Jab we met: 'My life is a joyride because of her'

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 Jay's experience:

Ladies and gentlemen, here I am describing a very romantic love story -- mine (Jay) and my wife's (Payal). 'Jab we met' -- these three words take me back to when I first saw her (very coincidentally). Some of you may find this story very, very filmy but it's true.

Me and my wife met for the first time at a dance class owned by my brother Gaurav, at a time when well-known dancers of Vadodara, brought together by my brother, were to perform a charity show for the blind; Payal is a trained bharatanatyam dancer. The moment we looked at each other, we realised an unknown bond of friendship and started talking like old friends. An old saying goes 'Good friends are better lovers and best life partners' (actually I wrote this punch line...thanks).

For a few days, while practicing for the dance show, we came closer and really became very close. We started understanding each other so fast and so well that our other friends could not believe how two people can know each other so closely within a short period of time. There was something between us which was not love at that time, but something else, which drove us for a few years, caring for and missing each other, even though we were very far from each other for a long time.

And finally came the moment when our destiny clubbed us together once again. After my engineering studies in Pune, I got my job back home in Vadodara. And then started the rollercoaster ride of our togetherness, beginning with our engagement and then marriage (of course, with a lot many difficulties to convince our parents). Then the ride took us to Delhi and then back to Pune and finally to Germany. It's truly said that if you get a partner like I got (a true friend), life becomes such a joyride, which we are enjoying today. We are happily married for four years now and are blessed with a sweet baby girl named Eve (8 months). I wish my wife a Happy Valentine's Day and thank her for being my Valentine throughout my life.

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

'A fateful meeting'

Here is Anubha and Sharad's story:

It was January 2005. I was then a third-year engineering student of a private college in Kolkata and used to live there alone as my family stayed in Burdwan, around 100 kilometres from the city. On January 2, 2005, three of my college friends came to my house in Burdwan and the best day of my life was only 48 hours away.

On January 4, my friends, my sister and I were to return to Kolkata from home. My sister had a reserved ticket, while the four of us had to board a general compartment. The train was the Shantiniketan Express scheduled at 2:10 pm in Burdwan. When we went to settle my sister into her alloted seat, we saw the whole compartment full of girls returning from their school tour. It was a unanimous decision, then, that we were going to spend the entire 2-hour journey in the same compartment!

It was a lot of fun and us four guys chose our respective girls to flirt around with. But it was not my luck then...she was sitting among the lot unnoticed at that time. In fact, it was her friend who I started flirting with in the train. A few days later, a call came from one of the girls, as we had all exchanged cellphone numbers. I started chatting with the girl and then met up with some of them. Till now my lady luck was not in the picture. But then D-Day arrived..My present wife-cum-girlfriend came with my phone friend to meet me. I took her phone number and we started to chat. It was less than a month when we realised we were in love. Then we started to date each other and finally, after 5 years of dating, we tied the marital knot on January 25, 2010.

'She was simple and beautiful'

Here, Amit Verma recollects how he met his wife:

I underwent a great depression when my first girlfriend left me without saying why she was breaking off the relationship. My parents were really worried about me because lots of things suffered (my personal life, my office life and my friend circle, who were continuously searchin for my happiness) due to my depression. Thereafter, my parents started searching for the right girl for me.

I met many girls but hadn't found the right one. Then, one day, we got a picture of Sarita, which was really a very simple photograph, not like the ones people send for matrimonial purposes.

I refused to meet her only because she and her family lived far away in Alwar, Rajasthan and I am in New Delhi. But her parents agreed to come to New Delhi so that we could meet and discuss our thoughts. Then I met Sarita in December 2008 at Birla Mandir, in New Delhi. She looked very simple and beautiful. We talked for just 30 minutes and shared some important information about our lives. We agreed with each other's views and thoughts. She is just the girl that I want in my life as a partner. On the same day, I told my parents that they could talk to hers and fix up our marriage. My parents were also really happy to have Sarita as their bahu.

Valentine's Day has a great importance in my life now because I found my Valentine on that day -- that was my engagement day. And now it's going to be one year with this Valentine's Day. We both are very lucky to have each other in our lives.

'I spent years worrying about whether to propose'

This is Jayprakash Annigeri's account:

I am an IT professional working in an MNC; my wife is also a working IT professional. Now coming to the story...

It was during my BSc second year that I first saw my girl. I had joined the NSS (National Social Service) group of our college to volunteer on weekends. Once, the group decided to make the yearly team outing to a village to create a ground for a school, proper gutters and plant trees. It was a long stay of 10 days amongst the villagers.

