Our Story
Here is Our Story. It's not the only story that could be told about our relationship but it is one and it's the one we're telling now.
Our Story starts in May 2020, when we were connected by our friend, Alka. In introducing us, Alka made a risky bet that has paid off big-time; we're indebted to her for life. After getting Amruta's approval, Alka sent Sheel an email, asking if he was open to being set up with her former roommate. Sheel responded in under 3 minutes, saying: "100%; I've actually been interested in her since [meeting 3 years prior]! I got the sense that she's smart/funny/silly and obviously is cute :)." Like the effective VC he is, Sheel immediately knew there was a special opportunity before him and he was prepared to act quickly to secure it.
Because Sheel was traveling at the time, we spoke on the phone before we met in person. We chatted late into the night, punctuating our conversation with texted photos of our families and bonding over the things we had in common (Consulting in Chicago! The year we moved to SF! The fact that both of our fathers got PhDs in Chemical Engineering in Pittsburgh!).
Our first real date was a socially-distanced dinner in Sheel's backyard. He made Indian food and built a fire to keep us warm as Karl (the Fog) descended. After that night, two things lingered: (1) the smell of smoke on our jackets and (2) the sense that we wanted to see each other again.
And see each other we did! First in Cleveland and in Pittsburgh and then back in San Francisco. We became a couple and spent the pandemic alternating between Pearl Street and, well, wherever wifi connectivity would allow.
At home, we cooked together, with Amruta meticulously chopping vegetables and Sheel serving as family saucier (as Amruta's mom once said after tasting his food: "you'll never go hungry because he knows flavor"). We watched movies in 10-minute increments (Sheel's attention span before falling asleep). We pranked Rishi and laughed hard at jokes that were maybe only funny to us.
In our travels, we snorkeled with turtles in Akumal, getting close enough to see their expressions. We booked a "catamaran" on Diani Beach in Kenya before seeing its tattered bedsheet sail. (We rode on it anyway and had a great time.). And, of course, we spent weeks working from Mexico City, a place we love and are so excited to return to with all of you.
This is just a fraction of Our Story so far. But the best part is that it's also just the beginning. We can't wait to write the rest of it. As our closest friends and family, we're honored to have you as characters and co-authors. As one chapter closes and another begins, it's time to celebrate!