We invited you, dear readers, to share your love stories this Valentine's Day.
Here, Gopalkrishnan Iyer tells us how he fell in love with his companion for life...
We often hear tales of how a man and a woman fall in love at first sight and after subsequent meetings how they decide to stay together for life.
Our story was different.
My wife and I hail from different communities (our religion is not the same).
The other twist in the tale is that I had decided that I would never marry as it would be difficult to find someone who aligned with my thoughts and vision.
Looking back at it, I see how the last one year has passed by and my lovely wife continues to support me in all my endeavours.
My wife Ishita and I were introduced by a common friend, who was persistent in getting me married.
I always felt that he would never succeed in his mission.
I was right, until the day I met Ishita for the first time.
I was impressed by her compassion and concern for the problems that existed across the globe.
As an educationist myself, I was quite inclined to understand what people thought about the most complex and pressing problems that existed across the globe -- how they react, what they felt etc...
Ishita and I shared common views.
Like me, she also felt that if we wanted to change the world, issues related to education and health will need to be prioritised.
I never thought that someone would be speaking my mind out.
It's not everyday that you meet people with high calibre and feet firm on the ground.
Ishita is a graduate from University of Manchester and yet her tone is humble and filled with compassion.
We met a couple of times and realised that our wavelengths and thoughts matched up to a great extent.
However I was quite reluctant as I intended to do my higher studies and was still not thoroughly convinced to go for a serious relationship.
We continued to be friends for a long time.
One day, I received an e-mail from Ishita.
She wrote to me that probably we shall never meet, and wished me well for my future.
After reading the email, I realised that I might lose a companion with whom I could connect with for life.
I called her at the stroke of midnight and said that we are together in the amazing journey called life and I wanted her as my companion.
As they say when lady luck smiles on you, fortune turns to your side.
Ishita and I got married in May 2014, and in June, I was invited by the University of Newcastle to do my PhD.
In September, we moved to Newcastle, United Kingdom.
I am happy that I could find my soul mate with whom I could share my vision for bettering the globe.
Click HERE to check out our Valentine's Day Special!
ALSO SEE
Jab We Met: It was love at first sight
Jab We Met: I was ten and I knew she was the one!
Jab We Met: Our friendship blossomed into love
Jab We Met: It started in a chat room
Jab We Met: A touching love story
Jab We Met: 'She had tears in her eyes'
Jab We Met: 'His words touched my heart'
Jab We Met: 'She loved someone else'
Jab We Met: 'I secretly nursed a crush on her'
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.
