Abhishek Nambier (MSc(CHE) ’15) first met Monika Mehta (Medicine PhD ‘18) in October 2015, when she was performing on stage at NUS Diwali Night. By December, they had started dating. Over the next seven years, their relationship weathered the ups and downs of long-distance, but grew stronger along the way— culminating in their marriage in 2022.
What were your first impressions of each other? Did either of you feel a spark early on, or did it grow slowly over time?
Monika: My impression was that he had a great sense of humour and may be a nice friend, but I didn’t have that love-kind of feeling.
Abhishek: I had seen Monika many times before on campus and told my friend, “Wow, she is so pretty, but she is out of my league!”
Monika: It took a month, but I felt the spark after a couple of meetings.
What were your favourite spots on the NUS campus to spend time together?
Monika and Abhishek: We used to meet mostly at the Science canteen because that was closer to my research lab, or sometimes at the Engineering canteen during the day. After work, UTown and Town Green were the places we spent hours and hours. We used to play cards the whole night with our friends there.
Was there a specific moment or challenge that made it clear that both of you wanted a future together?
Monika and Abhishek: We had situations where one of us was going through tough times, but the other person stood by no matter what. That was the sign that it’s true love.
What do you admire most about each other?
Abhishek: Monika is very, very ambitious and is very hardworking. She is super direct and straightforward, so there is no difficulty in understanding her.
Monika: Abhishek gives me the space and freedom to grow. He is very knowledgeable and actively works to be a better person every day. I respect that the most about him. He makes me a better person, too.
How do you think NUS shaped your journey together?
Monika and Abhishek: We met here and spent three years on the NUS campus together when I was doing my PhD and Abhishek was working in a research lab. We have crazy memories here, and we’ll forever be grateful for that.
