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Jab we met: 'I have my parents to thank!'

Last updated on: February 5, 2010 17:52 IST

As part of our Valentine's Day celebrations, we invited readers to write in telling us all about their love stories. Here, we publish a few more responses. First up we have reader Sapna Khandelwal's experience:

I never really believed in arranged marriages. But I also knew that I really did not have much of an option. So I met a lot of guys and rejected most of them. I met Vaibhav on my business trip to my head office in the US, in May 2007. I had a very short trip (just 4 days). However, my parents had put forward a condition, that if I went to the US, I needed to meet him as well. So I reached on Thursday and met him on Friday.

At our first meeting itself, I knew that things were just clicking between us. Time flew away so quickly. We could talk on any subject, and it never felt like we were meeting for the first time.

But destiny was to add some spice to our story. It so happened that he had made plans to take me around on the following weekend even before asking me. However, I had already promised my CEO that I would spend time with him and his family that weekend. So when Vaibhav told me about his plans, I had to say no to him (with a heavy heart); since it was my CEO who got me there, I thought I should stick to my promise, and I let Vaibhav know this.

After spending time with my CEO's family on Saturday, I called Vaibhav on Sunday to see if we could meet then. But he was so pissed off by me not choosing to go out with him the previous day that he did not even talk properly to me. Then when I came back to India, and my parents spoke to his parents about our meeting, they said they would rather have a bahu who is more committed to family than work. They interpreted my behaviour as being very career-oriented, which I was not.

That day I felt really bad and called his dad to tell him the entire story , because I did not want them to misunderstand me. That one call made all the difference, and they started liking me more because I had the guts to confront them and tell them the truth. So Vaibhav started calling me again, our families met and we got engaged in November, 2007. The entire episode just turned out to be a misunderstanding, and we quickly realised this. Our marriage date was set for November 2008.

That entire year of courtship was one of the best years of my life, because just then I realised that Vaibhav had all the qualities, in fact much more, than I could have ever expected. He understood things about me even before I did.

It has been over a year now after our marriage, and I still find him the best. Every day of our togetherness seems like bliss. I thank God every moment for making me trust my parents to find my match, because I really couldn't have found a better match for me than him.

In the romantic spirit of Valentine's Day, share your special love story with us. Write in to us at getahead@rediff.co.in (subject line: 'Jab We Met'). You can also include a photograph of you and your partner and we'll publish the best entries right here on rediff.com

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'Only after his horoscope didn't match was I interested!'

Last updated on: February 5, 2010 17:52 IST

Here is Anubha and Sharad's story:

I was an independent-minded person who was fully aware that marriage would bring unwanted restrictions. Hence I was determined to shoot down every proposal my parents brought my way. This was pretty easy to do, since I worked in a different city and my folks lived far away. So when my father mailed me snaps of a naval officer and asked me to consider, I was a bit upset; things had never reached this far. I remained upset the entire day and conveyed the same to my mother. I told her in no uncertain terms that this rishta was not acceptable to me and I would never speak with her and Dad if they ever sneaked something like this at me again. So obviously, my joy knew no bounds when Mom informed me the next day that things had not worked out since the horoscopes did not match.

A few days later while I was travelling to the office, I started thinking about this guy with whom my horoscope didn't match. I had not yet deleted the concerned mail from my inbox. Imagine my surprise when upon reaching office I found a message from the same guy on a popular social networking site. He knew my name, date of birth and what I looked like. He wrote that he felt a very strong connection with me upon seeing my snap and that he HAD to get in touch with me. He sent me his number and asked me to call him. I am a practical, no-nonsense person. But surprisingly, I wasn't offended by his assumptions. I replied to his message but did not call him. Finally, upon being coaxed by a friend I gave him a call after a week. And ended speaking with him for two hours straight! Within a week of our first conversation he landed at the city I worked in. We spent two days together, with me mostly showing him around. But those were the two best days ever. Eighteen days later he proposed and six months down the line we got married.

Today we have been married for almost three years and have a lovely 18-month-old daughter. I think I made my parents happy by finally getting hitched and more importantly, I was able to take this decision myself without bowing down to pressure. And yeah, like any other normal couple we too have our down days, when we really doubt our choice. But what matters is that despite (or in spite of) everything we are still together. I truly believe that marriages are made in heaven. How else do you explain the uncanny sense of having known a stranger forever or for wanting to spend the rest of your life with him/her?

''26/11 made us realise how much we loved each other'

Last updated on: February 5, 2010 17:52 IST

Here, Reenu Verma recollects how she met her husband:

It all started with an e-mail. After I completed my MBA, I went to the USA to visit my sister. While I was there, one of my really good friends ended up in Delhi, with a bunch of roommates from everywhere.

