Man pulls off Bollywood-style proposal at Auckland airport

In a heartwarming spectacle of love, Yashraj Chhabra, a banking specialist from Auckland, orchestrated an elaborate Bollywood-inspired surprise wedding proposal for his girlfriend, Riiya Shukla, at Auckland Airport. The romantic event took place on August 18, when Chhabra went down on one knee in front of thousands of people to propose to Shukla, a project manager also based in Auckland.

Chhabra’s grand gesture was not only witnessed by the crowd present at the airport but also broadcasted over the airport’s public address system. He confessed that he wanted to do something unforgettable for his girlfriend, who he described as “a hard woman to surprise.”

The planning process was not without its challenges. Chhabra had to navigate through various layers of airport protocol and even cold-called and sent LinkedIn messages to numerous airport personnel. His persistence paid off when he connected with Laura Platts, the communications manager at Auckland Airport, who assisted him in organising logistics such as cake, flowers, and the arrival of their families at the airport.

Despite facing several hurdles on the day of the proposal, including a rescheduled flight and missing luggage, Shukla was eventually led to the surprise awaiting her. As she emerged from the airport, she found Chhabra on one knee, surrounded by their loved ones holding up signs spelling out “Will you marry me?” while his pre-recorded proposal played over the PA system.

Shukla expressed her shock and delight at the unexpected proposal, stating, “I tend to get lost in his eyes and as romantic as this sounds, it’s actually true. I do. For a while, it just felt like it was just us. Then, all of our family and friends came and they all hugged us. It was pretty magical.”