Aksat Seyitbekov, the chairman of the Motorcyclists' Community of Kyrgyzstan and one of the founders of the motorcycle house "Peppers," decided to surprise his second half, Nurgul. Their love story spans almost twenty years.
- We studied at the same school, then ended up in the same group at the university, - recalls Aksat. - At that time, I was a professional athlete - in freestyle wrestling, but due to injuries, I had to leave it. Nurgul helped me a lot: she wrote notes, explained the material I missed… We were friends for five years, and in 2000, after graduating from university, we got married, practically having nothing of our own. A year later, we had a son, two years later a daughter, and in 2005 we became parents for the third time… When we had three children and needed to look after them even more carefully, Nurgul left her job and dedicated herself to the home and raising the kids. I had to work hard for both of us. I was a civil servant… Instead of hanging out with a beer on weekends, I preferred active recreation: skiing, rafting, mountain hiking… My wife always supported me in this.
- When disagreements arise, how do you find a compromise?
- I’m lucky. My wife is a little rascal! - laughs Aksat. – She studied well, but she was a rascal in life, and that helps us a lot. For example, we don’t argue: we just talk, so to speak, “according to the rules”: we don’t yell, we don’t scream, we resolve issues peacefully. Yes, we have quarrels, there are things we don’t understand about each other, but in the end, we discuss it, and we find a compromise solution. Many women can, in the heat of an argument, not hear and understand you. But Nurgul… She has been in disputes, and therefore knows how to “properly resolve” - to build a dialogue! If I raise my voice, she calms me down and tells me to speak normally.
My wife supported me when I got into motorcycles. Soon after that, my friends and I opened the first motorcycle bar "Peppers." I had no doubt about who to make the administrator! A close person is best suited to oversee the business, so I appointed Nurgul as the manager. Moreover, she became one of the organizers of the "Moto Lady - 2015" contest, acting as a “mom” for the participants…
Many acquaintances are surprised: after all, you can’t just get into civil service! They wonder why I swapped my shirt and tie for a motorcycle? But I like this lifestyle! This year, my previous job came back to me: my acquaintances either ran for parliament or worked in party headquarters. And everyone asked me to promote them, to express loyalty to their party's course… I had to refuse. After all, the main rule of bikers is to stay out of politics! We can support the government separately, the mayor's office separately, but not a specific party!
This year, the Seyitbekov marriage celebrated fifteen years, and Aksat decided to delight his wife with an unusual surprise. The choice was obvious: the couple has been into motorcycles in recent years.
- I started preparing in advance. At a family council, we discussed that we wouldn’t celebrate this event widely – we would just go abroad... Only the leaders of three groups, who prepared surprises in different parts of the city, knew about my plan. The rest – both the participants of these groups and the guests – found out about the party only that same morning.
Motor Love
To ensure that his wife suspected nothing, Aksat arranged with one of the photographers for a shoot outside the city on "day X." While they were filming the "Love story," bikers, friends, and relatives of the couple prepared several surprises – all with a motorcycle theme. A cavalcade of bikers, displaying an iron multicolored heart made of bikes, awaited the jubilarians. Here, three magical words were spoken again… Then the bride was dressed in carefully prepared motorcycle gear, including a helmet with a veil. The roaring and rumbling column headed to the "Dasmiya" restaurant - where the central registry office is temporarily located, and where a ceremonial wedding ceremony was held again. Instead of wedding rings, the witnesses – the couple's children – presented specially prepared brand new motorcycle tires. Then the jubilarians were entered into the special book of the registry office and were also given a certificate confirming their 15 years of marriage. After that, the motorcycle convoy headed to "Peppers," where a buffet and a small concert program prepared by friends and relatives awaited the guests. Family photos were hung in the motorcycle bar hall, and close people to the couple sat on the benches. The bride's parents could not come to the celebration; they had an urgent trip.
Rome wasn’t built in a day!
The most important thing is that the surprise was a success. For the motorcycle bride - Nurgul - the whole day was a complete surprise.
- We studied at the same school, but we didn’t look at each other. It all started at the university when we ended up in the same group in the first year of the National University’s economics faculty. We sat at the same desk, and soon my future husband said to me one phrase that I remembered for life: “I looked at you in the fourth grade and decided to let you grow up, then I would win you over!” And he did! At first, he would walk me home after classes – on foot from KNU to "Vostok-5," from where I took bus 29 to my home on the other side of the city, in Jal… Our friendship lasted five years! There were all sorts of things, and we quarreled, of course, and didn’t talk, but we quickly made up: after all, we were studying together. Then came the time for the diploma defense, and after that, Aksat said to me: “Let’s go to the registry office! I’ve already told my parents that I’m marrying you!” About two weeks later, his parents came to our house to meet us without warning and said, “That’s it, we’re taking your daughter on August 25!” - she recalls.
- Not all couples withstand the test of family circumstances, domestic troubles, etc. You have succeeded. What is the secret?
- When we were still friends at the university, Aksat once said: “With your needs, I won’t be able to support you! Reduce them a bit, otherwise how will I, a student who just graduated from university, support you?”. I am the seventh child in my family, the youngest, and I was used to having older brothers and sisters who spoiled me. But when I got married, I was able to overcome this pampering: we really had nothing. We lived in an unfinished house, and children came in quick succession. There were times when my husband was unemployed, and I worked in civil service for a salary of 600 soms, and sometimes it was the other way around… How did we endure? I think it’s love! But besides that, our marriage has been preserved by mutual understanding and the ability to yield to each other. There were mistakes on both Aksat’s and my part, but we yielded and supported each other. And we always said: “Rome wasn’t built in a day!” And we built it - our Rome. He is my choice, and I am his! I have never called my husband bad names in public. My girlfriends were even surprised, saying: “You never complain about your husband! Don’t you and Aksat argue?”
- You didn’t argue, even when he announced his decision to switch to a motorcycle?
- About four years ago, he simply said: “I want to ride a motorcycle!”. I replied, “Well, buy one, you have the money!” and went to do my household chores. Soon he had his first iron horse! I was in mild shock, saying: “If you want to ride, go ahead, but remember you have three children and me”… What Aksat arranged for our 15th anniversary was a complete surprise for me! He loves to surprise. I remember for our ten years of marriage - for the tin wedding - my husband organized a big celebration for two hundred people without telling me. He gathered all the friends and relatives I hadn’t seen in a long time, but these people are very important to me. It was so touching!
I can say: for all fifteen years that we have lived together, I never know what to expect from my husband! And I am happy with him!