From Roti Promises to a Pangong Proposal: Batul And Husain’s Love Story Comes Full Circle

There’s nothing that warms your heart much like a real-life love story with a happily ever after. Batul and Husain had met when they were 10 years old through mutual friends in an Arabic learning class and then had joined the same college. 15 years later, their love has only gotten stronger over time. “I liked her for a long time, and she didn’t feel the same initially,” Husain recalled. “A serious long fight in our friendship ended with her admitting that she liked me too. That moment in 2017 marked the beginning of our relationship, and we haven’t looked back since.”

“One thing Husain’s darn good at is planning surprises,” Batul recalled Husain’s most romantic gestures that she loved and could never get over. A birthday surprise was something Batul least expected since it was the time of lockdown, but her 21st was made special. “Unfortunately, it was during lockdown, but he somehow managed to surprise me with the most wonderful celebration, making sure my day had everything that I love, along with my closest friends and family.”  An almost impossible thing to pull off, Batul believed, was made possible by Husain, and that was one of the romantic gestures for her. “Along with the other innumerable such gestures, it made me see how he’d just do anything to make me happy!”

Their proposal was nothing short of a dream. Husain popped the question against the backdrop of Pangong Lake, Ladakh. “I proposed to Batul in 2022,” Husain reminisced. “She had no idea. Under the guise of filming some reels for memories, I’d mentally prepped her a few months in advance.” Husain recalled setting up a tripod and dancing together with one of their favourite songs playing in the background. “Then I got down on one knee and proposed. It was freezing cold, and she was stunned. She said yes.” 

Recalling their families’ reaction to their relationship and their engagement later, the two shared that their families had been very supportive of their relationship and were very excited about the proposal.

When the couple began planning their wedding, they knew exactly what they wanted, and it most definitely was not a fancy, extravagant affair. “We wanted it to be more intimate and meaningful, having our most important people with us to celebrate our most important moments.” A personal affair, their wedding did not see any kind of culture clash, but the duo ensured to spend quality time together, which became their fun moments from their wedding. “Before the wedding, Batul and I made roti for each other,” Husain shared that it was a meaningful moment for the couple, a quiet promise to always share the loads of life equally. “No gender roles, just a small act that meant everything.”

It was not just the wedding that was extremely personal, but the couple’s wedding attire was also very personal and reflected their unique personalities. “Husain’s outfits came from designers like House of Rohit Doshi, Kora by Nilesh Mitesh and Harringbone and Sui. While I wore bespoke and curated pieces from Empress boutique, Vivah Surat, Encube Designers and more. Styling for all events was by Bibi Zeeba Miraie. Batul shared that their looks were particularly hand-picked to reflect their personalities instead of just following trends, and she looked forward to the versatility of their looks. “I love the fact that I had a different look and colour scheme for every function.” Batul’s wedding looks featured an Indo-western corset-palazzo saree for the Mehendi, while a very classical Maharaj-maharani Indian look for the majlis, and a soft, pink bridal look for the sarees. Her reception dress was a western bridal gown with a detached flare. “All vibing different was my go-to!”

While the couple looked forward to the Pannat ceremony- the process of the bride’s bidaai- they couldn’t bring themselves to name one single element or moment as the most special one. “If we’re being honest, we loved bits from every part of the wedding.” A simple, unconventional celebration, their wedding functions had a deep meaning within them, owing to their culture. “That is exactly what has stayed with us when we look back at our wedding,” the couple recollected.

And what is a wedding without a little behind-the-scenes to make it more memorable? “I did have a little mishap with my reception outfit,” Batul shared. “Every trial I went for, we knew something was off and just wasn’t adding up. It didn’t give the oomph factor that I wanted. So believe it or not, till the very last day we were working on my outfit and it’s safe to say the final product was ready just an hour before the reception!”

The wedding, captured and filmed by Plush affairs, taught the two that they were each other’s constants for all the years ahead of them. “No matter what comes our way, we will always find a way through as a team.”

“We’d like to tell all the couples out there who are planning for their wedding that there’ll be 100 things to worry about, 1000 complications, and tons of decisions to make. But as tough as it gets, don’t lose your peace, be calm and take one step at a time. The struggle is worth it,” the couple concluded.