Vietnamese woman and Indian man navigate cross-cultural relationship

Nguyễn Thị Như Ý, a 32-year-old fisheries engineer from Cần Thơ, Vietnam, met Abhishek Khandelwal, a 30-year-old Indian import-export professional, at an international seafood exhibition in Cà Mau over two years ago.

After developing feelings for each other, the couple traveled to India and Nepal to deepen their relationship. However, Như Ý faced significant challenges with Abhishek’s family, who traditionally decide their children's marriages and were initially unsupportive of a foreign partner. A first attempt at a video call with his parents ended abruptly due to language barriers and cultural differences.