Exclusive Story by WeirdKaya- Proper accreditation to WeirdKaya and consent from the interviewee are required.
Love stories that survive high school, strict parents, and cultural expectations? Now, that’s something special.
Nicholas Chong and Narsheera Rajapakse’s eight-year love story is nothing short of a romantic drama—except that it’s real, and it has the sweetest ending.
Began as basketball club buddies
Speaking exclusively to WeirdKaya, Nicholas explained all started back in Form 6 when they joined the Basketball Club. Nicholas was the chairman, while Narsheera was the secretary.
His first thought when he saw her?
I thought she was Sarawakian because of her skin tone,” admitted Nicholas.
He didn’t think much about her at first, partly because he had spent the last five years at an all-boys school.
Meanwhile, Narsheera’s first impression of Nicholas was that he seemed responsible and full of joy. Little did she know, he would soon become the love of her life.
No sparks, no dramatic first encounters. Just two students crossing paths cause that’s how it always starts off, right?
Sneaky staircase dates & bus rides
Soon, their relationship blossomed in the simplest yet most meaningful ways, where they had their little “secret” spot, which they called the “Basketball Stairs.”
It was there that they would share quick bites of food during recess— small stolen moments of love in between classes.
The bus ride eventually weaved its way into their love story during their Lower Six days, where it served as a cherished chapter in both their lives.
We weren’t dating yet, but we always took the same bus, laughing and chatting the whole way. She’d get down a few stops after me, and those short rides became something I looked forward to,” Nicholas shared.
Love against all odds
As strong as their feelings were for each other, Nicholas and Narsheera faced opposition of the equal intensity from everyone around them.
Teachers frowned upon their relationship, believing it would affect her studies and performance, while Narsheera’s father felt it was too early for her to have a boyfriend.
Being the daughter of a traditional Sinhalese family meant strict rules—no meeting more than once a week, no staying out past 6pm, and absolutely no night dates, not even on special occasions.
Furthermore, people often expressed curiosity about their relationship, wondering about the dynamics of being with someone from a different race.
Nicholas even admitted that at one point, it felt like the people around them were the ones getting married instead of them, given the endless opinions and interference.
One of the toughest challenges they faced was their difference in religion. The question of whether to stick to their own faiths or follow one religion loomed over them for years. The debates were intense, and the arguments emotionally draining.
Every conversation about religion ended up in tension, sometimes leading to a day or two of them giving the other the cold shoulder. But deep down, they knew the issue wasn’t truly resolved.
As their wedding day approached, the pressure only increased. Nicholas admitted that he hated how every discussion about faith turned into a fight, but he made a conscious effort to never say words he didn’t mean in the heat of the moment.
His rule? Always approach an argument with words he would still say when calm. That was how he kept the relationship strong despite the turmoil.
Learning & growing together
There were moments when the challenges felt too overwhelming, moments where Nicholas and Narsheera questioned if it was all worth it.
At one point, they even considered eloping—just running away and getting married without anyone’s interference.
But deep inside, they knew that wasn’t the best choice as the consequences of such a decision would be too heavy to bear.
During the darkest times, Nicholas always found his way back to the beginning. Why did he fall for her? What sacrifices had she made for him? Why did he want to make her his life partner?
The answer was always the same—he loved her for who she was, not for who he wanted her to become.
Being in an interracial relationship opened their eyes to so many things. Nicholas learned to appreciate the beauty of different cultures, understanding that every tradition has its own depth and significance.
He believes that the more you interact with people from different backgrounds, the more your worldview expands.
Narsheera, on the other hand, never imagined she could win the heart of a Chinese guy.
Most Chinese guys only go for Chinese girls,” she would joke. Even now, I still stare at Nicholas sometimes and go, ‘Omg, I got a Chinese guy la!’”
Their relationship also came with sacrifices. Since Narsheera’s family was strict, she couldn’t provide Nicholas with the typical experiences of a ‘normal’ relationship—late-night hangouts, spontaneous trips, or unlimited time together.
As such, she found herself asking Nicholas the same question countless of times: “Why did you stay with me despite all these restrictions? You could’ve easily found someone who could give you all that.”
At first, Nicholas didn’t have an answer as he was so deeply in love that it never occurred to him to think about this.
But by the time he finally realised the sacrifices he had made for the relationship, he was already in too deep and never had a single thought of leaving Narsheera.
A wedding that had it all
This lovely couple had their ROM on 26 September, followed by a beautiful multicultural wedding on 21 December.
On their wedding day, Nicholas and Narsheera made it a point to ensure it was a celebration of love in every way possible.
We wanted to include everything—Chinese, Indian, Western traditions—so that no one felt left out. More importantly, we wanted it to be the most memorable wedding for our guests,” they shared.
Nicholas gave a hilarious speech, the groomsmen followed suit with their own comical moments even got on stage to dance the Poco-Poco, a callback to their university days at UNIMAS.
The diversity at the wedding was heartwarming—guests showed up in cheongsams, sarees, lehengas, baju kurung, baju melayu, kurtas, suits, and gowns.
We had so many people tell us this was the best wedding they’d ever attended,” the couple said.
Love that’s felt in the little things
What makes their love story so beautiful isn’t just the grand gestures—it’s the small things they do for each other.
She’ll stare at me for a few seconds, and when I ask what’s wrong, she just smiles and says, ‘I can’t believe you’re finally my husband,’” Nicholas shared.
As for Narsheera? “He randomly gives me kisses and always holds my hand wherever we go,” she gushed.
Having seen friends who made it and some who didn’t, Nicholas has one key piece of advice—get your parents’ approval.
“It’s not going to work in just one conversation. It’ll take multiple tries, but eventually, they’ll come around. Don’t take it lightly, because if there’s any disagreement, it will affect your relationship in the long run.”
“Society will always have opinions, but you can never please everyone. Great people give great advice, but weak people spew negativity. At the end of the day, it’s your love that matters,” he said.
From high school sweethearts sneaking bites at the basketball stairs to a happily married couple, Nicholas and Narsheera’s love story proves one thing—when love is real, it finds a way to survive.
Exclusive Story by WeirdKaya – If you wish to reproduce this story, please ensure that you obtain consent from the interviewee to maintain factual accuracy and avoid the potential spread of misleading information.
If referencing or using any information from our story, we kindly ask that proper credit is given, along with a backlink to WeirdKaya, as acknowledgment of the efforts made by our editors in sourcing and conducting interviews.
READ ALSO:
