Love bloomed on social network
Online encounter leads to lifetime vows
WHEN Jerusha Jai Jai moved to Bloemfontein from her small home town of Estcourt to study, she was desperate to make some friends. And, through a mutual friend, she was introduced in April 2006 to Pravesh Lala on the social networking site Mxit.
After weeks of communicating, the couple finally met at a coffee shop. “I didn’t know what to expect and I kept thinking of all the negative aspects of meeting a stranger. We were both nervous. I was quiet and shy and just answered questions most of the time, whereas Pravesh could not stop talking because he was so nervous,” said Jerusha.
Pravesh, 31, an accountant, and Jerusha, 25, a biomedical technologist, soon became friends. A few weeks later at a shopping mall, Jerusha grabbed his hand to try to pull him into a shop. That was when Pravesh fell in love with her. He knew then that she was the woman he wanted in his life. What started as a friendship had grown into a relationship.
“I loved Pravesh’s outlook on life, his sense of humour and the fact that he is an absolute gentleman. To have a guy open the car door for me, carry my handbag and cheer me up when I’m down, how could I say no? Every girl wants a gentleman in her life,” she said.
Seven years later and these amazing qualities are still there. Jerusha admits she has no regrets about meeting a stranger on Mxit.
The couple had a traditional engagement. In August 2011, both parents met to discuss the engagement.
On December 10 2011, they held the traditional engagement ceremony for close family at Pravesh’s home in Kimberley.
This set the ball rolling and May 4 the following year was chosen as the date for the wedding at the Swami Sahajananda Community Hall in Estcourt.
Being the only daughter, Jerusha’s parents wanted to give her a fairytale wedding.
As the day grew closer, invites, with a white and grey embossed design and a picture of Lord Ganesha on the top right-hand corner, were sent to 450 guests.
A picture of Radha Krishna on the bottom left corner symbolised their love.
The wedding day finally arrived with festivities at both homes. Pravesh had his pre-wedding functions in Kimberley, and Jerusha had henna applied at her home two days before the wedding, followed by the hurdee ceremony.
When Pravesh, dressed in a cream sherwani with maroon and gold detail, saw Jerusha in her deep-red lengha sari covered with gold and silver detail and adorned with Swarovski crystals, his nervousness disappeared.
The venue was decorated in maroon, gold and white to match the outfits. The guests were seated at tables covered with white, gold and maroon cloths. Each table had a candle stand and flower arrangement.
The couple put together gift bags containing a Ganesha key ring, chocolates and a thank-you card for each guest.
The North Indian ceremony was performed on a stage decorated with a gold Ganesha statue and two white ones on either side.
The guests enjoyed vegetarian samoosas, spring rolls and sweetmeats for starters. This was followed by vegetable biryani, dhal and salads. Then there was sago served with cream and nuts.
Before greeting their guests, the couple cut the threetier cake. It was filled with three flavours — fruit, chocolate and carrot — covered in white icing and decorated with fresh red roses.
The couple honeymooned in Umhlanga and the South Coast before settling in Bloemfontein.
How would you describe your hubby?
“Pravesh is a sensible, caring, funny, romantic and sometimes crazy person. He is a kind and gentle person.” How does he describe you? “From the time I met Jerusha and over the years that I got to know her and fell in love with and made her my wife, I would say she hasn’t changed a bit. From being a shy person, I later got to know her as having a caring, humble, hard- working, compassionate, lovable, generous, friendly and sometimes bossy side. There hasn’t been a day that she has not revealed these qualities and those qualities instilled within her through her parents.
“Words cannot do justice or describe her completely. You have to get to know her to see who she is.”