32 minute read
COVER STORY
It’s that time of the year again when As we delve into the Valentine’s month, it things red and pink, flowers, chocolate boxes, and the usual. Although, with a change towards this day has also changed, some like wanting to try a sport that gives them getaway for spiritual purposes; signing up for the day with people in desperate need of
LOVE ME LIKE YOU DO
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COVER STORY |
expressions of affection and love fill the air. brings along with it an imminent arrival of all champagne, an overdose of heart-eye emojis in the times each year, people’s approach having a more adventurous plan for the day, an adrenaline boost; some wanting a tranquil fun, quirky classes together; or just spending some love, like old age homes or orphanages or pet homes. Valentine’s Day is all about spreading love and a day when you can take your relationship and turn it into something special. If you’re not in a relationship, then spend your time with your close friends and do something special for them. After all, there is no love purer than friendship.
Valentine’s Day is historically celebrated in the name of a certain mysterious patron, Saint Valentine. There are a ton of legends surrounding who he was and how this day came to be, but boy, are we glad that it somehow came into existence! We always read books and watch movies about true love and its saga, but this time we’ve rounded up a few of our favourite real life couples, their real love stories, plans for Valentine’s Day and the real success to having great camaraderie in your relationships, right here in this issue. These are warm and fuzzy stories to satisfy your heart.
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Tanya & Minash
What is the quirkiest factor you like about each other? Tanya: Minash has the most sarcastic sense of humour that I absolutely love. Minash: Tanya can be the biggest drama queen ever.
What are some things you do to keep your relationship growing? We challenge each other constantly, be it at work, in the gym or simply figuring things out for our future. We are very driven individuals and the friendly completion to outdo each other helps us stay at the top of our respective games.
If you could change one thing about each other what would it be? Absolutely nothing!
With both of you having a busy schedule how do you find time to spend exclusively with each other? It’s not that difficult since we’re business partners, we manage some quality time through the week and over the weekends too!
Are there any changes in the two of you after marriage? Not really, we never believed in the idea of marriage but now that we are married we tend to cherish and appreciate both the ups and downs that come with the terrain.
Tell us something about you guys as a couple that nobody else knows? We are literally the same people in two different bodies. We think, act and sometimes finish each other sentences, which is freak every now and then.
One memory from the wedding that will stay with you forever? Minash: Tanya walking down the aisle will forever be a highlight in my life. Tanya: Minash and I laughing and enjoying every moment of our wedding!
What is the one thing that you will never compromise on in marriage? I think staying honest and telling each other the hard truth is always something that we are going to stand by, this will allow us to protect and safeguard our relationship.
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Sadhna & Nimit
With both of you having a busy schedule how do you find time to spend exclusively with each other? Oh, it’s been very difficult to spend time in the last two years because of work but he is the best guy I could ask for. He flies down to the city I am shooting in so that we can spend time together.
Nimit, what quality of Sadhna made you fall for her? Sadhna is not just beautiful outside but inside too and that’s how I ended up with her! I love her for the reason that she is very giving.
Tell us something about you guys as a couple that nobody else knows. We are crazy mad people - we need no tv no people no entertainment when we are together - we are a world in ourselves. We can’t remember a trip where we ever got bored for a second and switched on tv - we have so much to talk to each other about.
What is the one thing that you will never compromise on in marriage? We will never compromise on trust, loyalty and respect. Never!
Sadhna, what is The best thing Nimit has told you to date? He has said a lot of things lol. But the best so far is - that he is very proud of where I stand!
Nimit, what is The best thing Sadhna has told you to date? I am her CALM. What is the quirkiest factor you like about each other? Our sense of humour! His sense of humour is deadly quirky and so is mine.
What are some things you do to keep your relationship growing? Share small adventures! We always say sorry when we are wrong, it’s very important to accept your mistake and apologise as you grow closer in the relationship. We remind each other why we fell in love, the days we get upset. We make sure to make each other a part of our life by discussing our work, friends etc. The most important- we are always transparent to each other.
