Jab we met: 'First meeting lasted 9 hours!'

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

It all started through Shaadi.com. Yup...me and my hubby met through a matrimonial site because none of us wanted to get married in our respective circle of relatives -- we both were looking for someone who was interesting and could share the same passions. I was also very particular, as I wanted to continue with my career after our marriage which was not that easy in our community. As we were both Gujarati and mangalik, it was the major criteria for our parents, which matched perfectly through the matrimonial site.

We initiated chatting, which was followed by long phone calls that ended up for almost 2-3 hours every day. Then came D-day. Mehul decided to visit me in Delhi; well, here I would like to mention he is from from Mumbai and I am a typical Delhiwali. It wasMarch 8, 2008 and we decided to meet at Sarvana Bhawan, Janpath, Delhi. I went there with my dad and asked him to wait for sometime.

The first thing my dad told him was that he couldn't speak Gujarati and couldn't cook -- my dad has a great sense of humour! The first thing he told my dad was he was not looking for a typical Gujju girl. After my dad left, we spend almost 9 hours together. We talked about everything from Mumbai and Delhi to our preferences, lifestyle, politics. We also discovered the same passions like eat out, travelling, trekking, movies which were a great relief for me, as I am an avid traveller and so was he.

We had so much fun at our first meeting that we roamed around through Delhi and went to the Qutub Minar, Jama Masjid and then back to Janpath. He dropped me back to my place. After our first meeting the talking time on the phone and chatting time increased tremendously.

Next meeting was held on April 20,  2008 again at Janpath. Mehul came with his friend and this time they visited our place and met my parents. This time the meeting was a little serious, as we had to take our decision. When Mehul left my parents were okay with him. The conversations continued and finally I decided to visit Mumbai to meet his parents and bhaiya and bhabhi, who were visiting him from Bangalore. I met his family on May 18, 2008 and we got the approval. However, my dad wanted to meet his family so he made a visit to them on June 6, 2008. Things worked out and we got engaged on June 21, 2008.

Although we would like to have started our lives early, my sister, who was expecting her second baby in the USA, delayed our plans. She delivered a beautiful baby girl on Oct 14, 2008 and exactly 4 months later, ie February 14, 2009 we got married in Mumbai. We had our honeymoon in Kerala and Tamilnadu and seriously, we had the most rocking time of our lives.

However we both are short-tempered and have seen upheavals some imes in our personal and professional life, but overall the journey has been great with food, travelling and of course lots of masti.

February 14 is close to our hearts not only because we got married on this day, but we both have added so much of entertainment and adventure to our lives.

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Here is how Prakash Bhargava met his wife Sapna:

The year was 1989 when they were showing the TV serial where Mr Yogi comes from the USA to look for a prospective bride. My nieces used to call me Mr Yogi too, since I was on a 3-week vacation in India looking for that special someone. My mother had arranged meetings with 8 potential girls, but I was not impressed enough to say YES right away.

In the US, whenever I used to play the keyboard at parties I used to sing Mere Sapnon Ki Raani Kab Aayegi Tu and at the end of the song used to joke with people to check at the door if my dream girl had come. Out of the blue this tall, beautiful and fair girl was suggested whose name was Sapna. Initially I liked her photo and when we met her family, I asked to speak to her alone.

During the 20 minute conversation, we were laughing and talking as if we had known each other for a very long time. I knew right then that she was the one whom I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Everyone sitting outside was surprised to hear us laughing at the first meeting. The marriage was fixed and we went out to have dinner alone, which was great, sitting and eating from one thali -- we don't even remember what we ate -- and then had ice cream at the famous Nirula's.

We got married within 2 weeks and now have 3 beautiful children. I know I don't tell her often enough, but having her there for me makes all the difference in my world. After nearly 2 decades, it still feels like a dream come true and I feel so lucky that I found my sapnon ki raani.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, SAPNA!

This is Suhas Kumar Som's short but inspiring tale:

In those days, you could not romance around with your girl friend before your marriage. We were married on January 20, 1982 through a newspaper advertisement. The selection process of an orthodox family followed.

But love began after that. It bloomed. It took us through life with joys, sorrows. But we loved each other more and more everyday. We discovered love as the greatest silent sacrifice for your Valentine. God's world becomes more meaningful and beautiful with love.We are now in the lap of loving nature at Yercaud in Tamil Nadu.

Let's love all and hate none.

I met Vikash for the first time when I joined a steel plant as junior manager (Comm) on June 28, 2006, two days after I landed in Bhilai. A quick glance at the young manager sitting in my boss' room made me feel jubiliant -- he was the first young officer I met here! He was supposed to take me around the ore handling plant -- the stockyard of raw materials. A brief summary of the plant was shown to me by him on his PC.

