Studio 31 - Magic beneath the moonlight

We all adore love stories - there's no right or wrong when it comes to someone's love story. I, on the other hand, absolutely love writing about them - especially stories that remind me of the foreign words I've gotten acquainted with. Using these words from my vocabulary delights me. So, when I listened to Sneha and Arun's adorable story, the word 'Yuanfen' popped into my head with no prompt at all.

Yuanfen is more of a concept, originating from Chinese and Vietnamese societies. It means the fate, chance or binding force that brings two people together. The word Yuanfen can be used for personal relationships, mostly romantic love but also friendship. It translates to "fateful coincidence" or "destiny, luck as conditioned by one's past". It's a gorgeous word which indicates that destiny brings two people together just because them spending their lives together is already in place. The fact that a word can indicate two people getting together as an eventuality sends a chill down my spine in the best way possible - it shows us all that, at times, our lives are a part of something bigger, greater.

Sneha and Arun met each other through a mutual friend in the city that never sleeps, New York. Their lives had no reason to cross - they lived over six hours away from each other in their motherland. Once they met each other for the first time, they couldn't stop thinking about each other. It wasn't love, of course, they knew nothing about each other at that point. But they couldn't get each other off their heads.

The second time just confirmed their already existing inquisitiveness. They didn't know why and neither of them could articulate the connection between them. So, they decided to pursue this potential relationship and went with their gut. They got the chance to meet frequently and both of them took every opportunity that came their way.

But Arun realized that their feelings went beyond just friendship - at least his. He wanted to confess his feelings to Sneha but he didn't want to scare her away by moving too fast. But at the same time, he didn't want to hide his love. Time went by, and all time did was assure Arun about his feelings for her. So, during one of their frequent meetings at the Exchange Place in Downtown Jersey City, one of the most gorgeous places in the USA, he confessed his feelings to her. But Arun, ever the gentleman, didn't push her for an answer. He let her think it over, marinate his confession and arrive at an answer all by herself.

Sneha says while she was skeptical about sharing her feelings, it was only because of the reluctance she had in getting into a relationship. She says she was never confused about her feelings for him. Sneha talks about her girl gang - who have got her back since they've met. She's a big believer in sisterhood and her friends for life stood by her side and helped her realize how this was a risk worth taking.

So, after a few months, when Arun asked Sneha, at their favorite Exchange Place during one of their regular meet-ups, if she has an answer for him now, all she had to say was, "Well, I thought it was obvious that I was in love with you too". After months of being together, Arun asked her out on an impromptu date at the most gorgeous place in the City of New York with a breathtaking view of the skyline, he popped the question to her. She says that she felt the magic standing beneath the moonlight with a view to kill for and all she could think of was how lucky and cherished she felt at that moment. And quite literally, the rest was history.

Sneha had come back to India for her summer break. One morning, she was surprised to be woken up by Arun who had flown in to surprise her. She gushes about how she never thought that she'd be so overwhelmed by romantic gestures like these. Once he had come back, they had no reason to wait and wanted to start the rest of their lives together.

Sneha and Arun got married in the city of Chennai. We are so glad to have been a part of their wedding and I could not be happier for having heard their gorgeous meant-to-be loud story.

Studio 31 wishes this lovely couple a lifetime of happiness!

Wedding