Sadhna, what was your first impression of Nimit when you first met him? I met him first at a wedding in Hyderabad. I was introduced to him by a friend and I thought wow what attitude this man has to not show me any interest lol. I was probably the hottest girl at that party ;-)
If you could change one thing about each other what would it be? After five years of loving each other, we doubt there is anything we both want to change about each other.
Shruti & Anuj
you find time to spend exclusively with each other? We make sure we spend some time together, he travels a lot for work, so whenever we get time we step out, we have a 9-month-old daughter now. So for us, every day is a new day and Experience.
Anuj, what quality of Shruti made you fall for her? Her positivity which she carries everywhere she goes, her care for others and her energy to brighten up a dull place.
Are there any changes in the two of you after marriage? Of course, we have become wiser, priorities changes, sense of responsibility increases.
One memory from the wedding that will stay with you forever Haha !! So when we had our Jai mala, We were on a hydraulic stage, so when we were going up I was holding him and we were laughing, I told him I’m not going to move as I’m wearing 5” stilettos and he was like yes please don’t move as just last week I was seeing a video of the couple falling off the stage, we just kept laughing.
What is the one thing that you will never compromise on in marriage? Our relationship with our family and friends, our beliefs and values
Shruti, what is The best thing Anuj has told you to date. The day he proposed to me, he sang a song Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. How did you two first meet each other? We met at a friends place for a birthday party .. we know each other for almost 10 years now.
What is the most quirkiest factor you like about each other? We love to travel and explore, I love the fact that he is always on his toes to plan and execute any trip, let it be for us or anyone we know.
What are some things you do to keep your relationship growing? Trust and giving each other space, communication plays a very important role in any relationship, if anything is bothering you, you have to talk about it.
Shruti, what was your first impression of Anuj when you first met him? He was very friendly and had a great sense of humour and he talks a lot !! He has a positive vibe!
If you could change one thing about each other what would it be? Nothing, nobody is perfect, we accepted to spend the rest of our lives together, we both compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses and support each other individuality.
With both of you having a busy schedule how do
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Priyanka & Rahul
weight and eat everything that I do. She is so social and always out at the latest food stops in the city but barely eats! What is the point going then? Priyanka: Rahul is a semi introvert, he doesn’t care much about parties, fashion and social life in general. He can enter a formal event also in his shorts! He lives in his shorts! And I take a while to dress up for a pyjama night also.
With both of you having a busy schedule how do you find time to spend exclusively with each other? Both of us are busy with our work all through the week. So middle of a hectic schedule if someone looks out for you or does something to make you feel special it really brings a smile on your face and rings a bell in your heart. So we keep the spark on and find happiness through small gestures. Keeping likes dislike in mind.
Rahul, what quality of Priyanka made you fall for her? Priyanka talks her heart. She is blunt and straightforward. There are no elephant teeth. She likes something she will be all happy giggly. She dislikes something she will straightforward say NO and back off, she won’t be like I can do it, or if you say so, or I will think about it. It’s all clear.
Are there any changes in the two of you after marriage? I think we have changed a lot after marriage. We have been used to living with parents and got everything on a platter. Now it’s just us with a household to run, a house to make a home and the responsibility of a spouse and family. So we have become more focused and responsible.
What is one thing you will never compromise on in marriage? Trust. It’s all about blind trust that comes with love and bonding. No 1 can live scared or in doubt all through their life. So for us, we have both learnt it the hard way in life. We can’t compromise on TRUST. How did you two first meet each other? A common friend introduced us on various occasions. We both spoke not knowing what the future had in store for us. We both took it slow as we were coming out of a different phase and were hesitant. But then with time, cupid struck us all over again. Every time we spoke there was a lot more to know about each other.
How do you feel like a power couple? We wouldn’t want to tag ourselves as a power couple. We just want to be us. Do all that we can for our families, concentrate on us and our life ahead and be there for our friends always.
