Dear Maisha
This website will be an evolving archive of our story from my perspective. I'll do my best to keep it updated with new memories as we experience them. I hope you enjoy it.
Happy Valentine's Day ♥︎
From the day you rounded street corner, to our silly messages back and forth, to watching you sit with us in our home - every moment for the past month has felt like a blessing. Your sweet smile, your delicate voice, and your beautiful presence when we're together - it's a gift I'll never get enough of.
I can only hope to match your heart with my own. You've given me so much in such a short time, and while it feels like a debt of love I can never truly repay, I intend to spend every day trying - not because I have to, but because seeing you happy is the greatest reward I could ask for.
I started this project after our families met. I can only convey so much over text, and a little more when we're together, and not enough on the few sides of a card. The hope here is to share a little more of my perspective on our story as it unfolds.
Scroll down to walk through our story together - every moment that brought us here, as I remember them.
Forever Yours,
Noor
Our Journey
Where It All Began
I wait with bated breath, calling on all the passing knowledge I could recollect about proper etiquette, gripping my phone but resisting the urge to look at it, so you could see how stoic and gentlemanly I was. As soon as you rounded that corner and flipped your hair, everything went out the window. In front of me stood my bucket list.
Weather
45°F, clear skies
Location
An all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ restaurant in Bayside, Queens, featuring premium table-top grilling with unlimited meat, seafood, and traditional banchan in a trendy atmosphere with K-pop vibes.
Where It All Began
I wait with bated breath, calling on all the passing knowledge I could recollect about proper etiquette, gripping my phone but resisting the urge to look at it, so you could see how stoic and gentlemanly I was. As soon as you rounded that corner and flipped your hair, everything went out the window. In front of me stood my bucket list.
Weather
45°F, clear skies
Location
An all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ restaurant in Bayside, Queens, featuring premium table-top grilling with unlimited meat, seafood, and traditional banchan in a trendy atmosphere with K-pop vibes.
Weather
16°F, partly cloudy
Location
A historic food hall and shopping destination in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, housed in the former Nabisco factory where the Oreo was invented. Features diverse food vendors, specialty shops, and attracts 6 million visitors annually.
Chelsea Market
I spent two weeks painfully longing for the chance to be with you, for a chance to redeem myself from fumbling everything I realized I wanted to say on our first day, for the chance to experience you again - and it felt like a lifetime of waiting. I had a feeling that something was in the air with the way we've been texting within that time, but I just had to be sure. It turned out to be a perfect day.
Chelsea Market
I spent two weeks painfully longing for the chance to be with you, for a chance to redeem myself from fumbling everything I realized I wanted to say on our first day, for the chance to experience you again - and it felt like a lifetime of waiting. I had a feeling that something was in the air with the way we've been texting within that time, but I just had to be sure. It turned out to be a perfect day.
Weather
16°F, partly cloudy
Location
A historic food hall and shopping destination in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, housed in the former Nabisco factory where the Oreo was invented. Features diverse food vendors, specialty shops, and attracts 6 million visitors annually.
Work From (your) Home
Waiting for today was a shorter wait, but a painful wait nonetheless. It's a miracle this Monday was coming up and you had a day off, because it was the perfect setting to let you and your mom know that I was going to eat my words from our last get-together. I fell in love with you and I was going to make it abundantly clear that I'm not gonna let you go that easy. You're mine and I'm ready to fight the world to keep you.
Weather
25°F, clear skies
Location
Work From (your) Home
Waiting for today was a shorter wait, but a painful wait nonetheless. It's a miracle this Monday was coming up and you had a day off, because it was the perfect setting to let you and your mom know that I was going to eat my words from our last get-together. I fell in love with you and I was going to make it abundantly clear that I'm not gonna let you go that easy. You're mine and I'm ready to fight the world to keep you.
Weather
25°F, clear skies
Location
Weather
10°F, but felt like -6°F 🥶
Location
An upscale 21+ entertainment venue in Manhattan's Meatpacking District featuring two immersive 9-hole mini golf courses (Lodge & Museum themes), craft cocktails, a scratch kitchen, and a rooftop bar across five floors.
Minigolf and Beyond
Things are moving fast between our families, so days like this where we can slow down and appreciate each other's company are moments I cherish. This was also my first foray into minigolf after playing it virtually for a while. I'm glad neither of us kept score, but some of the shots you and I took? Amazing, but not as amazing as the experience of our families finally meeting each other. Everything fell into place.
Minigolf and Beyond
Things are moving fast between our families, so days like this where we can slow down and appreciate each other's company are moments I cherish. This was also my first foray into minigolf after playing it virtually for a while. I'm glad neither of us kept score, but some of the shots you and I took? Amazing, but not as amazing as the experience of our families finally meeting each other. Everything fell into place.
Weather
10°F, but felt like -6°F 🥶
Location
An upscale 21+ entertainment venue in Manhattan's Meatpacking District featuring two immersive 9-hole mini golf courses (Lodge & Museum themes), craft cocktails, a scratch kitchen, and a rooftop bar across five floors.
Lehenga
Meeting the elders was a humbling experience. Your mom's nervousness made me nervous about what we might be walking into. Against all expectations, today was a warm and welcoming experience. I loved conversing with everyone. Of course, you were the highlight of the evening. My favorite part of the night was being able to sit next to you for a while.
Weather
46°F, cool and breezy
Location
Lehenga
Meeting the elders was a humbling experience. Your mom's nervousness made me nervous about what we might be walking into. Against all expectations, today was a warm and welcoming experience. I loved conversing with everyone. Of course, you were the highlight of the evening. My favorite part of the night was being able to sit next to you for a while.
Weather
46°F, cool and breezy
Location
Weather
66°F, perfect weather
Location
Iftar
We have been planning for our 2 families to spend a night of enjoying iftar together, but like with the sudden blizzards and now with current events, the universe seems to be working against us. That didn't stop me from conquering that situation just to enjoy your company. And enjoy it, I did.
Iftar
We have been planning for our 2 families to spend a night of enjoying iftar together, but like with the sudden blizzards and now with current events, the universe seems to be working against us. That didn't stop me from conquering that situation just to enjoy your company. And enjoy it, I did.
Weather
66°F, perfect weather
Location
The Engagement
I've grown up fantasizing about how I'd propose, I've imagined different scenarios after meeting you, but the experience I went through today didn't fit into any of these molds I've concocted in my mind. It was better than I could've imagined.
Weather
58°F, another perfect day
Location
The Engagement
I've grown up fantasizing about how I'd propose, I've imagined different scenarios after meeting you, but the experience I went through today didn't fit into any of these molds I've concocted in my mind. It was better than I could've imagined.
Weather
58°F, another perfect day
Location
Weather
76°F and somehow chilly
Location
A historic Brooklyn waterfront neighborhood best known for its sandy Atlantic Ocean beach, lively boardwalk, vintage amusement parks, and classic New York snacks like Nathan's Famous hot dogs, drawing locals and tourists for over a century.
Beach Picnic
A little over a week of planning, shopping, hinting, I appreciated the opportunity to throw us a picnic in the sand. It was such a good time, but we probably could've done without the sand part. Open this up to find out what else I discovered.
Beach Picnic
A little over a week of planning, shopping, hinting, I appreciated the opportunity to throw us a picnic in the sand. It was such a good time, but we probably could've done without the sand part. Open this up to find out what else I discovered.
Weather
76°F and somehow chilly
Location
A historic Brooklyn waterfront neighborhood best known for its sandy Atlantic Ocean beach, lively boardwalk, vintage amusement parks, and classic New York snacks like Nathan's Famous hot dogs, drawing locals and tourists for over a century.