A KZN love story that started in the classroom of Clarendon Primary
"It was the most perfect way to propose, and it's a story I will treasure forever" - Stacey Govender.
When you meet your soulmate, you can only wish that your story is worthy of a 'class act'.
A couple who started their love story at a tender age found themselves seated next to one another in Mrs Crooks's Grade Four form class at Clarendon Primary School in Pietermaritzburg.
Stacey Govender and Tashvir Himwanth were classmates who sat next to one another in primary school; little did they know that seven years later, they would discover their love story.
Stacey and Tashvir were not in contact with one another from Grade 5 as they attended different high schools in Pietermaritzburg; Stacey went to Pietermaritzburg Girls High School and Tashvir completed his high school career at Maritzburg College. When Stacey was in Grade 10, her dad got a job opportunity in Bloemfontein and her family relocated.
Read more: Woman says no to his public proposal
It took these two spending their teenage years apart to find each other as young adults. Tashvir attended The University of KwaZulu-Natal and studied BCOM Accounting, while Stacey attended The University of Free State, where she completed her LLB degree.
The two were the epitome of chalk and cheese, or so they thought, but it seemed the years apart had brought a once shy Tashvir out of his shell; something that they would later find out was part of the Universal Law of Attraction.
You see, this is one of those stories where social media aided the love story. Stacey saw Tashvir's profile on X (Twitter) and followed him, remembering her classmate from Clarendon Primary.
He was super shy in Primary School, so I didn't expect him to DM me, but he did. He seemed a bit different, like he seemed more confident than I remembered him to be. We instantly had a connection then, and since he was still in PMB, we only saw each other when my parents came down to KZN to visit family.
From there, the two became friends for a few months, which led to their transition into a couple. Their relationship thrived long distance for the next four years, and it was all worth it.
After another move to East London, Stacey and Tashvir decided that it was time for them to live in the same city. They agreed on Bloemfontein, and both found businesses to serve their internships. Stacey found a spot at Bezuidenhouts Attorneys and Tashvir found himself working at Price Waterhouse Cooper.
After serving out her articles, Stacey said that it only felt natural for them to progress into the next step of their relationship. This is where things got even more exciting. Tashvir worked with Stacey's sister, Kelly, on a ring design in 2022, and when it came to asking for her hand in marriage, we can say with confidence that he got an A.
Tashvir's mom, Nashnee Himwanth, who is currently the Acting Vice Principal at Clarendon Primary and who was also Stacey's soccer and netball coach when she was in Clarendon, thought of the perfect place for Tash to propose... their old classroom, which had been transformed into the staff room.
Stacey was oblivious to the plans being made for the proposal. Mrs Himwanth asked the couple to drop her off at Clarendon as she had some work to complete and the couple's siblings tagged along for the ride.
When Tashvir asked if Stacey would like to walk around their primary school, she wasn't going to pass up on a sense of nostalgia. As they visited their old classroom, Stacey was pleasantly surprised to find a piece of history paired with lots of love.
When he opened the door I was shaking with shock and excitement. It was the most perfect way to propose and it's a story I will treasure forever.
The romance behind their story didn't end there; after another publication in the media covered their proposal, their Grade 4 teacher, Mrs Crooks, reached out to Mrs Himwanth.
She revealed they were not just paired to sit next to one another because of their surnames. Stacey revealed something that makes us believe in the power of love and destiny.
"She asked for details about her new class from our grade three teachers. We were both hard workers, but since I was bubbly and Tash was quiet, she thought that I could bring Tash out of his shell and, in turn, he could keep me working hard. It was so special that Mrs Crooks remembered us. She even said that Tash became very chatty with me and that he felt safe. Mrs Crooks was my favourite teacher."
The couple has yet to get into the heavy lifting that comes with planning a wedding but wants to wed in Durban. They are thinking of next July in terms of timing.
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