Rediff reader Akanksha Badal from Hyderabad tells us how she met her partner Rahul Shukla and fell in love.
It was 2008. I was studying BBA in Gwalior and Rahul was pursuing MBA from Mumbai.
Our parents stayed in the same neighbourhood and my father knew his uncle. They worked together.
I told my father that I'd like to pursue higher studies from one of the metros after my graduation.
My father discussed the idea with his friend, who turned out to be Rahul's uncle.
Since Rahul was in Mumbai, he suggested to my father that I speak to him.
My father shared Rahul's number with me.
We talked over the phone just once.
There was no communication for the next few months.
Then he wished me Happy New Year 2009.
Soon, we started sharing forwarded messages with each other.
I went to Bangalore to study MBA and shared my new number with him.
I ignored him initially when he wanted to talk to me because I had someone else on my mind (although it was one-sided).
Coincidentally his name was also Rahul.
I spoke to Rahul like a friend.
After a few months I started sharing everything with him.
I loved the way he listened to me and our opinions were mostly similar.
Then one day he directly proposed marriage.
We had only spoken to each other over the phone; I had never seen him.
I requested that we meet once.
So Rahul came to Bangalore.
My first impression about him wasn't good. I didn't like him much; I found him too lean.
We spent three days together exploring the city. I gradually started knowing and liking him.
It took six more months to admit that I loved him.
Initially, both of us hid it from our parents as it was too early to inform them.
He had just just joined a company and I was doing my MBA.
In 2013 we informed our respective parents. Both sets of parents did not agree.
Six months later after a lot of convincing, they finally agreed.
We got engaged on my birthday -- April 2, 2014.
We married on December 6, 2014 and were blessed with a son on June 8, 2018.