I was a very small-looking person with a slim build, so no girl would ever look towards me. After a couple of days' stay at the camp, one fine day, my girl came to offer me a glass of water. I was so thirsty after the day's work that I felt that God had sent her to me. I drank the water, asking for more and more and all the time was watching her face. That day onwards, all dreams were just about her. It was not love initially, as I felt a kind of respect towards her. She was jolly with good friends all around her. Somehow the camp came to an end (though I never wanted it to end) and we had to go back. After that, I used to see her daily; I would try to be at places from where she would pass. I even used to stand at the college gate waiting for her to come. Though she never talked to me, I always waited for her.

Once we got our degree, I got admission to the MCA and on the first day of college I saw her. I realised that she had also taken admission. This made me really happy and I was on top of the world. Somehow, due to my shyness to talk to girls or something, I could not talk to her much during the first year. Our college was around 25 kilometres from our hometown and so we used to go by bus. I started waiting for her everyday at the bus stand and used to catch the same bus daily. Though she never realised that I was following her, I used to keep looking at her in the bus.

Slowly, after my friends' consistent force, I decided to approach her and make friends. I started asking her for college notes, books and slowly got to talk to her on the phone (we did not have the mobile phone craze at that time). I used to call her and talk to her. This continued for 2 years. I could not gather the courage to propose to her. I felt depressed and by that time the exams were over and I had to go to Mumbai to do my 6 month project. I lost contact with her gradually as she was doing her project in Bangalore.

MCA got over and I took life more seriously than love and other things. I came to Bangalore and started my job hunt. After some hard searching, I got a job and shifted to another company within 6 months.

It was by this time I realised and was repenting that I should have proposed to her. The main reason that stopped me from proposing was what if she said no? I could not hear a 'no' from her, which would make me repent my whole life.

Around March 2006, I met her in a private bus travels shop. I talked to her, we exchanged phone numbers. Now since I was working in an MNC I dared to talk more freely with her. Our friendship increased and we used to SMS or call quite often. One fine day I invited her to coffee at Cafe Coffee Day. She started feeling comfortable talking to me, which continued for some days. After a few days of talking / meeting I came to know her parents were looking to get her married. I thought this is the time. I gathered all my courage and invited her out. I still could not get up enough courage to express my love.

That night, I messaged her about my feelings, my love towards her. I even messaged her that I wouldn't feel bad if she disagreed. She came from a traditional family and started worrying what her parents would think, would they scold her, would they get hurt if she conveyed this news. With all such thoughts in mind, she said it's not possible, blah blah blah...

I agreed, but insisted that she ask her parents just once and if they disagreed, I would never ever trouble her again and we could just be good friends. By this time I had gifted her a ring, a Valentine's gift. She also had gifted me a ring.

At last, one fine day, she informed her parents about my proposal. They initially hesitated a lot, but then agreed to meet me and my parents. At the first meeting only they felt very happy and immediately approved the marriage. This was enough for me as I had got my dream girl, a dream come true!

We got engaged and then married on February 22, 2007 with full blessings of family, friends and relatives. We are happily married now for almost 3 years and have a 3-month-old baby.

I just want to say here that if your love is true and dedicated, then approach. Don't get disheartened if you lose it. At least you will be happy that you truly loved her.

'We met online after my first marriage ended'

And finally, we have Mumbai-based Ashok Shah's experience meeting his wife:

I was completely depressed as my first marriage did not work out. For a couple of months I used to be lonely -- go to work, come back, sleep, eat and again work. In March 2009, I joined Jain Matrimony just to flirt with gals. However, I found one profile which was quite interesting and decided to give it a go. I became a paid member and sent her my details. That same evening, I received a call from her and we talked for about 15 to 20 minutes.

This continued for around 10 days and we finally decided to meet. On the day of our meeting, I received a call from her mother that she was not keeping well and would be late. I was a little angry as I had already reached the place 15 minutes early and was informed that she would be there after an hour.

I spent an hour and 15 minutes at the place we had decided to meet and thought she would turn up in a salwaar kameez, but when she came I was shocked to see her in jeans and a kurta. The first meeting was awesome and after a few days, I proposed to her over the phone. She replied that I had to meet her parents first and if they approved, then she would think it over.

I met her parents along with a few of her other relatives at Hotel Woodland in Thane. They approved and in a couple of days, there was a 'yes' from her. She met my parents and finally the marriage was held on June 25, 2009.

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