“Through the distances between Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Boston, Bhavitha and I have stayed in ‘long-distance’ love for more than 7 years. These cities serve as background noise to our relationship. The difficult part of our long-distance is coping with the distance, but it requires immense maturity and self-reflection.

I think through situations a lot more in solitude and release a barrage of emotions in those daily phone calls. Maybe it’s the distance, but with every passing day, I have found myself caring for Bhavitha even more, ensuring that she is happy. To be in love means that I have someone in my life that takes care of my needs while I do the same for that person. It also means that I share memories, experiences, and conversations with this person in a way that is exclusive and special unlike any other.

Well, talking about my views on Nakul, I feel it is easy to go out for ice cream together, but what will you do when someone is thousands of miles away? On great days and icky days, this guy announced his presence in the most wholesome ways possible. And none of them required opulent spending of money. I will forever cherish our letters between China and India. This was when I decided to take a complete virtual break, and we posted hand-written letters to each other for a year. How can I explain how lovely it feels to receive a letter from the person you love! He became the famous ‘Love-Letter-Guy’ on his university campus. (laughs)

Our families love us. We have witnessed wildfires and musicals, climbed some of the tallest peaks together, travelled to the breadth and depths of India, worked out of remote regions, danced on empty roads, lost ourselves in a desert, philosophised life’s vagaries with friends and family, attended weddings together, faced and overcame grief, partnered for a healthy living, achieved professional, financial goals and continue to ace our journeys with each other by our side. Isn’t it funny how the world calculates distance only in miles? But of course, we are dying to meet each other!”