Lbsnaa ne bana di jodi

Ashwin B Rathod 

It is said that “First impression is the last impression” – not this time😅. We first met at the stairs that lead down from Happy valley to the 3 hostels around 6.30 pm and Amitha being Amitha wished me a “Helllooooooo Ashwin”with a very broad smile🥳 and me being me replied with a very straight faced “Hi” with a very gentle smile😅 .

 So it was not a “Love at first sight” love story it evolved very naturally over time. Slowly from the very next day we unintentionally started meeting at the home turf arranging two chairs and talking randomly about everything on this planet starting from our UPSC preparation days. Slowly and beautifully, it translated to going together to Karmshila mess for dinner together and after dinner spending the entire time speaking to each other at the passage that is left side of Ganga and Kaveri Hostel, we spoke about our journeys till LBSNAA and about our friends and our previous service and this continued only till we realized that it was too late and we had to get up for the morning activity the very next day.

 During Breakfast we hardly met as me being me would reach mess at about 35 mins before class to have a proper full tummy breakfast before class and she being she would rush in the mess at about 5 mins before class. She would hurriedly gather up whatever she could find and leave for class. Initially we spent our times with friends during classes and during tea breaks and lunch and rarely met during day. But eventually our bonding grew and we started to meet more frequently during the classes and all the breaks and during the Saturday treks. So, the transition as always was very organic and none of us forced each other to be with each other, it just happened !!!😊

 We had our quarrels and we found our ways to deal with it, we had the village visit and the Himalayan trek when we were in different groups which were a blessing in disguise where we eventually realized how much we missed being together and being together in LBSNAA. Soon after that we started spending more time realizing how short a time we have at the academy and thus went to parties outside at the Tavern and mall road. We also went out together on bike at many places spending more time together and realizing that we were in love❤️. Our Kevadia visit was a very fruitful visit as we got a lot of time together with each other and spending time outside together. Back at the academy, Amitha started to do more of her classes with me when she felt that she was in love with me and later she tried to give more of her time to me and being together. Our FC was thus a very fruitful one in terms of our relationship🥳😅.

 After FC before start of phase 1 we had a road trip to Amritsar, just two of us on a perfect visit to the Golden temple and taking the blessing of God together.

 She was with me till the start of Bharat Darshan and then as and when she could make it to places with me, she did join me to make the best of that time. One thing that I love about Amitha is that she always valued me more than anything and whenever she just felt like coming, she would just make it without thinking about anything else. Bharat Darshan was also the time when we decided to get engaged and thus finalized our EG date- 16th Feb it was to be, it was in Agatti Lakshadweep that we decided that date 🥰 and after the grand celebration on 16th we are now engaged and closer than ever 😍.