A letter to Mallika and Krishn…

From the very first moment we met, I knew our connection was something extraordinary, and that I had loved you in many previous lifetimes. From our earliest conversations, I immediately felt a deep sense of safety with you and felt so truly seen in a way I never felt before. You see me at my best and my worst, yet you love me unconditionally and quietly make immense personal sacrifices simply to propel me towards a better version of myself.

I want to say how grateful I am to have you as my child. You have brought so much happiness into our lives, and I'm honoured to witness the incredible man you have become. Your kindness, compassion, and unwavering determination inspires everyone around you.

To Mallika, my beautiful daughter queen, from the moment I met you five and a half years ago, I knew that you were the missing piece to complete our puzzle. You bring an extraordinary light into our lives. There is something truly special about Krishn and his beautiful bride Mallika; your kindness, grace, and infectious smile have captured our hearts, and I'm grateful to have you as our daughter.

We're going to go to God and ask three things for both of you: long life, comforts of life, and a life filled with bliss. Each mantra I'm going to start with God's name: Om. Hindu, long life, Hindu free from sorrow, suffering, and pain, Hindu filled with bliss.

In some ways, I felt like we've been married since we first met on that wintry day in Toronto, like we've been together in lifetimes past and are rediscovering each other again. Things have always felt suspiciously easy and always worked out for the best in the end, like pieces of a puzzle fitting together. I'm genuinely so, so excited to chart the course for the rest of our lives together while staying true to our shared values of service and adventure. We've pushed each other to grow as individuals, and together we are unstoppable. I am confident that we can achieve anything we set our hearts and minds to. I could not dream of a better life partner or a better way to kick off our marriage. I love you.

Ladies and gentlemen, Mallika and Krishn Ramesh.

They say you can't pick your family, but you can pick your friends, but honestly, I'd have to disagree with that statement. If you're lucky enough, you'll have a once-in-a-lifetime friend that becomes the family that you've gotten to choose. You two are perfect for each other; you guys are a jigsaw puzzle, and your complementing personalities are that no computer software could ever make. I'm so honoured and grateful to have both of you in my life for the rest of my life.

When we think of Mallika, words fail to capture her true essence. She possesses an unbelievable humility that radiates from within her. Her patience is a virtue that astounds all of us, and her presence in our life is the greatest gift that God could ever bestow upon our family. Krishn has been a pillar of strength and encouragement for Mallika. Krishn was living in Seattle, and Mallika was studying for medical school. Krishn would call my sister every day, and they would practice for hours and hours, and if it wasn't for that support, they would not have the love that they have today.

Krishn, today I'm very proud of you to see you as a responsible, caring person, and seeing you with Mallika is nothing short of heartwarming. I wish you both the best of everything in your life together; don't forget to communicate, laugh, and to love each other.

Krishn, my brother, my partner in crime, and my closest friend. I'm filled with emotions as I stand here today watching you embark on this incredible journey of marriage. Your unwavering determination, kind heart, and infectious spirit have inspired me in more ways than you can imagine. Mallika has brought an incredible light into your life, and it's evident in the way you look at each other, the way you support one another, and the way you bring out the best in each other. And how could I want any more than that for my big brother?

My greatest stroke of luck was meeting you. I knew very early on during our Toronto dates that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. You have made me a kinder, more thoughtful, and selfless person. You have pushed me to fulfill my potential. Together we are so damn formidable and can do anything we want in this world. I promise to always have your back, to always be by your side, and to always love you fully and unconditionally.

You are my soulmate, my truest love, my best friend, my other half, and I'm yours in this life, in all lifetimes to come.

I love you now and forever, your hubby, Krishn.

I love you.

I could recognize you by touch alone, by smell, unspoken, unseen, unheard, by the way your breaths come and your feet strike the earth. I would know you in another lifetime entirely, in different bodies, in different times, and I would love you in all of this until the very last star in the sky burnt out into oblivion.