Josiah Hinds went all out when he proposed to his girlfriend Isha Khan yesterday, as he enlisted the assistance of two police officers, photographers and even a CD vendor, as he got down on one knee in the middle of the street in one of the busiest parts of Port-of-Spain to pop the question.
The dramatic proposal took place at 5.22 pm outside the Independence Square branch of KFC.
The situation all began when Hinds and Khan were driving along Independence Square before they made a turn in a southerly direction along Broadway.
As Hinds made the bend he was stopped by a marked police vehicle. The officers questioned him and asked him to produce his licence and insurance. They eventually asked him to exit the vehicle.
“I wanted to know what he did because I know that is not an illegal drive,” Khan told the T&T Guardian afterwards.
With Hinds looking as though he would be taken into custody, the officers then approached the car and asked Khan to also exit the vehicle.
“I did not know what was going on,” she said.
When Khan exited the vehicle and was on the way to the police vehicle walking toward Hinds, he got down on one knee.
Khan was in shock.
She began to cry.
Hinds had planned everything.
The two police officers, PCs Lewis and Serville, were in on the plan.
Shawn St Louis, a nearby CD vendor who looked to be just part of the regular Friday evening crowd in the city, was also in on the act. He began to play Sara Bareilles’ song I Choose You when Hinds got down on his knee.
“This is the song he asked me to play,” St Louis said.
Hidden behind a streetlight by the nearby taxistand were a photographer and videographer Hinds had hired to capture the moment.
Members of both their families were also mingling among the regular Port-of-Spain crowd.
Everyone cheered as Khan said yes.
“He really came good, I had no idea,” Khan said.
Hinds said the reason he chose this method of proposal was because he wanted to show the world his love for Khan.
“I’ve been through a lot in life and I found the one that I really, truly love and so it doesn’t make any sense hiding it. Best you do it openly,” Hinds said.
Hinds said he had been planning the proposal since the couple met four years ago.
“You have any brothers?” a random woman impressed by the proposal asked Hinds after Khan had said yes.