Having met through a dating app and only having two weeks of getting to know each other through texting, Do Nhu Y decided to fly to Bangalore alone to meet her boyfriend.
Arriving at the airport in a southern Indian city one day in late 2019, Nhu Y saw Porithosh Shetty in jeans, a T-shirt, and slippers waiting for her. The 37-year-old woman was a little disappointed, thinking that her boyfriend did not respect her, so he dressed so sloppily.
But the initial impression was quickly dispelled by Porithosh Shetty's kindness. He turned the chair over for her to recline, and prepared a towel for her to cool off after the long flight. The Indian man also carefully prepared food for Nhu Y because he was worried that she would be hungry after a long flight. Unable to find Vietnamese food in Bangalore, he prepared seafood fried rice, salad and Thai tomyum soup because they tasted similar.
Như Ý recounted that when the car rolled through three gates to reach the Shetty family's house on the outskirts of the city, she was astonished as if she had entered another world . The Porithosh family's mansion was built on a 20,000 m2 plot of land, divided into two parts, one half a resort for business, the other half for living.
The house was nestled in the middle of a flower garden, next to a swimming pool, with marble walls, brown wooden furniture, red carpeted floors, and 10 maids waiting. When Nhu Y got out of the car, they bowed to her and left through the back door, splitting up to go to work.
It was then that Porithosh told Như Ý about his family background. He is the eldest son in an upper-class Indian family. His late father was a doctor who founded a famous private hospital in Bangalore, which the Porithosh brothers now take turns managing. He himself currently owns resort and restaurant projects, a 40-hectare coffee farm, and the 150-year-old house where he was born.
Do Nhu Y and her husband in the family resort, May 2022. Photo provided by the character.
The two had only met a few weeks before. In October 2019, Porithosh Shetty traveled to Vietnam and happened to see Nhu Y's photo on a dating app. Impressed by her round face and bright smile, the 45-year-old businessman pressed the "like" button and immediately texted her to get to know her.
Như Ý said that at that time, she was a nurse at District 5 Medical Center, Ho Chi Minh City, and had just broken up with her boyfriend, but when she saw Porithosh's message, she was still hesitant with Indians. "They have too many rituals and cultural differences," Ý explained.
On the last day of the trip, Porithosh Shetty aggressively attacked her, gradually making her fall for him. In the first reply message, Nhu Y declared her point of view that she was old and wanted to find a partner to marry, not to date randomly.
Porithosh, whose marriage broke down in 2014, expressed sympathy. Unable to meet, the two decided to keep in touch over the phone to get to know each other.
During that time, Nhu Y had to use online translation tools to communicate. Porithosh was still patient, trying to listen to every word and every problem she described without complaining, making her gradually feel sympathy and trust him.
"He never mentioned vulgar things like other guys I met through social media," Ý said. More frequent video calls made both of them have a better impression of each other. They planned to meet.
In the winter of 2019, Nhu Y took a 20-day leave to go to Bangalore city.
Nhu Y and her mother (second from left) took a photo with her husband's family before the wedding day, October 2021. Photo provided by the character.
During her days in Banglore, witnessing the massive property of her boyfriend's family, Như Ý was overwhelmed. She grew up in a family of 8 living in a 21 square meter house, and was not used to having someone else serve her every drink and meal. Even her clothes were washed, ironed and folded by the maid.
Once, Porithosh took Ý to the mall. The Indian businessman tried on his girlfriend's $2,000 handbag, but she refused. "I've never used an expensive bag before, and it doesn't really suit me," Ý explained. Thinking that his girlfriend was shy about shopping in his presence, Porithosh gave her his credit card and told her to buy whatever she wanted. However, she still insisted on returning it because she had no need for it. Once again, Như Ý surprised him.
Three weeks passed, Nhu Y returned home with Porithosh's reluctance. In India, he still remembered the image of the Vietnamese woman who stood in the kitchen at dawn, kneading dough to make noodles for him. "Can you live with me for the rest of my life?", Porithosh texted. Just a month later, Nhu Y returned to India, they hugged each other again at the airport.
At this time, Porithosh's mother had returned home from a trip. The first meeting between his girlfriend and his mother made him quite nervous. He wrote about 10 sentences in his notebook describing Ý and the reason why he chose her to be his wife. He held her hand tightly to stop her from shaking and arranged for his sister-in-law to be on standby to "save" Như Ý in case she did not have enough English vocabulary to talk to her future mother-in-law.
Porithosh's mother smiled at that moment. She had arranged a marriage for Porithosh before, but it had not worked out. The second time around, she wanted him to take the initiative.
To prepare to marry an Indian, Nhu Y returned to Vietnam and quit her job. However, the Covid-19 pandemic separated the couple for nearly two years. In October 2021, they met again to register their marriage and held a wedding ceremony right at the family resort.
Như Ý described her first days as a daughter-in-law as quite boring. She hardly had to do anything, even when she finished eating and lingered to collect the dishes in the sink, her mother-in-law still reminded her that this was the maid's job.
The women in the house usually spend their days working out at the gym or doing yoga, reading books, and attending parties with their husbands (if they have them) in the evening. Her sister-in-law, a female doctor who studied abroad in Australia, still has her degree at home.
Nhu Y wears a bridal dress at her wedding. Photo provided by the character
She started making YouTube videos about her life in India to relieve her sadness and homesickness. The channel grew unexpectedly, and many people who knew Như Ý asked her to help buy some food to send to Vietnam. After a few orders, she decided to start a business.
At first, Porithosh disagreed. He thought that with the family's finances, she didn't need to work. Ý convinced her husband by telling him how boring her day at home was. Packing and finding products filled her time, making her feel less empty.
"Above all, I want to work so that I don't become lazy," Nhu Y added. Faced with Y's determination, he also agreed. Occasionally, Porithosh also appeared in some of his wife's videos, they cooked pho and made naan (Indian bread) together.
In a new video posted on a weekend in July, Porithosh takes his wife out for cocktails in the coastal city of Mangalore. The wind blows Nhu Y's hair, which Porithosh gently untangles. He takes a jacket from the trunk of his car and hands it to his wife.
"Thank you for always being as thoughtful as the first day we met," she said with a smile.
Ngoc Ngan
Vnexpress.net
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