If I started today from where it all started, from where 'we' started, then we all are going to be sitting here for a long long time. As my dear mates and girlfriends know already how I love to tell each and every story without omitting the smallest of details....... so lets just do a quick recap.....

This story starts when I had just celebrated my 18th birthday in Nov and was the *bholi-bhaali* kudi like Juhi in QSQT. =)

Nov/early Dec 00 => Nupur visits Aarti's *friend* home as Aarti is helping Nupur and Ruchi *sister* to shop for gifts for the first trip back to India. Aarti mentions a family friend "Manpreet" who is a 'young 16 year old who works almost every night and goes to uni in the day'.

Dec 00 => Nupur meets Manpreet at Aarti's party. Manpreet is shy, just plays romantic Boyzone songs on the music system all evening. Nupur thinks, "He's a kid - probably just intimidated by me - better leave him alone".

mid Dec 00 => Nupur meets Manpreet at Aarti's again. Chats. Compliments Manpreet for being such a hardworking 16 year old. Manpreet is shocked!! He claims to be 18, becoming 19 in 2 months. OK. Continue chat. Manpreet insists that he'll show his passport next time as proof. OK. Continue chat. Manpreet still cant believe that Nupur had thought he was 16. OK. Continue chat. Manpreet will definately get his passport next time to show Nupur. OK - FINE. Nupur thinks, "What the....." *rolls her eyes*.

end Dec 00 => Manpreet helps Aarti, Ruchi and Nupur during shopping. He carries bags as the girls shop frantically during the Christmas/New Year Sale. All this time - he only gets a Nike cap with the "N" and Nupur foolishly exclaims, "Thats like 'N' in Nupur" and Manpreet smiles and nods knowingly! Nupur blushes and walks away.

early Jan 01 => Ruchi and Nupur fly to India. Ruchi gives Aarti and Manpreet a contact no. for India just incase.

mid Jan 01 => Nupur's friends come home to see her and giggle and catchup with all the goss that everyone has missed in the past months. Manpreet calls. Ruchi gives phone to Nupur, Nupur in her naïveté gives the phone to one of her girl friends - who just giggles on the phone. Manpreet says to them, "Look after *my* Nupur". They giggle some more.

12 Feb 01 => Ruchi and Nupur return to Aus. Nupur smses Manpreet from Sydney that she's coming. Manpreet comes with Gaurav Bhaiya *friend* to pick Ruchi and Nupur at the Melbourne Airport. On the drive home Manpreet confesses to Nupur that he missed her terribly. Nupur smiles and looks away.

13 Feb 01 evening => Ruchi and Nupur unpacking. Nupur in her room, with handsfree - talking to Manpreet. Talking about anything and everything. Clock strikes midnight. Manpreet pops the question. Nupur replies, "I don't know". Manpreet says that he wont hang up or let Nupur sleep till he gets an answer. They talk some more. The question again, and topic change and the circle continues. Around 5.30am (free talk time ends at 6am) Manpreet cant take it anymore. Manpreet wants an answer - NOW. Drowsy Nupur whispers "Yes". Manpreet happily hangs up and lets her sleep - plans of the day ahead already swimming in his mind.

19 Feb 01 => Nupur is afraid. She admits to Manpreet that they are culturally very different and they are very young and are just being naive and silly and it'll never work blah blah. Manpreet is heart broken and so is Nupur. They stop calling each other - day and night like they had been. Only Hi's and Hello's.

26 Feb 01 => Manpreet's birthday. He invites Ruchi and Nupur to his party. He greets Nupur with a heartbroken and gloomy face. They eye each other all evening. Manpreet takes Nupur to the beach behind his house and talks. He says it will all be okay - they will make things work - together.

end Feb 01 => Silent pact - Manpreet and Nupur will be *close* friends and will talk to their families once they are on their feet.

Jul 01 => Ruchi and Nupur move to a new place and Ruchi talk to Manpreet if he wants to be their housemate as he is looking for a place to stay as well. Manpreet is thrilled and agrees immediately. Ruchi and Nupur's parents in India, agree reluctantly only because they have spoken to Manpreet over a phone quite a few times and Ruchi claims that he is a great guy. Manpreet calls Nupur's Mom religiously once every fortnight, God knows what the two talk about.

Aug 01 onwards => Happy times. Bad times. Nupur and Manpreet find each others queer and annoying habbits. Laughter. Fights.

Dec/Jan 03 => Nupur goes on a study exchange to Washington DC and then visits Canada and England on her way back to Australia. Meets some long lost family friends that her parents insist she meet to help/guide her around the *foreign* countries. An *Aunty* in Leeds, UK, with a 25yr old son, particularly likes Nupur. She introduces Nupur to all her relatives/friends etc.

Feb 03 => Call from Nupur's Mom in the middle of the night. The *Aunty* from Leeds is visiting India the following month and she had some very excited conversations with Nupur's parents. Nupur's Mom asks her if she likes Leeds!! Nupur tells Manpreet - he panics. He calls Nupur's Mom and tells her his intentions. She laughs - she knew!

April 03 => Ruchi and Nupur go to India for Ruchi's wedding. Nupur returns to Australia and moves in with a girlfriend from her uni and Manpreet with his mates. Phone bills skyrocket again. Hard times. Strange times. Laughter. Fights.

early Nov 04 => Suraj *brother* is about to come to Australia. Nupur and Manpreet are excited. They decide to move back together like before except this time its Suraj instead of Ruchi.

Dec 04 => Suraj comes to Australia. Happy times. Hard times.

Early 05 => Manpreet and Nupur's families in India finally meet. *Fingers Crossed*!! All goes well. Only confusion is - where will the wedding be? Kanpur? or Ludhiana?

May 05 => Manpreet's cousin comes to Australia. House is now packed to capacity. Happy times. Hard times.

Late 05 => Ludhiana is chosen as the venue for the wedding with a function later in Kanpur as well. Wedding preparations in full swing!

1 Feb 06 => Manpreet flies back to India for the first time after coming to Australia in Nov 99.........

(TO BE CONTD..)