Media personality Shiksha Arora has opened up on how she met her husband, Salman Manji, revealing that their relationship began in the aftermath of the 2013 Westgate terror attack.
Speaking about their journey, Arora said the two first connected after she saw Manji in a video circulating online following the attack.
At the time, Manji had been inside Westgate Mall helping casualties during the crisis.
Their first interaction came through a Facebook message. Years later, that conversation grew into friendship, engagement, and marriage.
Arora explained that she was emotionally shaken after the attack and looking for ways to process what had happened.
“The terror attack happened. He was inside the mall. He was helping out with casualties,” she said while recalling the moment she first became aware of Manji.
She then saw a video on social media in which he appeared and decided to contact him directly.
“I sent him a message on Facebook because there’s a video that was doing the rounds on social media and he was a part of that video,” she said.
Arora admitted she was struggling emotionally at the time and wanted to speak with people who understood the pain and confusion many Kenyans were feeling.
“At that moment, I felt I was very sentimental and I was in a very dark place,” she said.
“I was just reaching out to people who were going through similar things and trying to have conversations because I knew that having a conversation with someone was the best way to healing.”
After Arora sent the message, the two started talking regularly.
“Obviously I reached out to him and then we started talking, and that’s how we got to become friends,” she said.
That friendship later grew into a romantic relationship. The couple got engaged in 2019 before marrying in 2021.
Arora also shared candid thoughts about adjusting to marriage, describing it as a journey that continues to teach her new lessons.
“It’s been very interesting to say the least,” she said.
“It just feels like you have a roomie who is now your husband.”
Arora said marriage has pushed her to grow and adapt in ways she did not fully expect.
“This transition has been something that has taught me a lot of things. I’ve had to learn and unlearn a lot. I feel like I’m still taking it a day at a time, still trying to get used to it.”
Even with the changes, she said she is enjoying the journey.
“Maybe I’ll figure it out in future. But yes, enjoying it.”
