Nur EmilyannaEvery love story is different. Here’s my parents’.
It all started 20 years ago, when 2 individuals Mohd Suhaimi and Hasnah were introduced to each other by their respective families.
He was 31. She was 25.
“My mum kept bothering me with the fact that I was getting old and yet I was still not married. But she had a point, I knew I needed to end my days as a bachelor soon,” he said.
Soon, Suhaimi was introduced to his good friend’s sister in law, Hasnah.
“He was my brother-in-law’s good friend, that was when I first heard of him,” she said.
“The first time I met him, he came over to my sister’s place to meet my brother-in-law. He wasn’t my type at all,” she teased.
It wasn’t the same for the other party.
“I’ve heard a lot of good things about her from my good friend (her brother-in-law). I knew that she would make a good wife,” he said.
After their brief meeting, both families decided that they were a good match.
“I was a little hesitant because I didn’t know him for a long time. I’ve always thought that I would date someone for years before marrying him. But I guess that wasn’t the case,” she laughed.
It was a risk for both of them to commit to someone they knew very little about. But their parents’ decisions were final.
They got married in 1996, less than a year after they first met.
They admitted that it felt bizarre to be living with a stranger at first. But they knew that all they needed was more time to “get to know each other”.
Mr and Mrs Suhaimi are complete opposites – personality wise. He’s outspoken and cheeky. She, on the other hand, is shy and reserved.
But to their surprise, the relationship worked better than they expected. As cliché as it sounds, opposites attract.
They took time to go on dates regularly. It was almost like making up for lost time.
Months later, they started getting used to being together. As they celebrated their first wedding anniversary, they really fell in love with each other.
“How can I not? I spend every day getting to know him, and I end up falling for him as every day passes by,” she smiled.
Of course, they faced tough challenges along the way.
“Our personalities usually clash, but we learn to work it out after a few times,” he said.
20 years, the parents of a 19-year-old daughter are still learning to love each other better.
“For us, love is an ongoing process,” he said. “And this journey has been lovely.”