the wedding bell.
Just then, life with all its unpredictable cruelty threw us a curveball, which I still struggle to fully put into words.
My father passed away a week before my wedding.
Losing a parent is never easy. But losing one right before a major life milestone feels especially cruel. Himanshu was my anchor through it all. In the middle of ceremonies and condolences, of tears and traditions, he stood beside me not just as a fiancé but as a partner in the truest sense.
Over the years, Himanshu has thrived in his career in the oil and gas industry and I’ve juggled corporate jobs, explored my fascination with astrology, ventured into teaching, and recently taken the plunge as a novice writer. Life has truly come full circle. We are parents to a handsome boy who now towers over us with teenage sarcasm and charm. And as I watch my son becoming the person he’s meant to be, I see flashes of teenage Himanshu in him – his wit, his quick comebacks, the same mischievous spark in his eyes.
Maybe, just maybe, one day, some Jaya will be swept away by his humour, just as I was and is smitten by his dimpled smile. I don’t care whether he finds this love at age fourteen or forty but I do wish with all my heart that he does. A love that withstands time and challenges, and a life as fulfilling and beautiful as the one Himanshu and I have built together.
So, yes, ours wasn’t love at first sight.
It was love after life happened.
And it’s still happening, every single day.
About the Writer
Jaya Singh is originally from India and now lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She describes herself as “a mechanical engineer by mind, astrologer by stars, author by passion, philanthropist by heart and a soul dancing through lifetimes, writing my love story, one constellation at a time.”
Enjoyed reading this and keen to write about your own love story? We’d love to hear from you, wherever you’re reading Expat Living from. Just email us at editorial@expatliving.sg.
