After a tiresome first half at work, I opened LinkedIn to see what my connections were up to. I saw 4 messages waiting to be read in my inbox. The first 2 were sponsored, so I skipped them. The 3rd message was from a cute man called Akash Shah. His profile tag says, "Open to work," and his message says, "Hey Sudakshina, I found your post in the startup investor's group. I've always dreamt of building a cafe based on the old-school Bollywood romance theme. I believe you're a millennial too. Just hear me out once, and if nothing works, I'll prepare a delicious cheesecake for you. Then you'll know my potential as a chef. Hope to hear from you soon. Regards, Akash Shah "
That was a brief about my first encounter with my current husband, Akash, 3 years ago, in 2022. Now here are a few lines about me. I'm an angel investor. Since my startup idea failed, I decided to support the newbies struggling to fund their startups. I was 38 when I met Akash: single & never married, overdue for marriage, a true workaholic, logical, sensible, unwilling to compromise on my level of comfort, a part-time influencer, and the content head of an MNC.
I paused. It's going to be a long interview, isn't it? Yes, it is, said Neelam, the reporter from What's Unique Media. Well, I should get us some coffee then. Even before I finished, Aki came to our table with a flask and two cups. Akash Sir, you're also needed to join us; I have questions for you as well. Said Neelam. "Sure, sure, let me check on my customers first, brb."
Sipping on the coffee, Neelam asked me, "So how many years of age gap are there? How did your relatives or parents react to knowing about it?"
Akash is 5 years and 2 months younger than me, to be exact. And my relatives, they visit our cafe every now and then. 3 years ago they thoroughly criticized my decision to marry an unemployed, younger man. Some even felt such anti-social steps would lead us all to apocalypse. Lol.
"This is interesting! Would love to hear how the marriage happened and how you convinced your parents on both sides and the inception of Jab We Met – the millennial cafe?"
So, I received that message from Akash in February 2022. I was desperately looking for marriage then, at the same time my old-school soul searched for love, like those in 90s Bollywood movies. I was dead against arranged marriage, and nobody was falling in love with me. It was such a dilemma for me. Also, my parents were aging; I needed a life partner who could come and stay with us often and cook for us. I'm very basic at cooking, and my work schedules don't give me the time or energy to cook full-course meals. So you understand how messy my needs were – a love marriage with a man who's willing to live in my house post-marriage and cook for us. Honestly, for society, even thinking of it was a sin.
Akash's startup idea seemed promising; he was just like the kind of man I dreamt of. He's a one-woman man, unlike some married men these days who pretend to be single on dating and marriage apps. They don't have to wear any symbols of marriage; hence, it's easy for them to deceive women.
Akash had this 90s soul in him that still believed in finding a soulmate, a true love, that would stick with him through thick and thin. After exchanging a few LinkedIn texts, we took it to WhatsApp. I got to know more about him.
He was staying in Delhi then, with his parents and elder brother. His elder brother Gagan was a civil engineer, and the family respected him for that. He was married to a homely girl from Kanpur. Akash's parents wanted a similar future for Akash: a reputable career and a docile housewife after marriage. But Akash was different; he pursued his bachelor's in hospitality management from a well-known college and always wanted to become something unique, a food critic, a chef, or a cafe owner. His family never supported his ambitions; those were too "girly" for them. They hardly noticed that India's greatest chefs were all men and that cooking is a life skill, not a gender-based skill. As a result, Akash grew distant from his family since his college days. He was in search of love and a career; he got some offbeat jobs as a pizza delivery person and a cook at a local restaurant. He saved some money from those jobs and was eagerly looking for some investors to trust him and his visions. Luckily, he crossed paths with me.
The more we talked, the more I fell for him. His philosophy of life, his recipes, his liberal thinking, and his kindness towards the orphans – they dragged me towards Akash, the human in him. On top of all that, he looked divine. That charming smile, the beard, his piercing gaze, and the tattoos – I was drawn to him like a moth being drawn to light.
In April 2022, I flew to Delhi to meet Akash. He arrived at the airport on his scooter to pick me up. That first hug, so tight, so warm, I was melting in his arms. Although we talked for so long, we never got into any deep romantic conversation. It was mostly about work. But often, he would flirt with me, complimenting my eyes, my dressing sense, and my confidence. He even read my poetry and realized the pain inflicted upon me by my ex. He showed sympathy and said, "I'll be there whenever you need me." I ignored that, thinking he's saying it because I was going to fund his startup. But that day, the long hug made me realize I needed him more than I imagined.
Anyway, he dropped me at my hotel and promised to meet me in the evening at a coffee shop in Dwarka. We met, and we kissed. We had long chats, giggles, hugs, and more kisses.
The next day, I directly approached him with this offer: "Marry me, Akash, and come stay with me in Kolkata. I know your financial struggles; I know you're unemployed; I know your dreams are unique, but there's a reason why destiny made us meet. I'll take care of your financial needs. And all my emotional needs, just have one solution, and that's you. I don't want to drag it further; I feel a connection with you, and although you're younger than me, I think I've fallen in love with you."
