Man Stages Fake Fall on Ice Rink During Proposal to Girlfriend as a Nod to 'Sliding' in Her DMs (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Gurneet Arora proposes to Ananya Batra.Photo:Arora Photography

Arora Photography

A man took falling in love literally for his proposal.

Gurneet Arora, 26, spent almost a full year planning his proposal to his girlfriend, Ananya Batra, 23. Their engagement on Jan. 5 at Gore Meadows Ice Rink in Ontario, Canada, involved a staged accident as a nod to how the soon-to-be groom slid into his fiancée’s DMs four years ago.

“I was so happy and shocked,” Batra tells PEOPLE.

Gurneet Arora’s fake fall.Arora Photography

The clueless bride-to-be thought she was ice skating with their friends and family, and dog Leo, to celebrate her boyfriend’s birthday, which was the previous day. She had even designed the invitations. In actuality, everyone else was in on Arora’s plot to propose.

“Gurneet thought it would be a perfect opportunity to propose because he knew I would have my nails done and wouldn’t expect a thing about him renting out the ice rink and having our friends there!” Batra says.

In another effort to reduce suspicion and secretly capture the proposal, Arora’s brother, Pavit ofArora Photography, told her he needed to take ice skating and hockey pictures of everyone there because he was applying to be a photographer for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and had to build his portfolio.

Ananya Batra rushes to help Gurneet Arora after his fall.Gurneet Arora proposes to Ananya Batra.Ananya Batra rushes to help Gurneet Arora after his fall.PHOTO:Arora PhotographyGurneet Arora proposes to Ananya Batra.PHOTO:Arora Photography

Ananya Batra rushes to help Gurneet Arora after his fall.Gurneet Arora proposes to Ananya Batra.

Ananya Batra rushes to help Gurneet Arora after his fall.

Gurneet Arora proposes to Ananya Batra.

Ananya Batra rushes to help Gurneet Arora after his fall.PHOTO:Arora PhotographyGurneet Arora proposes to Ananya Batra.PHOTO:Arora Photography

“Gurneet was playing me the whole time!” Batra says. “I was fully convinced that nothing is out of the ordinary!”

Around 8:15 p.m., Arora and his buddies pretended to race across the rink. That’s when Arora suddenly slipped, slamming his entire body onto the ice.

“We were watching them from the corner as they raced, and all of a sudden he falls really hard, and I got scared that he’s hurt,” Batra says. “I skate over to him to see if he’s hurt, and then everyone around him starts moving back.”

She continues: “He’s down so I couldn’t see him holding the ring. When I tapped him on the shoulder, he looks up with his cute smile, and he proposes!”

Gurneet Arora proposes to Ananya Batra.Arora Photography

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“During the fall, I was genuinely scared ‘cause he fell really hard and looked like he was really hurt,” Batra recalls. “Once I picked him up and he was down on one knee and proposing everything around me just paused, I didn’t hear any of the outside noise and it was just me and him being in the moment, and I fell in love with him even more … I was just so incredibly happy that nothing else mattered.”

When Batra went to pick up Arora after he fell, she asked him what happened. In response, he pulled out the diamond engagement ring and said, “I fell in love with you. Do you remember the very first message I ever sent you? Will you help me out one more time and marry me?”

Ananya Batra and Gurneet Arora.Gurneet Arora and Ananya Batra.Ananya Batra and Gurneet Arora.PHOTO:Arora PhotographyGurneet Arora and Ananya Batra.PHOTO:Arora Photography

Ananya Batra and Gurneet Arora.Gurneet Arora and Ananya Batra.

Ananya Batra and Gurneet Arora.

Gurneet Arora and Ananya Batra.

Ananya Batra and Gurneet Arora.PHOTO:Arora PhotographyGurneet Arora and Ananya Batra.PHOTO:Arora Photography

The fake fall was significant to the couple, who met through a mutual friend four years ago and began dating in July 2021, because it was representative of their first interaction together.

In early 2021, Arora was told that Batra was a huge Toronto Maple Leafs fan, so he sent her a GIF of the ice hockey team’s former player Matt Martin falling on the ice, along with a “corny” message that read: “I fell trying to slide into your dms, a little help?”

“From there we kept talking, got to know each other, watched Leafs games over Discord (it was the pandemic), and eventually started dating a couple months later!” Batra says. “To this day we try to watch as many Leafs games together as we can!”

source: people.com