We first met in Freddy's, the cafe at INSEAD (France Campus), almost two-thirds of the way through our MBA year. Although Saagar had spotted Amelia in the school directory (lol) long before that…

Lynn introduced us, but it took an on-the-spot story about orange Smarties (don’t ask) for Amelia to finally become mesmerised by Saagar’s (loud) voice and British wit.

After some magic words of encouragement from other INSEADers (including Sam K, Ben G, and Tiffany C) and some epic class trips, the rest became history!

Amelia:

He impressed by cooking for me constantly in our earliest dates (famously no Shakshuka..). There were constant giggles from day 1, even though there were many a hungover INSEAD day where we should have been absolutely miserable, every moment together was just so fun and goofy.

Then, on our first trip when we went to Loire Valley wine country, Saagar carried my bags all day - plus the bottles of wine we bought at the winery. I didn’t realize until we got back to Fontainebleau hours later just how heavy those bags were, and he never complained once… (although I am sure I wouldn’t hear the end of it, if the same thing were to happen today!)

Saagar:

In the early days, we’d hunt for any excuse to bump into each other, usually armed with coffees (or aperol spritzes) during 30-min breaks between classes. We got into serious debates about what the differences are between oceans and seas, whether she was REALLY italian, and she roasted me for carrying my 2-litre bottle of water around campus (we must stay hydrated). We laughed endlessly, as if we had known each other for years. I never stood a chance against her billion-dollar smile and eternal optimism.

And then she promised that when she moved to the UK, she would become a Manchester United fan. Sealed. Signed. Lifetime contract. Here we go.

Impress each other with cooking (food = mutual love language), travelling to new places, and cozy nights in watching the Office, Traitors, or Bake Off.

Goofy, warm, and LATE!

Feeling a simultaneous sense of comfort and adventure. Family values, curiosity for the world, endless inside jokes, constantly laughing, and speaking in random weird voices.

Being surrounded by our favorite people in the world in one place!