(Filip)
We came by tuk-tuk in front of brand new house where Lakshmi’s family slowly started living. One day before my arrival they just finished moving furniture from rent house to their new house. As I came out of tuk-tuk, Phurbu took my baggage in front and when I enter the gate in house area, there was whole family already waiting for me. They were looking at me with so silence. I was really stressed and thought like what exactly should I do to greet family properly for the first time ? Lakshmi didn’t tell me anything about it before. 🤭 I greet family: “Namaste, Namaste..” with hands together to pay respect. 🙏 Lakshmi’s father start giving me handshake like we do in Europe so I shake hands with everyone. Then I was thinking like I can’t put down my shoes or socks. It would seriously smell bad. 🤭 Phurbu told me to wash feet near stairs of house roof. So I went to wash first. Then I came inside and I sit in corner on couch. With Phurbu, Lakshmi and Sunitha and other relatives together we were 11 members in the house during that day. I was sitting there quietly awaiting what will happen next. They already prepared a room for my accommodation. Whole family were helping me as they could. They are really good people, especially father. In the evening I started unpacking my baggage and then we got some small talks, dinner on roof and I went slowly sleep. I was not talkative at all the first day.

(Lakshmi)
Phurbu and I were waiting at a bus stop, she was like “Red bus will give him the worst experience specially around this time when everyone travels after work”. Filip couldn’t find flyover buses so he had to travel with normal red bus. As the red bus stop at bus stop, we see my white friend climbing down. He looked really stressed but I can completely understand him. Even I was stressed about parents view on me since I never had showed any interest in any guy, even my mom thinks little bit like I am lesbian 🤦‍♂️ but now I am bringing a WHITE GUY to my house! We took him home, parents greeted Filip and let him rest. We tried over best to make Filip feel home, especially my parents, they were making different food for him, since he was not adapting the normal food we eat during initial days. My father was always telling “This poor guy must be really missing his family and home, we should make him feel home”.  Filip was really good boy, he tries to gives minimum complaint with things. I was teaching him basic chores specially washing clothes with hand and trust me it’s the cutest thing a white guy would be doing and sometimes I like staring at the way he wash…so cute. 🤭

(Filip)
Although my stress situation my reaction on new house was just “WOW”. 😮 (On featured photo of this post) It was really beautiful house. I missed little bit more plants or greenery there because it was still brand new obviously and everything needs time to build and grow up right ? (You would be really surprise how greenery and beautiful house is now). The architecture was incredible – constructed with father’s idea. Around house were another plots there to be sold. Some of them were already under construction. Seriously, houses in India can not be compared to Europe. It is absolutely different and beautiful how people can be so diverse in cultures. I honestly love it a lot!

Inside house it was also pretty. They had separated religious altars because mom is Hindu and father is Buddhists. This is something I am not seeing so much in Europe. I love this about India because they are a lot more spiritual people with deeper meaning. I really can not say the same with European. I wish I could, but mentality is really different. In India usually people don’t have much and are really happy from day to day. In Europe majority people are always racing with everybody with material things and not thinking about what is life really about. I have to admit in India I felt sometimes more safe and feel of home with people around here than in Europe. I am not hating Europe or telling it is bad. I am just explaining my true feeling on this topic. This is only my personal experience while comparing lifestyles in India vs that in Europe. I am always telling – you have to experience those worlds before telling some final opinion. It is not possible to describe it without really being on both places.

One of the reasons I felt in love with Lakshmi 💙 is her pure spirituality. Because without deeper meaning of life we are just surviving material beings. She always wanted all human beings just to be happy. She is really good and selfless girl. Thats why we understand so much each other and I can make a bigger decisions in future with Lakshmi without having any kind of fear. Because our love is based on spirituality. Not because of emotions or materiality. I can trust her with my life. We are now separated one year (while I am writing this post) and we will wait for each other no matter what will happen in this world. We are strong together and prepared for any obstacles in life. 💕

