Aakash and I were friends who had met while working for the same company. Although there was an obvious mutual attraction between the two of us, we had not yet taken the step toward dating. One night while talking on the patio of his apartment complex after an evening out with friends, we noticed a Bobcat parked outside. The Bobcat was left at the construction site of a bike path being built behind the apartment complex. Seeing the Bobcat sitting alone amidst the construction, the same crazy idea popped into our heads "let’s take the Bobcat for a spin!"
We climbed into the Bobcat, and after much trying, only succeeded in getting the lights turned on. Although we were unsuccessful in our attempts to hijack the Bobcat, just sitting there together talking and holding hands was an experience that brought us much closer together. We saw in each other a shared sense of adventure and spirit. The Bobcat became a turning point in our relationship that led us to dating.
Throughout 3 and 1/2 years of dating, that Bobcat lived on as a symbol of the crazy, adventuresome passion we bring out in each other. Little did I know that Bobcat would take us into a new chapter of our lives.
On Aakash’s birthday this past year, we had plans to celebrate with his family. Aakash shares his birthday with his grandmother (Nanima) who would be turning 80 that year. Before heading to his family’s place for dinner and celebration, we went for a quick game of disc golf at a local park. While leaving the park, we both noticed a Bobcat sitting in the parking lot, just waiting for a hijacking.
Around 10:30 that night, after a wonderful evening with his family, Aakash and I decided to head back home. While driving home, Aakash suggested we go "check out that Bobcat". We headed back to the park, and sure enough, the Bobcat was still sitting in the same spot. With no one else in sight, we moved in for the kill. We crawled into the cab of the Bobcat and searched around for a key. Sure enough, inside a magnetic key box hidden in the Bobcat was a key! We got the Bobcat started and took it for a spin around the parking lot. I was really surprised at how quickly Aakash had figured out how to drive it – little did I know he had some training in advance.
After a while of cruising around the park in our new toy, we stopped, and Aakash got out to take my picture. After taking my picture, with me still sitting in the cab, Aakash said "Before I come back in, there’s something I have to ask you." He crawled into the bucket of the Bobcat and asked, "Will you marry me?" He went on to say "We started the first phase of our lives together in one of these, how about starting the next phase with me here as well?" Aakash pulled out of his pocket a beautiful diamond set in a band he had fashioned himself out of steel and aluminum wiring.
Susan Herbst,
Rochester Hills, MI
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