Jab We Met: 'He was red with nervousness, but looked cute'

Kajal tells us how she got attracted to her high school classmate and why it took the couple over a year to express their feelings for each other.

Our love started from our eyes and travelled to our hearts and has now become the strongest bond of our lives!
 
We have been in a relationship for 10 years but it still feels new and afresh!

Everyday we feel we have discovered something new about our each other and our relation!

While writing down this love story I can still feel those initial special moments we shared and they are very close and special to my heart.
 
I met my fiance when I was in class 12.

Our eyes met first and the first glance itself gave a strong feeling that we had a very strong connection.
 
Our love story did not start with exchanging numbers, asking out for a coffee, or sharing a cool friendship and things like that.
 
Even though we were in the same class for a year, we never spoke to each other. But every time, we entered the class, both of us would scan the whole class to find if the other was present!

The happiness of seeing each other was very visible in our eyes, which our friends always noticed and teased us a lot about.
 
Despite knowing that we liked each other, we never spoke.

He would always sit close to the air conditioner. I used to always feel cold and always request him by action to switch off the AC.

He used to purposely switch on the AC again, so that I would have to repeat my action.

He was quick enough to find out my name in 2-3 days while I learnt his name after six months of glancing!
 
A year passed by. Finally the day arrived when our classes were supposed to get over. Here my friends really played a role in getting us to at least start talking.

They found out his number and called him on the pretext of classes, to convey that the lectures for the next class were cancelled.

They gave him my number to inform me also, as the receptionist was over burdened with numbers to convey! 
 
He got my number finally!! He knew it was a prank! But still, he called. 

I was charmed to hear his voice and was shocked as I was unaware about the prank by my friends.

I just said ok and cut the call.

And later the whole day I regretted my stupidity of missing the chance to talk to him.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh

Jab We Met stories!

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After a few days, on January 12, 2003, he called me at the station before the classes.

I agreed, I was nervous, actually he was more than I was. We met, greeted each other and sat in the rickshaw and left for our classes.

We didn't speak a word out of nervousness. His face was red out of nervousness, but he looked damn cute.

When we reached, we stood in the corner of the gate and he directly said "I love you".
 
I didn't expect a direct proposal then. Though I also loved him, I couldn't answer. Instead, I said, I like you.

He had got a watch for me as a gift which I returned and told him, "I hardly know you, then how can I accept a gift directly?"
 
He was upset and angry.

Though he tried to hide his feelings it was prominent on his face. He thought I had rejected his proposal.

He went away and while going he said, "If you reject me, I will never ever contact you again."

I was angry, I thought I lost him forever.

I was thinking all day long that despite me telling him that I liked him, how come he'd said he will never contact me?

I needed some time then to talk to him and know him before accepting his proposal.
 
I called him after a few days. We spoke, met and finally it Jab We Met stories!

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Dear readers, do you have an interesting love story that you want to share? Tell us where you first met your partner and how the two of you fell in love. 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

Through this love story, Devishetty Vinay Kumar shares an inspiring message of patience and determination.

I still remember the day I first saw this beautiful angel enter our MBA class in 2001. She instantly had an impact on me with her command over English and presentation skills.

She always wore Indian dresses (salwar-kameez and sarees) and never wore jeans or other western outfits.

This enhanced my liking for her since I always dreamt of a woman who was modern yet close to Indian culture.

She was an introvert and made few friends in the class.

The more I noticed her, the way she dressed according to occasions, respect towards teachers, stamping authority when required in group work and representing the class in major elocution competitions, the more I fell in love with her.

I can still clearly remember a mark on her cheek that she always complained about and was saving money to get a plastic surgery done to remove it.

However, that was one of the first features that attracted my attention and made her look much more gorgeous (at least for me). Being an introvert myself I dreaded telling her to let the mark remain and accept herself the way she was.

During the course we slowly began developing a relationship and I completely fell head over heels for her.

I was also becoming extremely possessive about her. One of our group work involved working for Reliance web world and all of us had to wear the Reliance uniforms that included jeans and t-shirts for both men and women.

That was the first time I saw my angel in a pair of jeans and t-shirt. I was completely flabbergasted with her beauty, style and the polite manner in which she dealt with customers.

However, I also noticed male customers extending their talks so that they could see more of her beauty.

This maddened me a lot and I even lost my temper on a couple of occasions and spoke rudely to her saying that she was being 'extra friendly' to men and that was not necessary.

But she ignored my advice and continued. This further angered me and I stopped talking to her.

After a couple of weeks she took me aside from the group and asked me why I was not talking to her.

That was the moment when I truly expressed my feelings for her and also shared about my intense possessiveness whenever she wore jeans and others stared at her.

I had tears in my eyes while sharing my feelings and we hugged each other without saying a word for a long time.

That was a magical moment. After the hug she promised never to wear jeans ever in her life.

Jab We Met stories!

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Dear readers, do you have an interesting love story that you want to share? Tell us where you first met your partner and how the two of you fell in love. 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

We had a great time since then and used to spend lot of time watching movies in theatres holding each other's hands as that was the only safe place we could think of.

We behaved normally when we were part of a group and nobody knew about our relationship.

Once the course ended, I told my parents about her and they straight-away rejected her also asking me to make a choice between her or my parents.

All through their lives my parents strived hard even foregoing their basic needs to ensure that I had a good life.

