The Meeting
Maulik’s perspective:
Our story began with a simple “😊.” Erika sent me a smiling emoji on Bumble—the dating app where women make the first move. Intrigued, I replied with a question to spark an interesting but low-pressure conversation: “What’s your favorite museum?” It turned out, we both loved museums and traveling, and our conversation flowed effortlessly from there. After a few days of chatting, I finally gathered the courage to ask her out. I still remember that first date vividly. It was a cool winter evening in Manhattan, and Erika looked stunning in an elegant black dress and coat. When I saw her waiting, I was so nervous I double-checked: “Hey, are you Erika?” She smiled, and we walked into the restaurant together.
Over the next two hours, we talked about everything—our careers, families, cultures, travels, and ambitions. There were plenty of laughs, but also those awkward silences that are inevitable on a first date. One moment, though, stood out: when I shared how hard it was to move away from my family in Alabama to build a life in New York City, Erika completely understood. She had done something similar, leaving her family in the Philippines and later DC to chase her own dreams. In that moment, I felt truly seen, and I knew she was someone special. When the date ended, I realized just how comfortable she made me feel—like someone I could open up to. I couldn’t wait to see her again.
Erika’s perspective:
“What’s your favorite museum?” Maulik asked his first question when we first connected on Bumble, and we quickly bonded over our shared love of travel. I told him about The National Gallery of Art in DC, my favorite then, and he talked about the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes a little—thinking, “Okay, show off.” He seemed cute in his photos, but nothing prepared me for how genuine, thoughtful, and better-looking (*wink*) he was in person. Our first date felt like coming home after a long day—warm, calm, and comforting, even amidst the Winter season and the chaotic hum of New York City. We lost track of time talking about everything from our careers to our dreams. Later, as I sat in the back of an Uber on my way home and gazed at the Manhattan skyline, I couldn’t help but smile and think, “That might just be my person.”
Funny enough, many of our milestones have been tied to museums since then. He asked me to be his girlfriend after a date at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Two months later, we had our first international trip—he took me to Paris to see the Musée d'Orsay, the very museum he’d mentioned so fondly when we first matched. Four years later, he brought me back to that same city, where he proposed. I guess he started it with the right question.
The Proposal
Erika’s perspective:
He surprised me with a trip to Paris and a photo shoot for our 2024 Valentine’s Day celebration. I had always joked that maybe he’d propose the next time we visited Paris or the Musée d'Orsay, so it felt like a sign. But I refused to get ahead of myself - a year earlier, we had gone to Amsterdam and did a couples photoshoot, but I came home with a perfect manicure without an engagement ring. So, I thought, “I’m not falling for that again. Maybe he just really thought the photoshoot idea was fun. I’ll just enjoy our trip like I always do.”
A few weeks before our Paris getaway, Maulik kept asking if I had found a dress for the trip. That was a dead giveaway— he doesn’t pay attention to fashion as much as I do and will always just say, “You look good in anything.” And while I’m very suspicious and I didn’t want to assume anything, I’m a type-A - I still packed my nicest dresses just in case.
On our first night in Paris, we visited the Arc de Triomphe, admired the city lights, and had a quiet dinner together. We woke up early for a photo shoot at the Trocadéro the following day. We were both a little nervous but excited. As the session was winding down, I started to have second thoughts: “I don’t think this is the day. The shoot is almost over, and it looks like it will rain.” Then, Kat, the photographer, asked me to turn around to face the Eiffel Tower for one last photo, and I did. A few seconds later, she asked me to turn my back toward the camera. And there it was - I saw Maulik on one knee, holding a ring and asking me to marry him. I didn’t even remember him opening the ring box, and I had no idea what the ring looked like until I said yes. It was perfect—beautiful, intimate, and so full of hope. It was gloomy, but my day never looked brighter.
Maulik’s perspective:
They say the third time’s the charm, and in my case, that couldn’t have been truer. It took three trips to Paris with Erika before I finally gathered the courage to ask her to marry me. Paris was a special place since it was also our first international trip together as a couple…back in July 2019! We even always joked that the next time we visited Paris, I’d probably put a ring on it! But after our 2nd visit (which was unplanned), I think I threw her off-guard. My bad!
Now, here’s how the proposal went down. I surprised her with a trip to Paris for Valentine's Day. Erika loves photography and taking pictures with cute outfits, so I thought a couples photoshoot would be a perfect way to keep things light and unsuspecting.
On the day of our photoshoot, another couple nearby had their proposal, complete with a violinist. I’ll admit, I got a little nervous seeing that. How was I supposed to top a violinist?! But in the end, it didn’t matter.
Right before our photoshoot ended, I took a deep breath and asked her to marry me. Our moment was ours—a private, intimate memory shared between us, standing on the Seine riverbank with the Eiffel Tower as our backdrop. There were no elaborate performances—just a quiet, intimate moment that felt like it was meant for us and no one else.
I think I managed to surprise her—or at least, she was nice enough to let me think so! Either way, it all worked out. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a single thing. It was perfectly us, and I can’t wait for the many more “perfectly us” moments.
