Love in a Time of Covid

The love between Tengku Alana Iman Shahirah and Faiz Dhiyaulhaq grew over the pandemic, culminating in their marriage

While the pandemic was a difficult time for many, there were some positives that came from it. For one, a lot of people had the time to ponder and reflect on situations and people in their lives, and this was true for Tengku Alana Iman Shahirah, who realised that Faiz Dhiyaulhaq was always there for her.

“Back then I guess she was distracted a lot, there was so much going on in her life, that she didn’t notice me the right way,” joked Faiz. The joke however had some truth behind it, as Tengku Alana agreed with his point, “Prior to the pandemic, there was just a lot to do, there were many places to be, many faces to see,” she laughingly adds.

Having first met way back in 2008 through a mutual friend’s birthday party, Tengku Alana admitted to not being attracted to Faiz to begin with. “I used to always bump into him a lot, as we had the same circle of friends,” she shares. “I’m friends with most of her cousins as well,” he interjects. They even travelled to a number of countries together along with other friends, and in 2012, Faiz eventually worked up the courage to profess his feelings to Tengku Alana.

“I basically didn’t give up; patience and perseverance were key! I used to hang out a lot more with her friends and family, more so to be around her,” Faiz confessed. “They would always be with me, and Faiz would make attempts to see me, and try to go out with me, which I always turned down back then,” she shares.