What is the quirkiest factor you like about each other? The quirkiest topic for us is food! We are literal opposites when it comes to our meals. And we always end up pulling each other’s leg on this always. Rahul need fulls meals and it just can’t be anything! it has to be tasty, whereas for me I can survive on water happily.
What are some things you do to keep the relationship growing? To keep a relationship steady and upward - open communication is very important and that’s what we do. Everything is a two-way decision. At the end of the day, we talk! All about each other day, feelings how xyz things went. Etc. There is no hidden chapter. Everything is openly spoken about.
If you could change one thing about each other what would it be? Rahul: The main thing I want her to change is that I want her to gain some
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Shona & Ankur
“Ankur is away for work, and I have commitments to his and my family in Hyderabad, so we will be physically apart this Valentine’s Day. We intend on doing a virtual candlelight date on the 14th. The actual date night and gifting will happen once he is back to the city when we can make up for a lost time!”
of people because she is beautiful inside out. When I met her for the first time , naturally I was overwhelmed and didn’t want to take any wrong turns , but what I started knowing about her every passing moment and day is what made me fall for Shona! Her ardent love towards me , dedication towards the relationship and many more qualities that I’l skip for now, except for this - her downright honesty to such an extent that it’s sometimes comical!
Are there any changes in the two of you after marriage? Marriage is a whole different ball game from dating, because it takes a lot of adjustment to one another, our families, our lifestyles and schedules. We’ve definitely become much more responsible, accommodating and loving as individuals. We’ve also thrown ego out of the window because we are now a solid team working towards the same values and goals, “two halves of the same soul” as we often say. Married life is challenging and hard, but we are both a united team always , so it’s also deeply magical and fulfilling!
Shona, what is The best thing Ankur has told you till date. Army life and training can really toughen a man up to the point of him becoming indifferent to emotions. So when Ankur confided in me that I had transformed his life for the better and reignited his soul and emotions, it meant the world to me. It’s not everyday that a man calls you his inspiration and priority, and also his best friend in life. These are the dearest utterances to me from my husband.
Ankur, what is The best thing Shona has told you till date. Shona is always so loving and expressive it’s hard to single out one best thing, but yes, making her proud and seeing her happy and in good spirits always lights up my world! How did you two first meet each other? We both met on Tinder, in Hyderabad, back in 2019. It was love at first swipe!
How do you feel like a power couple? Don’t know about “PowerCouple”, but we feel elated and so grateful to God every single day to have found one another. We are both very proud of the strong relationship we’ve nurtured over the last three years. We make a conscious decision each day to show appreciation towards each other and are proud of one another for the people we are and strive to be, Our bond is palpable to our family and friends, who are ever so appreciative of what we’ve built together. We feel overjoyed and truly lucky! Touchwood.
Shona, what was your first impression of Ankur when you first met him? On our first date, we met for dinner at 10D Gachibowli. I thought Ankur was a very serious and reserved guy, and that he may be didn’t like me because he was wary and quiet. He told me later that night on a video call that he was just really nervous and didn’t want to say anything that would offend me or make me uncomfortable because he apparently felt “love at first sight” and really wanted a positive answer by the end of the date. We spoke for 8 hours later that night on call, and I knew then that he was different from any man I had ever met and that there was definitely a lot of chemistry between us! Those were the building blocks that laid the blueprint for something beautiful to come!
Ankur, what quality of Shona made you fall for her? Shona is the kind of person who can come across as a very daedalianed and strong personality, to such an extent that she shines quite brightly in a room full
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Hurmat & Vardaan
What is the quirkiest factor you like about each other? Vardaan: the quirkiest thing I love about Hurmat is she can start jamming to music like no one watching, no matter where she is. Hurmat: Unlike me, Vardaan can be very spontaneous with plans and his sense of humour.
