Victoria Ivantchev-Jha, 32, shares her story with Take 5.
As I entered the airport and locked eyes with my boyfriend, Panav, I ran straight into his arms.
“I’ve missed you so much,” I told him.
Our jobs as busy resident doctors had kept us 1400km apart and it was the first time we’d seen each other in months.
“Are you ready to hear where we’re going?” Panav said, grinning.
I nodded eagerly.
.jpg?resize=380%2C285)
Panav had arranged a trip for us, but had kept the destination a surprise.
“We’re going to Calgary!” he announced, handing me my plane ticket.
I was blown away.
Panav knew seeing the stunning snowy mountains at Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies had been on my bucket list for years.
“This is amazing,” I said.
Victoria and Panav met while studying medicine together.
(Image: supplied)It was moments like these that reminded me of how thankful I was to have met Panav when we were both in our mid-20s, and studying medicine, five years earlier.
After we arrived at Lake Louise and checked into a beautiful luxury resort, Panav suggested a walk on the frozen lake.
We walked onto the ice and then I gasped as Panav dropped to one knee and pulled out a diamond ring.
“Will you marry me?” he asked.
“Yes, of course!” I replied, ecstatic. It was such a magical moment.
Panav and I decided to have two back-to-back weddings – a western-style one and an Indian one.
Planning them while working 80-hour weeks over the next 10 months was no easy feat.
But it was all worth it once our first big day arrived in February 2023.
The wedding venue was exactly as I’d dreamt it, with beautiful chandeliers and white flowers everywhere.
Having so many family and friends – some who’d travelled overseas – come to celebrate with us meant so much.
That night, I went to bed feeling like the luckiest girl in the world, and when I woke the next day, I was excited to do it all over again.
Our second wedding was at a venue in a hotel where we’d be staying the night.
I wore a traditional Indian lehenga – an embroidered bodice and skirt.
“You look beautiful,” my sister and maid-of-honour, Nicole, said.
After the ceremony, we went to the reception where everyone danced the night away.
I even surprised Panav by performing a solo dance to an Indian love song.
“You were absolutely incredible,” he told me.
When the reception ended, everyone wanted to head to the hotel’s rooftop to keep the party going.
Panav and I got in the lift with Nicole, Panav’s best friend, Nikolai, and two other guests, Igor and Adriano.
Seconds after we started going up, the lift jolted to a sudden halt.
Panav and Victoria at their Indian wedding.
(Image: supplied)When the doors opened slightly to reveal a concrete wall, my heart started beating a little faster.
We were stuck between the lobby and the first floor.
“This isn’t good,” I said.
We tried pressing buttons, including the emergency alarm, but nothing was working.
“How are we going to let people know where we are?” I panicked.
“I’ve got phone reception,” Nicole said.
She called emergency services, who sent the fire department to the hotel.
Panav was also able to text some guests to let them know where we were.
The firefighters arrived soon after, but struggled to find a way to rescue us.
As minutes ticked by, I felt claustrophobic.
Nicole snapped a picture of Victoria and Panav in the lift.
(Image: supplied)“I’m losing oxygen,” I panicked, starting to hyperventilate.
I managed to snap myself out of it, seeing Panav sitting quietly on the floor.
He seemed upset, so I sat beside him and held his hand.
“We’re going to be okay,” I said.
Two hours later, we were still in there.
“We’re trying to find a way to hoist you out,” a firefighter told us.
Perhaps it was the lack of fresh air, but we slowly started seeing the funny side of the situation.
“I can’t think of a better way for a bride and groom to spend their wedding night,” Panav said.
Nicole took out her phone.
“Say cheese!” she said, snapping a picture of us.
Victoria climbs the ladder out of the lift.
(Image: supplied)It was definitely a night we’d all remember!
After being trapped for almost three hours, a firey landed on the lift roof, opened a panel and lowered a ladder.
He said they’d built a pulley system with a rig on the fifth floor.
“We’ll do this one by one,” he said.
As I climbed the rungs, hiking up my heavy skirt, I was terrified my shoes would slip.
On the roof, I was placed in a harness, which was attached to another firefighter and a rope.
Then we were pulled up four storeys to the exit on the fourth floor, below the rig.
Panav’s brother, Nikhil, and uncle, Manoj – the last guests remaining after the rooftop bar closed at 1am – were waiting with water bottles for us.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Nikhil said.
Panav and Victoria with the fire crew after they were rescued.
(Image: supplied)After we thanked the fire crew for their help, Panav and I went back to our hotel room, exhausted.
It took another hour to get undressed with all the jewellery and hair accessories I was wearing.
At 5am, I went to bed, thankful to get some sleep.
Next day, hotel staff apologised and offered us a discount.
They agreed to give us a complimentary night’s stay because of the extreme inconvenience.
Even though it was sad that we didn’t get to say goodbye to most of our wedding guests, I now consider this experience to be a blessing in disguise as it would have been worse if I was stuck in the lift alone.
Both weddings had been so perfect that something had to go wrong!
I’m so grateful that I still got to spend the night with my husband, which is what really matters.