One day, I received an e-mail from a person that I knew nothing of, but the content in it reminded me so much of my Delhi friend that I replied asking, 'Jassi is that you?' and that person (who, it utrned out, was my friend's roommate) replied saying, 'You really know your friends!' That's how we started talking to each other over e-mails. Everyday.

He eventually became my online help as I tried to make my way into the IT world in Indore (he was already working). We were in touch through the cyberworld for more than a year before we met each other for the first time. It was in Delhi. I was visiting some college friends of mine. He promised me a movie and ice cream. We watched Dhadkan together (my first movie at PVR cinemas -- I was amazed). It was the weekend of August 15 and he had it off. But day after day he kept postponing his trip to his hometown...and day after day I felt happier as he did. I knew I was struck, I just didn't know if he was too.

After I came back to Indore I waited for him to realise and he did, on Yahoo Messenger. Yahoo Messenger has been my best friend ever since. We were apart most of our dating period and became experts at cyber communication.

Our struggle started after we realised how we felt for each other. Parents rejected our love, jobs kept us apart and then 9/11 happened. He was in New York and I was in California at the time. I thought I would die trying to get in touch with him. Cell phones didn't work, e-mail didn't work and I was going crazy. His parent tried calling me and him. Understandably, they were going crazy too.

It was the worst day in my life. I had been home the whole day, just trying and praying, but nothing happened. Then in the evening my cell rang and I heard him on the other end. I felt alive again. I think this brought us even closer and made us even more determined to make it happen. And it did happen -- he moved to California and a year later I became Mrs Manoj Verma. We have been happily married for 7 years and have a 5-year-old son.

'We met online'

Last updated on: February 5, 2010 17:52 IST

This is Singapore-based Debdeep Bhattacharya's account:

I'm an Indian staying in Singapore for the last few years. It may sound a bit weird, but our love story started via an arranged matrimony portal.

Yes, I met Jayana for the first time online on Bharat Matrimony. She is an Indian-origin Singapore national. We liked each other's profile, chatted for a few days and finally thought of meeting. We decided to meet after our office hours. It was a Friday and she chose to meet in a riverside garden (I had never gone there before, by the way).

That day, I came back early from the office, pumped my biceps and triceps in the gym (to impress her, :)) and reached the spot 15 minutes before time. The place was really serene with a nice breeze blowing. Light background Russian music could be heard from a nearby theatre. She came there soon after and we saw each other for the first time in person. My Sweet Lord! She was looking gorgeous in a blue and white salwar suit. We talked for a couple of hours and I offered to take her to dinner at an Indian restaurant (both of us are foodies and travel-freaks), then dropped her home.

After this meeting, we have regularly met each other on weekends and started finding compatibility. Finally, I proposed marriage on September 25, 2009 during the Autumn Festival and after getting the green signal from her, there was a lip-lock.

I talked to my mom regarding her and she arrived here to see her and to have a conversation with her parents. There could have been a cultural mismatch as I am a Bengali and she has her roots in MP, but by the Almighty's grace, things worked well and we are now planning to get married soon.

Finally, I would like to thank the Bharat Matrimony team sincerely. And above all, it is Ramji's blessings upon us.

'We were engaged within 15 days!'

Last updated on: February 5, 2010 17:52 IST

And finally, we have Anish Nair's experience meeting his wife Shyama:

My wife Shyama and I had a totally different meeting from the usual arranged marriage. Our forefathers and relatives hail from Kerala, but I am born and brought up in Gujarat; my wife was settled with her family in Chandigarh. I was not keen on looking for a bride for myself, but she was. I uploaded my profile on a national matrimony website just to check out some chicks there and it was where she found me. She showed her interest, but I was pretty sure it was not going to work out, as neither of us could view each other's contact details as free subscribers.

I tried my luck by looking her up on a social networking site with the same name and location, and was lucky to find her. In short, our love story ended in a decision to marry within just15 days approximately! Here are the details:

December 17, 2008: She showed interest in me on the matrimony site.
December 18, 2008: I accepted and found her on the social networking site.
December 19, 2008: We had a friendly, witty chat on messenger.
December 20, 2008: We had a telephonic conversation of about 15 minutes on each other's daily routine.
December 21, 2008: We indulged in an hour of flirtatious talk, but something about seriousness towards marriage. That same evening, her mom called asking for the kundali (horoscope). I was trembling when I informed my parents about all these things!
December 22, 2008: Our parents spoke, discussing the kundali and other family background details.
December 23, 2008: The kundali matched to a good extent and her parents requested us to visit them in Chandigarh.
January 2, 2009: We boarded the train to Chandigarh to meet her and her parents. At first eye contact I fell in love with her -- ohh, yes! The first thing she served me was cough syrup -- the time was 10.30 at night, as we reached there very late in the evening.
January 3, 2009: Her parents gave their final approval, and we discussed the ceremony.
January 4, 2009: They decided to get us engaged on February 4, 2009.
February 4, 2009: We got engaged.
August 30, 2009: We got married!