What are some things you do to keep your relationship growing? We water it regularly, just kidding. We push each other to be better humans first, listen to each other but never enforce, enjoy small activities together, and never even by mistake put each other down.
If you could change one thing about each other what would it be? Hurmat: How he avoids the gym, I’m going to make him change it this year Vardaan: Hurmat can get anxious sometimes for little things, maybe that.
With both of you having a busy schedule how do you find time to spend exclusively with each other? We make time, usually, after a long day, we spend at least half an hour talking
if not doing something together. On days where we are extremely packed, we might get a coffee or grab a bite in whatever short break we get. Either she comes to my office or I got to hers.
Vardaan, what quality of Hurmat made you fall for her? I actually fell for the dimples first. Turns out she’s this fun ball of energy with a heart that feels deeply. And I find that inspiring.
Are there any changes in the two of you after marriage? Vardaan: I’ve learned a lot of things from her along the way like I’m more responsible now. Hurmat: I’m a calmer person with far more patience now. I have learnt and grown in this marriage.
One memory from the wedding that will stay with you forever Vardaan: As cliche as it may be, it was watching her walk down the aisle. Hurmat: I took home every memory the same, one fun one was I drove Vardhan from the ceremony.
What is the one thing that you will never compromise on in marriage? We never compromise on our individualities, we always push each other in each others capacity and not our own.
How did you two meet? We met through a mutual friend back in 2014. Vardaan says head to Hurmats IGTV for more details on this. Lol
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Shruti & Apurva
How did you two first meet each other? Apurva and I met at London School of Economics at the First IceBreaker Party the school hosted.
What are some things you do to keep your relationship growing? The one thing that we do to keep ourselves growing is Travel. Since Apurva & I have different career grounds, we ensure that every year we do a long holiday and spend more time together.
Shruti , what was your first impression of Apurva when you first met him? Umm, I would say I found him to be really Charismatic & fun!
If you could change one thing about each other what would it be? Apurva & I are opposites, be it our ways to do things in life or our approaches to situations. I can’t put my finger on one thing I would like to change about him but as the saying goes, opposites attract and I think it works well for us! So I don’t think there is anything I would like to change.
With both of you having a busy schedule how do you find time to spend exclusively with each other? I think wherever we do get time, we sit through the night with a bottle of wine & enjoy our time together!
Apurva, what quality of Shruti made you fall for her? I think what I love the most about Shruti was her Attitude to life, She does what she loves and lives life on her own terms unapologetically. She is a lot of fun to be with and most importantly a Beautiful & Kind-hearted soul.
Tell us something about you guys as a couple that nobody else knows about. Something that we do together that not many people know off is cook on Sunday! Both of us enjoy cooking and most Sundays we hang out by the kitchen & cook up a good family brunch.
Shruti, what is The best thing Apurva has told you till date? That I am an Amazing Mom!
Apurva, what is The best thing Shruti has told you till date? The small things I still do for her still makes her fall in love with me :)
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Aliya & Muzammil
How do you feel like a power couple? It feels great harnessing our passion and ambition together to build our empires, we are happy that we can channel our connection to reach new heights. At the same time, one of our greatest glories is to be in a position that enables us to make a difference in the lives of the underprivileged. Volunteering your time, money and energy to help others doesn’t just make the world around us better it also makes you a better person
What is the quirkiest factor you like about each other? Muzammil: Hands down, she is the best mimicry artist in this country!! Aliya: He is an incredible singer
What are some things you do to keep your relationship growing? The best thing that happened to us was to get married at a very early age. We sort of grew up and matured together. The way we evolved as different personalities within different facets of life, whether personal or professional, made us appreciate each other’s qualities and skills even more. We will continue to learn together and learn from each other
Aliya, what was your first impression of Muzammil when you first met him? His ability to remain calm and composed even during a storm! intelligent humour and extreme levels of intelligence
If you could change one thing about each other what would it be? Muzammil: Her OCD Aliya: His OCD
With both of you having a busy schedule how do you find time to spend exclusively with each other? No matter how busy we are, we make sure to dine together and these days we have started working out together as well. Late night/Long drives are something that we both share common love with and of course, our impromptu getaways whenever we both have can afford days off work.