With safety helmets over our heads, we set out to explore beds of iron ore, silica and limestone, with mammoth stackers, barrel reclaimers and excavators in an open field. It was the first place we hung out together! When I was trying to move up to the driver's seat in the reclaimer, Vikash wanted me to get down -- I was impressed with his concern for me! We returned to his cabin, where we exchanged pleasantries over glasses of water.

A day later, I was getting bored and thought of calling the only guy I had met so far in Bhilai. So I used my office intercom to give him a buzz. He seemed to be expecting my call. A few minutes of idle gossip marked our first conversation on the phone. The same evening I got a tinkle on my phone -- we kept chattering away till I asked him to stop enquiring about my schedule for the next day. The next evening, again I got numerous calls from him and enjoyed the gossip session. He asked me whether he could take me out for lunch the next day and I agreed!

So lunchtime made us meet at work, I quickly took a seat in his car and was ready to head to a nice restaurant. Ghazals played on the way, and I learnt that he was a big fan of ghazals. We ordered a simple meal and when we were through, I gently touched his ring finger and asked him which stone he was wearing. He took no time in holding my hand. The same evening, after work, he took me out to New Civic Centre and bought popcorn for me. Seeing his shy behaviour, I decided to hold his hand first as we walked along an empty street. He was making a fuss that I should feed him with popcorn, which I budged to before waving goodbye to him.

His visits to my place became frequent after work, and sometimes we got time to catch a bite at Coffee House during lunchtime. He refused to hang up the phone when it was time for me to sleep, and I used to persuade him to hang up!

Interactions on a daily basis meant that we did most things after work together -- whether it was buying groceries or vegetables, or furniture for my house. When my luggage arrived from Delhi, he was the first one to help me out arrange my things. A few months later, he expressed his love for me...but I didn't give an answer. A few months later, I also felt that I loved him too.

I still remember that day when he proposed to me with all his simplicity. I didn't give him any reply. He waited for me all the time but I made it clear that I was here to work and not get emotionally involved. He kept trying. Two months later, when we were on a trip to Pachmarhi, I chose to accept his proposal as he was in an upset mood after I argued with him during the day. He was overjoyed...thrilled...simply on top of the world !! We drove back the next morning.

Next month (April 2006), I was in Delhi to attend a friend's wedding. I thought of giving an interview with the newsdesk of CNN-IBN and I landed the job. I went back to Bhilai and shared the news with everyone. Vikash was extremely upset and in some days, I realised that I couldn't live without him. I chose to stay back. It's thanks to CNN-IBN that I realised the importance of my life partner!

I called my parents, and informed them about my decision. They asked me to think rationally and decide -- they were willing to support me either way. I decided to get married to Vikash. A flurry of phone calls later, my parents came to Bhilai and talked to Vikash's parents. We got engaged the same evening at his sister's place! I was extremely happy...and a week later, it was decided that I will get married to Vikash on December 3, 2007!

So the magical moment came in December and we tied the nuptial knot. I wore sindoor on my forehead for the first time and realised that a major transformation had occurred in my life -- I had become Mrs Aparna Chandra from Ms R Aparna. And it's not all about the name but my life! With an extremely loving, caring and practical partner, I've embarked on my journey for life and I'm sailing quite high!

Me and my husband have a typical love story, which starts way back in 2002 in our engineering college of Pune, where we first got to know each other. We met for dates without telling friends -- at Cafe Coffee Day , our College Street, Manmeet Chaat Centre and the most famous place for a bike ride in Pune, on NDA Road. Hey, it was fun like crazy. I had the best time of my life enjoying that -- love actually makes one crazy. I used to actually dance on all possible love songs. Aman, my boyfriend and my husband, had driven me completely crazy!

Our first meeting or date was at River View Restaurant -- dinner by candlelight -- in Pune. Oh it was Karva Chauth Day too! And coincidentally it was Sunday and I fasted on Sundays. So on my first date I was sipping on orange juice and Aman was thinking that I had kept Karva Chauth fast -- it was a fun feeling!

Our phone bills were rising like crazy! All the STD booth owners from our college street knew me...they used to give me a separate section as I used to talk for more than 2 hours with him! Out whole monthly kharcha use to go in the phone bills!

I still have fresh memories of all our dates and every meeting was like a fresh date. Aman used to give me a bundle of surprises on every date, ranging from gifts, surprise visits at our hostel in the night , doing crazy things. Hey, I love him so much!

Then the day came for some serious decision of marriage -- Aman was very keen on getting married but the MAJOR HURDLE was our caste, he being a Sikh and I being a Brahmin. It created major problems and took us 3 years to convince our parents after our college got over.

Finally we got married in 2007 and it's been a wondeful journey of love and only love. My husband is the best GIFT GOD gifted me! I am the luckiest wife in this whole world. On this Valentine I just want to say that I love my husband the most -- he is my best friend, best life partner and best person to be with!

Jab we met is the best thing happened to both of us -- from that first meeting we are together and INSEPARABLE.