Mumbai victim Lo Hwei Yen's husband, Mr Michael Puhaindran, recalls their happiness It was a smile that captured people.
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PICTURE OF HAPPINESS: A picture of Ms Lo Hwei Yen at her wake at her family's home at Teresa Ville at Lower Delta Road. TNP PICTURE: KUA CHEE SIONG

And it was a smile from within your whole being.

After meeting you that day, I asked Sandy: 'Who's the babe?'

It was another day at Spinelli when I bumped into you and I spoke to you and said we should have lunch together.

You probably asked yourself why the first lunch I suggested was at this place, San Marco, at the Fullerton.

It was kind of odd for a first lunch.

I guess we went for our first date on an office lunch, during lunch hour.


Your best attribute was that there was so much love about you.

A selfless love.

It was this love that really struck me about you.

You could be incredibly stubborn at times and incredibly feisty. And you knew what you wanted.

You were very much your own person.

But you also wanted to make people happy, buying drinks for them, to make sure they had a good time.

You gave your all to people.

Once people got to know you, they would realise what a precious gem you were.

I am 37.

You were 28.

I am nine years older than you.

And when I met you, I knew I wanted to marry you. I waited all my life to find you.

I took you to the Maldives in 2006, just eight months after getting to know you.

And I proposed to you there. On the very night we landed. I guess I couldn't wait.

You claimed you knew I was up to something because I was asking you leading questions, like if you were happy with me.

Being the lawyer, you were quite sharp and knew before I proposed.

We were at a villa at the Banyan Tree in the Maldives at midnight.

Everything was quiet under the beautiful moonlit night. That's when I asked you to be my wife.

You were very happy to say 'yes', and you cried.

You wanted a wedding in Bali. And we really had a beautiful wedding.

This year, we went to Melbourne and returned on 21 Nov.

We met friends there and had a great time.

We were both Kylie Minogue fans and went to her concert here, the night before you left for Mumbai.

Even though you were that much younger than me, you liked old things, like me.

In the last few weeks of our relationship, it was truly the best moments of my life.

As newlyweds, we had minor teething problems.

We had the occasional tiff. And a few months ago, we had a really good heart-to-heart talk.

I told you it looked like I had my demands not because I wanted you, but because I needed you.

You were really my entire life.

In your obituary, I said: 'My life has no meaning and no purpose.'

That's what I mean right now.

Everything I did, I did for you. My whole life really revolved around you.

You were truly the meaning of my life.

A few months ago, I explained to you that you were not something that was nice to have around.

You were what I needed.

You were part of me.

The last few weeks of your life with me were really, really truly wonderful.

You would have the most beautiful smile for me when you got home. It was truly, truly fantastic.

Marriage was work, we all knew that.

We had achieved some new level in our relationship.

I was indescribably happy. That's why it's even harder for me to talk about it.

I didn't even want you to get wet in the rain. I wanted to make your life as smooth as possible.

Needless to say, being unable to protect you, there's nothing to really say about that.

The day you left for Mumbai, we had to be at the airport by 5.45am.

Your flight was after 7am.

You had to give a talk in Mumbai and you were nervous about it. You went through your whole talk with me at the departure hall.

And I said your speech had substance and that you would charm them.

You reached Mumbai safely and you messaged me. Then came your message; that you had heard gunshots during dinner.

A few messages and phone calls and many agonising hours later, you were gone.

You were so brave.

I could talk for hours about you.

Because, basically, you were a wonderful human being.

Before I came back to Singapore, I did not know how I was going to carry on.

I did not pray after what had happened.

But when we had the first prayer session for you on Monday night, that pain dulled.

God is somehow watching over me.

Right now, it's one day at a time. There's no planning, no thinking of tomorrow.

It's going to be very hard.

I know you want me to live my life.

Whether I can do it or not, that's what my friends and family are for.

Their love, which they are pushing in my direction, is helping me push aside my grief for a while.

I remember my last words to you: 'I love you very much.'

And those were your last words to me, too.

I want people to know what a wonderful person you were.

The babe I had waited for my whole life.

By ANDRE YEO, based on what Mr Puhaindran said at a press conference yesterday  ¶ 6:28 AM