her just a day before the ‘very first time’ they connected through BharatMatrimony, a year ago. Coincidence, I say! Speaking about fluke, she says, “Coincidentally, we got engaged on Manan’s parents’ wedding anniversary.

Manan, very thoughtful of his words, speaks up when I ask if he had a love at first sight, “Not really. We started talking over chats, which eventually led to calls. So, it was only after those 15 days that we decided to meet. When you communicate, only then you understand if you can connect to the other person.” Indeed! But Bhumi adds her perspective and recalls, “Yes, it was sort of a love at first sight because I really liked the way he looked, especially his beard and what attracted me the most was the way he spoke.”

“I remember, on our first meet, I was just the listener and allowed him to do the talking,” tells the exuberant Bhumi. The first meet was so impactful that they couldn’t resist meeting on every possible day. Manan, a very calm person that he is, tells, “We also had our secret meetings,” to which Bhumi adds, “We had our phone conversations every single day and on some days, we talked for hours.” She giggles and adds, “Manan is a person who doesn’t talk much but I ensured that he spoke to me.”

Manan very proudly tells me that the couple took the entire responsibility of organizing their wedding from deciding the marriage hall to the decorations. A couple of months into their marriage, Bhumi still isn’t over her wedding hangover. “We had the most amazing marriage. We had a four-day long function with all the rituals. It was nothing less than a fairy-tale.”

“Great. It feels really nice when you know that someone is waiting for you. The concern that someone has for you is the best feeling.” When I asked Bhumi if marriage had changed her, she had a spontaneous reply. “I don’t think so. Of course there is an additional responsibility but I must say Manan has changed in some things and so have I. He was very organized in his planning before, but now he makes instant plans, which is so much fun.”

When I asked to define marriage, Manan gave a metaphorical description and said, “When you cook a dish, you cannot expect it to taste good instantly, rather wait very patiently for it to taste delicious. Same is a relationship. It is a team work and the result of efforts and beautiful memories together.” He also adds, “You cannot get anything in one platter, you have to make your own compromises.”

We wish them a lifetime of fairy tales!