Anushka Kinra – Ali Ghazi-Askar Reception

The newlyweds Anushka Kinra and Ali Ghazi-Askar with the bride’s mother Anita Kinra at the reception.

The newlyweds Anushka Kinra and Ali Ghazi-Askar with the bride’s mother Anita Kinra at the reception.

By Jawahar Malhotra

SUGAR LAND: Dressed in a heavily gold-embroidered, deep purple lengha and choli, her hands painted with henna designs, Anushka Kinra was describing the episode when she met her future husband as they stood in line to hear the schedules for their pediatric residency rotations in Chicago four years ago.

“I had all my papers neatly arranged and in a portfolio, and in walked this disheveled guy, papers flying everywhere, his face in a panic and I thought, ‘I hope I don’t get on a team with him’,” Anushka recalled with a chuckle. When Ali dropped his papers, she offered to help and later discovered that yes, they were assigned to the same team after all. She soon came to realize that Ali was a warm, caring man with an incredible sense of humor, all of which eventually won her heart.

Phoenix Murphy and Sarah C. performed at the reception.

Phoenix Murphy and Sarah C. performed at the reception.

Ali Ghazi-Askar, 33, of course remembered the incident a little differently. “It’s true I had all my papers flying everywhere that day, but I thought to myself ‘Who’s the most organized person there in line who can help me?’ and that’s when I spotted Anushka.!” he said with a broad, gleaming smile.

The hall full of guests burst into laughter at the Madras Pavilion, Sugar Land last Saturday, April 6 as the couple stood in front of them to celebrate their marriage almost a year ago. Due to their heavy work schedules, they were unable to plan the reception that Anushka’s mother Anita wanted to throw in their honor till this Spring. “But six months ago, we finally settled on a date that worked,” smiled Anita, a long-time Houstonian, “and I prepared for the reception.”

The reception was full of old-time friends and some relatives of the Kinra household. Anita has recently retired as a teacher from HISD and has been devoted to Vapasana Meditation for many years, even teaching courses every year and so has a large following among the community, as fact that Anushka alluded to as the extended family that she expressed thanks to for their support. A major part of the evening’s short entertainment session were dance and singing performances by the young Zara Shipchandler and the talented young couple of Phoenix Rose Murphy (his given name is Keshav Parikh) and Sarah Chybrzynski.

Ali is of Iranian descent, having come moved to Mesa, Arizona as a young 3 year-old, where his father Mehdi and late mother Mina settled. His father is retired from his pedriatric practice and stills lives in Mesa. Ali has two older sisters, also doctors.  Anushka, 31, grew up with her brother Rajiv in College-Station and graduated from UT-Austin.

The young couple moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in June 2012 where Anushka joined a private practice and Ali will complete a fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology at Oklahoma University Children’s Hospital by 2015.