OUR STORY

The Meeting

By Lindsay

I was just promoted to be a new Team Lead (Manager), stepping into a world that felt both exciting and overwhelming. During my training, I had the chance to shadow the seasoned Team Leads, learning the ins and outs of the job. One week, we were paired with a man I had only ever heard of in passing – Gagan Preet Singh. Our interactions were remote, just voices and animated profile pictures, but I couldn’t help but be intrigued by the calm confidence in his voice. I was still getting my bearings, managing my own team and navigating these remote shadowing sessions, but I found myself listening intently when Gagan spoke. There was something about his knowledge and quiet demeanor that drew me in.

Then, everything changed. We were told we would all be transitioning back to the office full-time. I was nervous about the shift but optimistic, unsure of what to expect, but knowing that good things were waiting on the other side. On my first day at the office, I was introduced to several managers – and there, standing before me, was Gagan. The same voice I had become familiar with now stood in front of me, even more captivating in person. He was confident, cool, and well-respected – a presence I couldn’t help but admire. I was intimidated, unsure how to approach him, unsure if I was even worthy of his attention.

As the weeks passed, I grew more comfortable in the office, began to make friends, and started joining the lunch table conversations. Gagan, however, always seemed to slip away during lunch. When I asked him why, he’d casually mention he was fasting, but it didn’t take long for him to complain about being hungry. I knew that was my moment. I began bringing him little snacks, things he had never tried before – Cadbury Mini Eggs, Goldfish crackers, anything to tempt him. Soon, it wasn’t just snacks. It turned into me bringing two lunches every day, and eventually, we’d go out together for quick lunches at places like Burger King, McDonald's, or the Polo Park Mall Food Court.

Over those meals, our conversations deepened. We began to talk about everything – movies, music, food, our families, our faith. It wasn’t long before those lunch breaks turned into long drives after work, sipping Tim Hortons tea and munching on donuts as we drove aimlessly, not wanting the moments to end. Before long, we’d find ourselves calling each other at night, just to hear each other's voice, the connection growing stronger with every conversation.

Then, one evening, Gagan, with a hesitant smile, finally confessed that he liked me more than just a friend. My heart raced with excitement as I told him that I felt the same. That moment marked the beginning of something beautiful. The rest, as they say, is history.

The Proposal

By Gagan

We decided to go camping at Falcon Lake for the weekend, and honestly, it was perfect. The day was all about chilling at the beach—splashing in the water, drinking our peace tea and soaking up the sun. Classic camping fun. But then, as the evening rolled in, I hit her with, “Hey, let’s go for a hike!”

She looked at me like I’d grown a second head. Hiking? Are you sure? It was suspicious. But I sold it hard: “There’s this amazing sunset spot up the Top of the World trail. You’ll love it!” To add to the weirdness, I strapped on a fanny pack, which definitely raised an eyebrow. “What’s with the fanny pack?” she asked.

“Oh, I’ve got a tripod in here,” I said, as casually as possible. “You know, for taking cool sunset pics.” Seemed legit enough, right?

We hit the trail and she kept glancing at me like she was trying to figure out what was really going on. When we got to the lookout point, the view was unreal and made the hike almost worth it (the clouds and wildfire smoke tried their best to ruin the party). I pulled out the “tripod,” and started taking pictures. 

We took about 50 pictures from different angles, when I told her to turn around and face the cliff. I said I'm going to take some wide angle photos of her from the back, so I went back and grabbed the box out of the fanny pack. I told her I will take the same picture with different zoom levels as I get closer to her. She really trusted me while being on the edge of a cliff with a hundred foot drop. I told her "this is the last one I'm taking and then you can turn around".

As she turned around, her eyes widened as I dropped to one knee. “Are you ready to marry me?”

For a second, she just stood there, taking it all in. Then she started crying while laughing. “So that’s what the fanny pack was about! Of course, I’ll marry you!”

I slipped the ring on her finger, and we hugged, both laughing and grinning. The sunset was great, but it didn’t come close to how perfect she made that moment. As it turns out, a fanny pack, water bottle and a little effort were all it took to make it to the top of the world—literally and figuratively.