Wedding at Office Evolution (Yes, We said Wedding!)

Today we had the honor to witness our first ever wedding at Office Evolution Somerville of two amazing Office Evolution Somerville members and friends, Puja and Mike!

Puja Tibrewal and Michael Pudlowski (Mike) met at our co-working space in Downtown Somerville and wanted to have a small ceremony in the same place, same room where they had met. They have a love story for the ages and I would really like to share it with you….

Once Upon a Time, on a Gloomy Monday Morning back in January 2019, I received a called from Puja Tibrewal. She was calling from Mumbai, India and was looking to start a US branch for her company. She was inquiring about a variety of our services such as: business address, telephone answering, etc. Her long term plan was to eventually obtain office space in The United States on behalf of her company.

Here is the part that was truly the work of a higher-being, or maybe our marketing efforts- you choose. Puja could have chosen any location in New Jersey, or The United States for that matter however she decided to give ME a call because her accountant in New Jersey had mentioned OUR location to her! I guess all that event sponsoring that we had done when we first opened in September 2014 (which seemed totally unproductive at that time) actually did materialize! Puja decided that we were the best option for her company and started to make plans to establish a US Branch in Downtown Somerville at our location.

In August 2019, Puja eventually relocated to The United States of America and settled in New Jersey – without any friends or relatives. At this point, the only contacts she had in New Jersey was her accountant and ME! Shortly after Puja arrived in The States, she and I became friends instantaneously. It is very easy to “fall in love” with Puja- she is intelligent, beautiful, charismatic and simply put, just has a good heart.

All the while, Michael Pudlowski (Mike) had been a member at Office Evolution Somerville since July 2018, a year prior to Puja’s arrival. Mike’s company had allowed him to work from home (before WFH became an actual thing- thanks Covid) and he needed a space that was going to foster productivity. He had come in for a free trial and decided that day that my co-working space was a great resource for him. My initial impression of Mike was that he is VERY tall (6.3), good-looking and extremely polite. I also noticed that he was very private and reserved. Of course, I am not…so it was difficult refraining from questions about his personal life. Me and a few of the other “mom” members in my space wondered if he had a girlfriend. Over time, we realized that Mike was such a great guy and if he was single, we hoped that he would meet someone special.

In September 2019, when Puja settled into her office at Office Evolution Somerville, she and Mike finally met. It was then that Mike immediately noticed Puja’s amazing qualities and the rest is kismet. At first Puja and Mike were friends. He would ask her out to lunch and offered his assistance from changing a smoke detector in her home to purchasing her first car. It was very evident that there was always something more on the horizon. In January 2021, they were spending an increasingly amount of time together. It was obvious that their friendship flourished into a beautiful loving relationship. In April 2021 they shared with me that they were in fact together! Although I suspected they were dating I was surprised to learn how serious their relationship was- Puja and Mike were moving in together!

It was great getting to know Puja and Mike, The Couple. It is so apparent, how much they love each other and the joy that they bring one another. They both had very different upbringings and yet they both have fully immersed into each other’s cultures, values and avocations. It is no question that these two were destined to meet, and at OUR co-working space none the less. By fall, things were moving even faster and in November 2021, Mike asked Puja to marry him (on Diwali- an Indian holiday which marks the triumph of good over evil). She of course said YES and words cannot even describe how happy I am for them!

That finally brings us to today, December 11th 2021- Puja and Mike are now husband and wife. Two beautiful souls that were living 7,854 miles away, brought together by a higher-being (and our marketing efforts) to meet at my co-working space. It is truly a fairy tale story of these modern times.

Puja and Mike, I wish you both nothing short of a happily ever after.

– Ulka Bhavsar, Owner, Office Evolution Somerville