After sending that long paragraph, I waited for his response. Instead, I received a bouquet delivered to my hotel room with a note, 'Pick you up at 8.' No messages, no calls, just a note. I was skeptical. What's wrong? Or was I overthinking?
"Neelam, do you want a refill?" I interrupted.
"No, ma'am, it's ok. Your story completely glued me. Please carry on."
"But I need another cup." Saying that, I went on to the counter where Akash was attending to the customers.
"Can I get a latte, please? The usual?" I playfully winked at him. He kissed me and said,
"You'll get it on your table soon." "But I want you to join me in the interview; I've been blabbering for almost an hour now." "Ok, hun, I'll join you shortly."
I came back to my table with my sweetheart; this time, a staff member delivered the coffee on my table. "Now we can resume; let Akash take the lead." "Up to where have you been told?"
"12th April, receiving the bouquet."
“Ok, after that I went to pick her up from her hotel. That day I had a terrible fight with my dad. He was just not ready to accept that I had fallen for an older woman who was more successful than me. My point was that marriage is a partnership; it's a way of supporting each other. It doesn't matter which gender meets which needs. As long as two people are willing to give it a try, why does society get offended? Infosys founder Narayana Murthy initially had no money to fund his startup, his wife was already employed then. She helped her. When the legendary actor Pankaj Tripathi was looking for a career in Mumbai, his wife took care of all the expenses. The famous entrepreneur, Ganesh Balakrishnan, openly accepted that his wife earns and he spends. There’s no shame in it, because the institution of marriage is based on this exact concept of partnership. Anyone can earn, anyone can cook, ultimately two people should be happy with each other.
That evening, I bought a silver ring; I couldn't afford a gold or diamond ring. I had no idea what her finger size was; still, I dared to arrange for a proper proposal with a bottle of champagne. She showed up in a green t-shirt and faded jeans. Absolutely not a date-wear, let alone a marriage-proposal wear."
Incessant laughter poured in as well as the rains outside. The background song, "Are re are yeh kya hua", played at the cafe, set the correct mood for narrating such an incredible love story. Akash quickly recalled how the liking for millennial-era Bollywood music was our common factor, and he proposed to me that evening for marriage, singing, "Tumse hi din hota hai" from Jab We Met. "She cried and cried wearing the silver ring; I don't know still if the tears were because of the inexpensive ring," Akash tried to crack a joke, but I made a meh face.
Then Akash described his first few months at sasural, after marriage. "Being a man, I felt so uncomfortable amongst a house full of strangers; imagine what girls go through after going to a new house. They get their periods; sometimes their clothes get stained, & they have to dispose of the pads properly; they wash their inner garments and look for places to hide them while drying; they get mood swings every month, but nobody cares; they're bound to make breakfast for all. Adding to that, their pervert uncles-in-law look for chances to peek at their cleavage; the domestic violence, and marital rape – I wonder why the rule is against women? They're physically delicate, right? Why are they asked to leave their homes?"
Neelam was taking notes while I was staring in admiration at my husband. He really is a gem of a human. I'm so lucky to have him as my life partner. I slowly placed my hand on his hands. He looked at me and said, "But this girl right here, she was always there for me. Her parents were having liberal thoughts about our pairing; however, at times, my pop-in-law felt embarrassed about me being unemployed."
"Akash's dream project was mine too since we were married. I strictly told my parents not to bother him, and he cooked sumptuous meals every time something controversial popped up regarding our union. My relatives and neighbors couldn't stop shaming me for everything. We turned deaf ears to all of that, and the day we inaugurated Jab We Met, they all shut their mouths. This is a 3-month-old baby. It still needs a lot of work and money. We both are doing our best to make ends meet. I'm not going to back off, no matter what. This is my way of showing love and dedication to the man of my life."
"Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. This is going to blow up the internet. You two have set the bar so high. Hope you have a bright future. Okay, I forgot to ask, what's so special about the Jab We Met cafe? I mean the USP," asked Neelam.
Akash replied, "Upon entering the cafe, you leave all your situationship, ghosting, mind games, manipulation, cheating, two-timing, love bombing, and breadcrumbing instincts outside. You're welcome to a brand new chapter of traditional love, where two souls sit close to each other while we play romantic numbers from Bollywood movies, especially focusing on the millennial era. You can see the wall graffiti, all based on Bollywood romantic scenes. There's SRK welcoming you all with his open arms in his signature style. We have a live music option as well. We organize games to bring the couples closer. The menu includes food items named after Bollywood movies and songs. Here you see Ashiqui; it's a cocktail made with apple juice, a bit of lime, basil leaves, vodka, and chili powder. Do follow us on Instagram, and you'll get all the updates there." Neelam smiled and said, "I'd like to try a Karan Arjun."
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