From grids to ‘I do’: Pune man’s proposal via Indian Express Mini Crossword goes viral

“I wanted the proposal to have something that’s part of our everyday life,” he says. “I also wanted it to be intimate, rather than in a public space. And since IE’s crossword is something we’ve done together many times, it would be an unexpected surprise.”

When Aman reached out with his request, it did not require much persuasion — yours truly is a sucker for romance. Apart from the magic words, he also requested the inclusion of ‘CHAMPA’, a meaningful flower to the duo, on the grid. Noticing parallels with Brooklyn Nine-Nine—the lead pairing of Amy Santiago and Jake Peralta often indulged her passion for crosswords—we also included a hat tip to Amy on the grid:

How did it all go down? Aman shares an account:

“I came up with the idea a month or so ago while Juhi* and I were doing the crossword over WhatsApp. After getting the ring made (from sea-glass that we had collected on the beach from a trip to Spain)…a friend put me in touch with the Puzzle Editor. After some back and forth (all of which had to be done during mysterious bathroom breaks and “work” calls), everything was ready by the evening of July 3.

When we woke up the next morning, luckily, the newspaper had not been delivered yet. Juhi was whining about how there was no crossword with the chai. So I laughed and suggested, “Why don’t we try the IE Mini?”

Fitted with reveal tools and Indian clues, the IE Mini carries forward the legacy of print crosswords.

To be honest, a few of the clues were quite challenging, and she was taking her time while I grew extremely nervous. When she clicked on 7-Across (the pivotal clue), the answer did not strike her. So she moved on. Meanwhile, I kept fidgeting with the ring in my pocket. Seven minutes later, with more letters filled in, Juhi finally had her eureka moment.

“Oh, marry me”

The moment she said it, everything started moving very fast. I pulled the ring out of my pocket and went down on one knee. Of course, she said yes! We couldn’t stop giggling after, and ended up finishing the Mini Crossword in 12 minutes 57 seconds. By far one of our slowest attempts!”

And what was Juhi’s point of view?

Scene from ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’, where Jake Peralta realises he wants to marry Amy Santiago.

“The moment I typed it in, something clicked in my brain. From the corner of my eye, I saw him pull the ring out and ask me to marry him. I was in shock throughout.”

The couple, in a long-distance relationship, have shared that they exchange images of our crossword as a morning ritual, solving it over phone or video call. Both seem to have a flair for cinematic wooing, with Juhi having beat Aman to the chase in April.

“Hers was a Bollywood-style airport proposal, where she came to pick me up holding a board with my name on it. I’d already made her wait four hours (delay, immigration, etc.) and she tends to be impatient. In true form, she said “I’m tired of waiting, shaadi kar le” and flipped the board. It said ‘marry me’ on the other side! Men usually don’t get proposed to, so I felt lucky that I got to experience that feeling.”

 

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The episode is winning many hearts for its thoughtfulness and creativity; many have lauded Aman’s willingness to go the extra mile. “I’m going to read newspapers every day now,” chuckled one netizen, while many hoped for similar efforts in their relationships. For those struggling to find a memorable idea, Aman has a single piece of advice: listen carefully to your partner, and get a good grasp of their likes and dislikes. Who knows, you too might end up on the news?

For crossword-making tips, you can write in to puzzles@indianexpress.com. Happy solving!