Muzammil, what quality of Aliya made you fall for her? She is what she is. Her fearlessness in being herself and her passion for anything that she believes in. Nothing in this world can scare her. Her undiplomatic, straightforwardness to any situation makes her absolute special.
Are there any changes in the two of you after 2 kids? Nothing at all. Deep down we are still the same high school sweethearts despite being parents to two lovely children.
What is the one thing that you will never compromise on in marriage? We both believe that trust is the base of our relationship and any relationship for that matter
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Shreya & Yashwanth
Shreya, what quality of Yashwanth made you fall for him? Yashwanth has proved to be an amazing son and is now a partner to me through time. He’s got immense respect towards women and has the right amount of maturity to deal with any situation, which highly impresses me.
Are there any changes in the two of you after marriage? There’s been more understanding, patience and forgiveness. We believe in “you before me”!
Tell us something about you guys as a couple that nobody else knows? Haha ! This is something we wouldn’t have revealed but here goes - we sing to each other when we are upset.
One memory from the wedding that will stay with you forever? The entire wedding went by like a big happy dream! The sangeet would be the most memorable part - it was fun to have close family and friends from both sides come together to dance & celebrate us!
What is the one thing that you will never compromise on in marriage? Loyalty is extremely important for both of us, we believe in being honest and integral with each other. How did you two first meet each other? We’ve been family friends for about 15 years. We met and got close during Yashwanths’ elder brother’s wedding 4years back.
How do you feel like a power couple? As a couple, we respect each other’s space, uplift each other’s strengths and understand each other’s weaknesses, which helps us grow together. We believe in confronting before conflict!
What are some things you do to keep your relationship growing? Spending quality time, no matter how busy our schedules get! We manage to spend time together in a day - go for a drive, a dessert or a movie.
Yashwanth, what was your first impression of Shreya when you first met her? It was crush at first sight! I loved her bubbly nature and how she mingled with every age group in the room.
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Meenakshi & Ravi
How did you two first meet each other? We met through a mutual friend during ipl when he invited me over to watch the match and yay they won!
How do you feel like a power couple? Being away from each other a lot of time gives us space to grow personally. We absolutely love what we do in our professions, Ravi is a hard worker, I’m so proud of the efforts he has put and become what he is now and whenever he does well in his matches and whenever I land a big campaign we celebrate it well together and keep motivating each other to do better.
What are some things you do to keep your relationship growing? As we are mostly in the long-distance we try to get over smaller misunderstandings, let the little things go, communicate our feelings better, understand that it’s equally tough for both of us to be away and whenever we meet we make up for lost time and catch up on things we missed doing together.
Meenakshi, what was your first impression of Ravi when you first met him? He is a perfect gentleman. He is one of the nicest people, has the most amazing heart and is always grounded. I loved his simplicity!
With both of you having a busy schedule how do you find time to spend exclusively with each other? So recently he was away for matches for a really long time, so I flew down to Pondicherry to surprise him and spent a week with him. We try to meet each other as much as we can and spend time together, even if he is playing matches or he even comes down to my shoot it really feels good just being together. We just enjoy these small moments.
Ravi, what quality of Meenakshi made you fall for her? She is someone who loves with all her heart. She is extremely caring, will go the extra mile to make you happy. She is extremely bubbly and being around her makes me happy.
Are there any changes in the two of you after marriage? Getting married made us fall in love with each other even more. We enjoy roasting each other, laughing over it. Meenakshi is someone who balances everything out so well, she works really hard professionally and at the same time also fills in my absence at home by making sure my parents are never bored. I’m really lucky to have her as my wife. She is a real girl boss and I’m so proud of her.