Though it was a tough choice I could not do anything against my parent's wishes nor could I think of any other woman in my life.

Soon, I was offered a job in the UK and had to stay away from her.

We promised each other that we would wait for each other even if it meant waiting till we grew old.

I am still in the UK, single and expecting a miracle to happen with my parents accepting her.

Even she is busy with her work, single and hoping for the same miracle.

We are constantly in touch with each other over the phone sharing everything that happens in our personal and work life.

She doesn't even bother me to pressurise my parents and constantly reminds me that she would wait for me no matter how long it takes.

It has been 12 years so far and the wait continues...

Jab We Met stories!

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Dear readers, do you have an interesting love story that you want to share? Tell us where you first met your partner and how the two of you fell in love. 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

Vimal Varadiya happened to meet his love in the most unusual of circumstances. This is his story.

I am Vimal. I am not just sharing my love story but am writing about a small but most important period of my life.

Mine was a very simple arranged marriage which everyone can relate.

I had cleared my CA exams and was working in Bahrain.

I got an offer in Singapore and before joining the new job, I spent around two months in India.

My parents were looking for marriage proposals and nothing came along as December is considered to be an inauspicious month.

I left for Singapore on December 23, 2007 to join my new job.

On January 14, 2008, my grandmother passed away.

I could not get back home on the same day as the flights were in the evenings and by the time I would reach, her final rites would have got over.

So I decided to go back a week later to be part of several other traditional ceremonies which were scheduled in the second week.

All those ceremonies got over on January 23, Wednesday.

My wife (Preeti)'s uncle who also attended the ceremony saw me and presented the proposal to my dad on January 24.

My in-laws (two of her uncles) met me on the evening of January 24 at my house and wanted me to meet Preeti before I went back to Singapore.

On 25 January, Friday, I was very scared of rejection because I had shaven my head in one of the ceremonies and was looking very ugly.

I was in no mood to see the girl as I had still not overcome the sorrow of losing my grandmother.

I, along with my friend and sister went to see Preeti. She came along with her cousin brother and bhabhi.

The first 20 minutes, I was bombarded with questions by her brother and once that was over, we were left alone to talk.

We had a chat for around 30 minutes and I believe, it was one of the most beautiful 30 minutes of my life which no one can take from me.

She had sparkling eyes, a cute dimple on her face which blew me.

I am a thin guy who looked small despite my age and she was the same.

Jab We Met stories!

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Dear readers, do you have an interesting love story that you want to share? Tell us where you first met your partner and how the two of you fell in love. 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

We talked about our families and as I was the only son, I told her that I will always be with my parents and that was my only expectation from her.

That night I could not sleep for two reasons -- one is very obvious, I liked her but did not know whether she liked me. Second, there were few mosquitoes that were biting me.

I could cover my body with the bedsheet but not my head as it used to stick to my head (remember my head was shaven).

The next day, I was scheduled to take my flight back to Singapore at 11pm. Her family was fine with the marriage proposal but my parents wanted to match the horoscope with our pandit before we committed.

My parents asked me not to talk to her till then (so that she would not be hurt if the horoscopes did not match).

The next day was a holiday (Sunday) and we could not match the horoscopes. I was dying every second to talk to her.

The whole day looked very long. Next day (Monday) evening our horoscopes were matched while I was praying to god since morning that everything should be fine.

God was so kind to me and finally I rang her. She was away with her friends and her mobile battery was down so we just spoke for two minutes.

I was very upset and trying to sleep.

She reached home and immediately rang me. We spoke for two hours. I felt as if I was in heaven flying all around the world. It was the most precious moment of our lives.

We had many memorable conversations during our courtship period. It was the golden phase of our lives.

In one of our conversations, I asked her if she liked me in the first meeting. She said yes and I thought that her taste was very bad (Remember I looked very ugly).

But then girls are very clever, she had browsed Orkut and somehow found my profile and saw my photographs before she said yes.

She said that I was looked very innocent answering all the questions her brother asked. Normally, girls are questioned more by the boy's family during the first meeting. But it was totally the opposite in our case. She always made fun of me for this.

I went to India for one week in August before our wedding. We had a ball of a time.

We visited a lot of beaches, watched our first movie together, went for the first family outing, celebrated our first festival together (On Raksha Bandhan, all my sisters tied us rakhi as a pair).

Everything is still very fresh in our memories. It is a different feeling to spend time together during the courtship period.

We got married on November 23, 2008. Our relationship started in the most unusual circumstance. My grandmother wanted to see me married but I found my partner when I came here to pay her last respects. I see Preeti as my granny's blessing in my life.

It has been four plus years now. Preeti has been very supportive and gelled very well with my family. In fact, I find my parents buying stuff only for her since our courtship period. They have totally forgotten me.

She gave me the most precious gift of my life in my daughter. Now I realise why mothers are very special. The amount of care, time she gives to our baby is unbelievable.

As all other couples, we also fight (but not a lot). She says, I have not changed at all for her and I do not understand her.

I do not fully disagree with her, I believe in living the life the way I want and I also let her be very free and lead life in her own way. It has its own plus and minuses.

On this Valentine's Day, I want to tell my wife that she is very precious to me and I care a lot for her.

Jab We Met stories!

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Dear readers, do you have an interesting love story that you want to share? Tell us where you first met your partner and how the two of you fell in love. 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