Our Story
Her Story
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I was running late (to no one’s surprise) to my first-ever musical rehearsal the day I met Garth. I managed to skid into my seat after everyone had already sat down and opened their scores, so I didn’t lay eyes on him until the break. I was talking to the few girls I knew from Wellington Girls when I heard a shout and a laugh behind me and I turned around to see a scrawny, sixteen year old, helmet-haired, Garth being piggy-backed around the school hall.
Maybe that’s when I started to fall for him, watching him goof around. Or it might have been a few rehearsals in when I first heard him sing. Maybe it was when he agreed to play my stupid ‘20 Questions’ game to figure out who in the cast each other liked (I still remember being extremely jealous of the girl I thought it was). Maybe I started to fall in love with him the night we lay in the tiny plastic tunnel of the Frank Kitts Playground talking about our hopes and fears until the sun went down.
When Garth asked me out, during the middle of the show run, I remember not being able to wipe the biggest grin off my face, and that’s the beginning (and a very good place to start) of us - “Gindia” - a name shouted to the rooftops the moment I ran back to the girl’s dressing room and announced that not only had I officially become Garth’s girlfriend but that we had shared our first kiss.
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Our stubbornness, combined with strong teenage-angst and a rather unhealthy obsession with each other, led us through a tumultuous ‘early years’ album I can only describe as passionate but stupid. I said ‘I love you’ way too fast and he didn’t hesitate to respond in kind, but we fought like you wouldn’t believe (except for those select few who may remember - and to you, we’re so grateful you’ve stuck around).
Between breaking up and getting back together, it’s a wonder we had any time for school, friends, and other partners along the way. But despite the trials, we never gave up on each other. I’ve always known deep down that Garth was “the one”, and so I never gave up hoping and trying and growing and learning for him. I’m so grateful he never gave up learning and growing with me.
In 2019 the unthinkable happened and we had to find a way to grieve together. Garth began counselling in 2021 and shortly after I started on my own journey. Understanding ourselves made understanding each other so much easier. We had been together for so many years but it was then that we found the last pieces to our puzzle and learned how to be 100% vulnerable and trusting with each other.
I found my best friend in 2012, I have watched him change and grow and change again, and I have fallen in love with each version I have seen.
I couldn’t wait to tell him I liked him, I didn’t wait to tell him I loved him, and I cannot wait to finally call him my husband.
His Story
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Meeting the love of your life hopefully only happens once. When I first met India, we were in a group talking at the first rehearsal of the 2012 Wellington College production of Chess the Musical. I can’t remember the topic of the conversation but I knew I wanted to know more about the interesting girl sitting opposite the circle from me.
During the rehearsal period I learned that she must have found me interesting too because we hung out a bunch of times, playing Minecraft and board games together. Somewhere along the line, I fell for India. I don’t remember the exact moment but I remember nerves in the lead up to the show not being for the show. One night during Tech week, we went to see Men in Black 3 together (I know.) and afterwards walked along the Wellington waterfront to Frank Kitt’s Park. We sat in the playground together and talked about life, death and the universe as edgy teenagers do.
On the bus home from the (not) date, we decided to play a game; guessing who the other liked in the cast. Neither of us dared to guess correctly, but India forgot her iPod touch in my bag and I was given the brilliant idea to leave a note on it. After choosing the words “Will you go on a date with me sometime? <3” I had to wait three whole days for the opportunity to give it back to her.
Half-time opening night (Wednesday 27 June 2012) and I gave India back her iPod. She didn’t think to open it (we weren’t all completely dependent on iPod touches) so I suggested she check her temple run score (again, I know). She opened the iPod to the message and immediately said yes, we kissed and the rest is history, except it’s not.
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Meeting the love of your life happens more than once. When India and I first started dating we were very intense. We had a lot of love, a lot of dates, a few fights and a couple of break ups but I always knew we would be back together sooner or later.
Our early relationship was where I learned what love and wanting to be with one person felt like. We started living together in 2016 and no matter what happened each year, we were a team and always felt like it.
When mum passed in 2019, I began going to therapy. There I learned more about myself, emotional regulation and conflict resolution. The work done there started taking the relationship from strength to strength.
Meeting the love of your life happens every day as you grow old together. India is a vastly different person from the day I met her and she only keeps getting more interesting. I was ready to marry her years ago, but knew it was time to ask in 2023 when she mentioned she felt like she was ready to get engaged.
I am so excited to marry this woman and can’t wait to share this day with our loved ones.