Reem Iqbal
Senior Growth Manager
I was in a relationship for almost 6 years. And things eventually didn’t work out. All hope was lost (my middle name is drama, I know). The easiest thing to turn to was a rebound. I decided to explore all my options and created a profile on well-known dating avenues. The results were a mixed bag. Some folks I really connected with – and some were as far removed from my preferences as far as could possibly be. Things were looking grim again.
Until, one day, I randomly stumbled upon a profile that had me quite intrigued. So I decided to initiate a conversation. Little did I know it was the beginning of a unique friendship with my now husband, Fahd. We had so much to talk about, we’d chat for hours and then that gradually progressed to speaking over the phone, all night long. I was still pretty guarded though and wanted to take my time to meet him.
We set up a date at my favourite Chinese restaurant, where he showed up 15 minutes late – and get this – had already eaten (his mom had made his favourite biryani).
I’ll save the suspense – we hit it off instantly. While he wasn’t my type on paper, there was something about him that kept drawing me back to him. He appeared genuine, and a really nice person who wanted to take his time to get to know me the right way, rather than just hook up. After several dates and a lot of should I-should-I-not, I finally decided that I wanted to open up my heart to him completely, and give this a real shot.
And so it began. The most special relationship of my life. It wasn’t love at first sight, but it is the most real, authentic relationship that I’ve ever had. I felt seen and cared for in a way that I hadn’t been before.
We decided to get married in 2021. We had to postpone our wedding by 6 months (thanks to Covid-19), but when it happened, it was everything that I had hoped for. We’ve been married for a little over two years and I’m so excited for our forever. I’m grateful for the best companion – selfless, authentic, loving and the perfect guy for me. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
Love tip: It doesn’t have to be all fireworks from the get go, it’s about the journey of building a life together. The old adage of opposites attract couldn’t have been truer, especially in my #FahReeTale.
Prathamesh Kulkarni
Senior Manager – Client Services
I was really into rock climbing in my early twenties, and became notorious for inviting people (acquaintances, friends, colleagues or whoever I could get hold of!) for a day out.
In this bid, I had invited an acquaintance from college – who brought her friend – Khushboo along. I added her on Facebook (which was the thing back in the day), as I would with anyone I had met casually. We got talking, and I invited her for a beer. Just a casual I’d-get-to-know-you. I knew she had a boyfriend, so there was no “spark” or instant romantic attraction on that day.
However, with time, the excitement to chat with her grew. Our conversations flowed non-stop, and no topic was beyond reach. In my eyes, here was a cool, creative designer from NIFT – an alien world for me – compared to my engineering background. The more we chatted, the more I enjoyed her company – especially her unconventional, all-encompassing approach to life. Her sense of independence and exploration made me feel liberated, and whenever I was with her, no two date experiences were actually alike.
After we met a couple of times, I told her that I felt a connection with her that was more than friendship. However, she just wanted to be friends, as she was dating someone else (now you’re thinking this could be the screenplay of an Imtiaz Ali film). We tried to stay just friends, but I had fallen for her. So we decided to part ways and cut contact. It was hard. What really helped me get over it was that she was so gentle and understanding about the whole situation.
In the interim, I pursued other interests like rock climbing, salsa dancing, and skiing with great fervour. I met a lot of interesting people and dated other women who ticked all my boxes. I even tried to get romantically involved, but somehow, it didn’t feel like how it had felt with her.
Two years later
I heard from someone that she was single again. I wanted to meet her. Out of curiosity. I wasn’t sure if things would still be the same, and there were butterflies in my stomach. Well. That evening was magical. As if nothing had changed. Our vibe and connection was just how it was before we had gone our separate ways.
And that, is how I met my now-wife. Long story short, we have been together for 9 years now, and every year I end up loving her more than the last. I never thought I would find someone like her, but I did. And I am so grateful for that.
Love tip: Sometimes things don’t work out the way we want them to, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a happy ending.
