Superfan Nav Has Been Married For 38 Years But His Wife Still Isn't A Raptors Fan
If you've lived in Toronto for more than a week, you probably know who Raptors Superfan Nav Bhatia is.
Nav has been rooting for the Raptors for over 20 years now, but it's not the longest relationship Nav has had.
Nav and his wife Arvinder recently celebrated their 38th anniversary on January 9, 2021, and with Valentine's Day coming up, Narcity called Nav to ask him how he was spending the day and what lessons he had from his successful marriage.
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How did Nav and his wife meet?
Nav told Narcity that he and his wife met in India in 1982, after their parents set the two of them up as potential partners.
They were married a month later, on January 9, 1983.
Nav said the wedding itself was simple, held in a Gurdwara, or temple, but that he hosted a 400-person party at Delhi's finest hotel afterwards.
A year later, the pair moved to Toronto to flee anti-Sikh violence, and it wasn't long before Nav found his second love — the Toronto Raptors.
Is Nav's wife a Raptors fan?
Nav told Narcity that his wife is not a Raptors fan — instead, Nav's obsession with the Raptors gets him a lot of flak from Arvinder.
"I've missed a lot of her wedding anniversaries ... I have missed a lot of her birthdays, I've missed a lot of her family functions because of the game," Nav laughed. "So she's not a big fan of me on that!"
Arvinder doesn't often go to the games, but she did see some games in the late 90s when her favourite player Allen Iverson came to town, Nav said.
But he said that she understands all the good Nav and his charities do for Raptors fans and Toronto.
"She's okay with it now," Nav said, "but I know that so many times we had this argument about me not going to every game and being crazy and all that. But I'm a stubborn guy!"
"That's my only addiction. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't womanize, I only Raptorize!"
What are their plans for Valentine's Day?
Nav said that the first time he ate at a restaurant in Toronto, he chose Moti Mahal on Gerrard Street.
But he says he prefers eating at home, which is what he'll be doing with Arvinder and their daughter Tia this Valentine's Day.
"I'm not a that much of it go-out food guy because she's a hell of a cook herself!" Nav told Narcity.
"We will sit just like any other day, we'll sit together, and we'll have the meal together," he said. "But I always say, for me every day is a Valentine's Day. And I mean that."
What's their secret to 38 years of marriage?
Nav said clear communication and treating his wife the way he wants to be treated himself is the key to their successful marriage.
"I'm really blessed to have her as my partner for 39 years now almost," he said.
Nav explained that in Indian culture, people say they have seven lives, and that he often tells Arvinder he wants her to be his wife for his next six lives as well.
"And she says, 'No, this one is enough! I don't want a second one! You're addicted to the basketball!'" he laughed.
"But no, I really adore her, I adore my daughter, we are a very loving family together. I tell you, God is good."