Swipe for Love: “Mutual interests were our ice-breaker in online dating”

What are the odds of meeting your one true love on an online dating app? For Sunidhi and Kushal, it was their mutual love for rain and coffee that wove a romantic story. After matching on Bumble, these two were each other’s date. And the rest is history! In a candid conversation with ETimes Lifestyle, Sunidhi and Kushal narrate how online dating has shaped their future towards marriage and how thankful they are, for each other’s presence.
Did you ever think you will find love online?
Sunidhi: Honestly, I didn’t have much of an opinion about online dating. Instead, I had a very old-school approach to dating—meeting and getting to know people in-person and then falling in love. Finding someone online was never in the cards.
Kushal: Absolutely not! And since I wasn’t actively looking to find love online, I never thought about it too much.
What are some of the deal breakers for you when it comes to online dating?
Sunidhi: For me, one of the biggest deal-breakers is someone being unpleasant and disrespectful while talking to me online. Being too pushy or asking someone to meet right away in the first conversation is also a huge turn-off.
Kushal: For me, knowing that the person is genuine is very important. Having no similar interests or not communicating your feelings, and thoughts properly are some of the deal-breakers for me.
Were you putting up your perfect side while dating online or via text? Or were you your true self?
Sunidhi: I was actually being my true self. I feel that since it’s an online dating platform, it’s all the easier to be yourself. You don’t have to sit in front of the person, or have any stress about having an awkward moment. The best thing is, you don’t have to stress about dressing well for the first date.
Kushal: For me, it was a bit of both. I didn’t want to express myself completely, but again, I presented my true self more to understand if she could resonate with it.
Is connecting over online dating apps as exciting as meeting someone in a physical space?
Sunidhi: Meeting someone is certainly exciting but it’s even more thrilling when you’ve done a quick check about how much you get along with that person. Online dating is like a screener which allowed me to easily choose the person I would eventually like to meet. I remember how exciting and comfortable it was to meet Kushal after we had spoken to each other for a few days on the dating app. We knew we could hold a conversation, and knew what we have in common. Meeting him for the first time was the most excited I’ve ever been about meeting someone new.
Kushal: I personally prefer meeting people in person than forming connections online. But, fate had other plans for me!
What drew you to your partner online?
Sunidhi: Our similar interests and the way he spoke, was something that drew me towards Kushal. Text language matters as it tells a lot about a person. Our lingos were the same and I remember being really kicked about it. Not once did our early conversations feel weird, even for a second.
Kushal: The fact that she communicated so well and did not ghost me was really impressive to me. That shows how a person is respectful towards others.
Did you come across any fake profiles or false identities online? Any tips to tell if a person is real or fake?
Sunidhi and Kushal: While we did not come across such profiles, people should always be cautious when forming connections online. We were glad that we could see verified profiles in our case. It helped us navigate profiles that interested us, while approaching every single one with caution.
Was it love at first sight when you both met, or did you take your time getting to know your partner?
Sunidhi: It wasn’t love at first sight for us, we took our time. With my sheer reservations about online dating platforms, I was extra cautious. I had the liberty to choose and initiate a conversation at my own pace and time with the dating app which made it all the more fun. Bumble’s Question Game feature allowed me to start a conversation with something exciting rather than a simple ‘Hi.’
I feel it was this ice-breaker that allowed me to see our (Kushal and mine) love for coffee and it was a start to a never-ending journey. This particular conversation starter was way better because it made me learn something instantly about this person on the other side. A simple 'Hi' never accomplishes that.
Kushal: We both were not in the headspace of dating or actively looking for someone to date, initially. Hence, we took our time to know each other and understand how well we get along. And knowing our love for coffee made it all the more worthwhile.
Do you feel taking chances or 'leap of faith' are very important to get to where you are right now?
Sunidhi and Kushal: I (Sunidhi) definitely believe in taking chances and in my case, I could take a somewhat informed chance. Online dating helped me screen but I then took the chance to meet Kushal. Given the world we are living in, you can’t be too sure. Even while meeting each other for the first time, we both knew we had to be cautious. Believe it or not, we both almost had an excuse ready to leave in case the date went south (laughs).
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