Initial days with family, I got used on many things but it was hard because of my digestion problems, my stomach was taking time adapting to Indian food even though it was delicious and also different water. Family was really helping me with things and I felt safe. From start it was little bit weird for the family. Because we were just friends during that time. Corona virus came so fast. I was staying in hotel in Bengaluru for only 2 weeks. I didn’t had much choice where to go from that hotel because they were closing everything because of lockdown. So I had to go Lakshmi’s home unplanned. But her family really accept me as who I was. They saved me from being on street. I couldn’t explore Bengaluru with Lakshmi anymore. So even through building our relationship with Lakshmi we still were not officially together as couple and family could think things about me as a foreigner and as “only” Lakshmi’s friend. Usually in India when partners are not married and stay together it could be consider as bad sign. Surrounding can think some bad things about family and similar. But I was not rushing into relationship or noticing any weirdness as fresh foreigner first time in India because in Europe nobody would care at all who is doing what. So I had absolutely no clue something like this can be a problem (A guy staying at girl’s home even though we were just friends).

And what about our culture or color differences you may ask ? 🙃 Obviously we knew we will be interracial couple but we didn’t even talked about colors too much. From the beginning Lakshmi was a good & beautiful girl for me and I didn’t even notice she is dark-brown. (Honestly.. I love her skin color 🤭) Being in other culture or living with people with their culture is just about getting used on it and accepting them. We are all humans. We live on Earth. We never ever had problems with our diversity or cultures. When I came home from India I even brought two small Buddha statues and put one on cottage next to Jesus and one at home. Even Tibetan flags I hang on cottage and home and other flags I gave to my family and friends. I told to Lakshmi: “Once when you will came to Europe, definitely take all things you need. Even small altar.” I will always respect Lakshmi’s culture and her as my love. We have talked about problems, that can come from people or making our cultures compatible in future but honestly the important thing is – Lakshmi means home for me. Whenever we will choose, where to live in future, how we will design our home, or to have or not to have dog, we will adapt with love and understanding.

Day after day I was more and more confident to ask Lakshmi officially if she want to be my girl even when we felt it will be hard. I had at least 10 times feel to ask but I didn’t do it. I still had some fear in me meanwhile I had one moment where I finally asked… We were in my room after lunch just sitting on bed and talking. I took her hand to make her feel comfortable. I never touched Lakshmi more than just by hand before relationship because I didn’t consider it as right thing to do. When there was pause between our talks, I really had a good feeling but little fear, I asked: “Migi ? Would you…. like… to try… it with me ? To be my girl ? I know will be hard… But I have strong inner feel it will be worth it.” 🤭 I told word “hard” because of our distance, covid, restrictions and I just felt we will need to pass hard situations. But together we will be strong. Because love can move mountains right ? Yes, it can, if you really believe in it, If it is true love – spiritual love. After a short pause Lakshmi replied with smile in Slovak: “Ano.” ☺️ – it means yes. In that moment we both had big smile with spark in our eyes. We didn’t even kissed each other before entering relationship. The decision we made was made completely from Lakshmi and my inner feeling – we consider it as soul or god’s feel. We were sober, determined and ready to have adventures together. Without any influence of emotions, mind, body or anything else we decided.

(Lakshmi)
We were talking so much to each other about our view on everything and it’s weird to see the similarities of our of thinking, especially I liked the way he thinks spiritually even though we belong to complete different continents. It was 1. of April, We both were sitting and talking on bed. I was feeling really good energy with talks and everything. And then he proposed me to be his girlfriend, my heart started running on track… 🤭 but he is so good and caring person, respects his and even my parents (I usually like people who keeps their parents and family in first priority), similarities of thoughts etc… and the most important thing – The feel of connection between us. I listened my heart and said “Ahno”. I asked him “wait this is not April fool right?” 😄 he was laughing and telling Nooooooooooo. We were casually talking with really good energy and then Filip bent slowly and kissed me unexpectedly 😮, my heart beat rapidly increased and I was like “This is real or a dream” but the best feeling I ever had in my life… Combination of nervousness and happiness with lots of trust on his soul. The very first boyfriend of mine and I trust he will be the last one too. Later that day I informed family about our relationship and mom was relieved from the thought of me being lesbian (All were happy and especially my mom).

(Filip)
We were sooo happy. 😊 We never ever were in relationship. Both Lakshmi and I felt like this is the right thing. This is a good step in our lives that will push us forward. With Lakshmi we enter in relationship on 1. of April 2020 (not a joke 😄)

This is the beginning of our love story 💕