We had been talking to each other constantly for 6 months before the time came to finally see each other. Kennedy came to India on the 20th of Dec 97 and we were to meet on the 21st at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. I was so nervous the previous day and to make matters worse I had developed a skin irritation on my face. I cried, walked around the house zillions of time, thought of if’s and if not’s, then simply went blank the rest of the day. The next day mom and me went for the morning mass and I know she prayed very hard for me and Kenny, just like I did. Even though she had been the one to fiercely oppose the relationship in the beginning, I guess she intuitively knew that the one destined for me had finally arrived in my life. On the bus trip to Pune, I had tears streaming down my cheeks. What if he hated the way I looked, hated my hair, my figure, my skin.. my teeth? What if he hated the way I smiled, talked or even walked? I got off the bus and walked nervously to the church, looked around and.. he wasn't there! I waited outside for half an hour and then went inside the empty church and sat... and prayed. Maybe he saw me from afar and hated me and ran back home as fast as he could. Maybe he mistook another girl for me and took her home. Fifteen agonizing minutes later a breathless guy came rushing through the door and I almost died. I recognized him from the pictures and he from mine. Kennedy!!! The guy I’d fallen in love with without meeting, the guy who held my heart in his hands, the guy who at this moment looked like the very man of my dreams. He came over, smiled that wonderful shy smile of his and said he wanted to pray. We prayed together and then left.

We went out and walked.. wondering what to do next. We found a restaurant close by, went in, sat down and ordered coffee. We talked about his flight, his folks, my folks, everything but us. And finally I said, “Well?” And he gaped at me and asked me how I felt. I simply smiled and said, “Yes.” And then we just grinned at each other idiotically though I knew he was shaking just like I was. I felt breathless with excitement and wonder. We walked back to the church and on the way he pulled me out of the way of a passing cyclist. He swiftly took his hand back but later it kept creeping back to mine and mine kept holding onto his. In the church he took my hand and looked at the altar and put a  beautiful ring on my finger. It was the most touching moment of my life - I've never thanked God as much as I did a that precise moment for giving me Kennedy.

I called my mom then and told her that I was an engaged girl and the disbelief I heard on the other end is something I cannot recount. Anyway, we went over to his house and all the while we held hands and just yakked about everything under the sun. I met his folks with some trepidation which was wiped out after a while, when I felt them all warming towards me.

After lunch we left for my home. I was excited and wanted to show Kenny off to my family, let them experience the warmth I felt when I was with him. My aunt and uncle were there and the moment Kenny met my folks and I saw a smile on their faces I knew I'd found true happiness. Nothing gives more joy than have your family feel the same love for the person you have loved. I’d fallen in love with Kenny the first time I wrote to him and then, I fell in love with him at first sight that magical day.