One memory from the wedding that will stay with you forever? One memory from the wedding that will stay with me forever is when Ravi saw me as a bride for the first time his eyes were filled with tears. It made me feel so loved.
Meenakshi, what is The best thing Ravi has told you to date? That I was the best decision of his life and that my support towards him and my belief in him made him do well professionally. Also of course he said that he loved me and wanted to marry me.
Ravi, what is The best thing Meenakshi has told you to date? The best things Meenakshi has told me have been whenever I felt low and hadn’t performed on the field up to the mark. She has constantly been pushing me to do better and reminding me of my capabilities. Also, she decided to marry me at such a young age just to be able to make long-distance work and travel with me whenever possible is something that really helped our relationship a lot.
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Nabeela & Aqib
first conversation was great as if we knew each other from before. How did you two first meet each other? Our marriage is an arranged marriage. We first met to see each other and we just hit it off since then. The first conversation we had was as if we knew each other before. We even laugh out loud in front of our parents at our first meeting.
What is the quirkiest factor you like about each other? Aqib: Nabeela is a walking talking antak shiree queen. She loves Bollywood songs and can sing at any moment. Nabeela: Aqib is an optimistic, jolly & goofy person. He can handle serious moments and laugh it out or make fun of them lol.
What are some things you do to keep your relationship growing? We don’t think there’s a secret formula to that but communication for sure. We share our goals and ambitions together and work together to achieve them. We encourage each other to pursue new things and work harder toward our goals.
Nabeela, what was your first impression of Aqib when you first met him? Initially, I was hesitant to meet him. But when we met, I found him very charming, super chill & interesting. Our
With both of you having a busy schedule how do you find time to spend exclusively with each other? Apart from busy schedules, we live on different continents right now. We try to squeeze time and prioritize each other. Aqib usually comes to India to spend quality time together and we also did a trip where we met in the Maldives. Also, recently after we got done with our wedding event we went on our second honeymoon to Paris.
Aqib, what quality of Nabeela made you fall for her? Her loving nature and wittiness. Nabeela is beautiful outside as well as inside. She is intelligent, diligent and focused.
Tell us something about you guys as a couple that nobody else knows? Well, that’s supposed to be a secret lol. One thing that we would like to share is that we have telepathic capabilities sometimes lol.
One memory from the wedding that will stay with you forever? One memory from the wedding for both of us was the time of nikah. We both had goosebumps and we really felt that beautiful auspicious moment. The other beautiful memory was the fun cheesy photoshoot where we laughed out loud.
Nabeela, what is The best thing Aquib has told you till date? The best thing Aqib ever told me is that I’m his first love & I’m a blessing from God!
Aqib, what is The best thing Nabeela has told you till date? The best thing Nabeela ever told me was that she would inshallah give me junior Nabeela one day.
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Ritika & Praharshith
How did you two first meet each other? We knew each other for quite some time before we started dating, so the first time we met again was when we knew we wanted to be with each other.
How do you feel like a power couple? We’re grateful to end up together. The power automatically resonates.
What are some things you do to keep your relationship growing? There are a ton of things but to cut it down to a few, love, respect and honesty.
Ritika, what was your first impression of Praharshith when you first met him? There were so many thoughts streaming in my mind when I first met him, but mostly what caught my attention was his optimism towards life and an amazing sense of humour!
With both of you having a busy schedule how do you find time to spend exclusively with each other? Apart from work, we have common activities that keep us together most time.
Praharshith, what quality of Ritika made you fall for her? Her levels of focus and taking up responsibilities were something brand new to me.
Are there any changes in the two of you after marriage? We make each other’s coffee’s now, the only change is that we do not call each other anymore :p.
Tell us something about you guys as a couple that nobody else knows. Both of us are trained singers and dancers.
What is the one thing that you will never compromise on in marriage? Respecting each other’s beliefs and interests. If you could change one thing about each other what would it be?
One thing we would want to change is to find a common ground with the AC temperature and fan speed in the room.
