Here’s the thing about Indian metropolitan cities and the people that live there - we live in the flux of tradition and modernity, and feel totally at home with it. Like many others in this tradition-loving country, Sanjana too had a profile on a matrimonial site. That is where she connected with Vinod. But while most couples who connect on such sites decide on some cutesy cafes, or restaurants when actually meeting for the first time, these two chose a different kind of first date venue to figure out if they were kindred ‘spirits’.
They met in a Mumbai bar. Badass, right?
You could tell they liked each other, because almost 15-18 drinks (each!) and a whole lot of food later, the waiters came up to them to give them a cake with candles, that too on the house, because the couple sat through an entire shift!
On top of that, Vinod even got his increment letter the day he met Sanjana. She says he clearly saw her as a good luck charm. But she also adds - “He fell for my curls.”
For the next one year, they got together and met for food and drinks, almost everyday. Guess alcohol is a great wingman after all, eh? Believe it or not, during their courtship, Vinod even managed to convince his then-boss to give him some time off from work every day because “ladki patana hai!” He used to come all the way from Lokhandwala to South Mumbai, then drop Sanjana to Thane and then return home. *standing ovation please*
But it wasn’t all beers and sunshine in their lives. Turns out they were from different castes - Iyer and Iyengar. When her parents came to know of their Sanjana contemplating marriage with someone from the Iyengar community, Sanjana’s father had some issues. But then Vinod's grandma came to the rescue with this filmy but timely dialogue -
“If we were to slit our hands, no one can tell if it’s Iyer or Iyengar blood.”
The rest, as they say, is history. Sure, just like any couple in a long term relationship, they too had their shares of ups and downs. But at the end of the day, they always have each other.
Now, Vinod and Sanjana have been together for over eight years. They got married in January, 2016. Here’s Vinod raising the bar for other men, by showing off his tattoo which reads ‘Saanj’, Sanjana's nickname.
They bought a house in Malad, and during the lockdown welcomed the newest member of their family - Joy.
Look at him! Just look at him!
Sanjana and Vinod's story is part of series of real stories of real people living in Mumbai. If such love stories melt your heart then don't fail to watch Modern Love: Mumbai, only on Amazon Prime Video.
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