The 2020 lockdown was a pause for the world. Everything had stopped — offices, schools, life. But some things began in that stillness. Aarti and Vikram's love story is one of them — beginning behind a screen and reaching the heart.
Starting with an Instagram DM
Aarti was in Mumbai, Vikram in Bangalore. Both met through common friends in an online quiz — in the first month of lockdown. Aarti made a funny comment, Vikram replied. Then DMs happened. Then WhatsApp.
'We knew we couldn't meet physically,' Aarti says, 'so we got to know each other through conversation. And when there's no option to meet physically, you talk genuinely — not at the surface level, but at the deep level. That's where our bonding happened.'
Virtual Dates — More Meaningful Than Real Ones
For three months both had virtual dates. Once they watched a Netflix film together — in separate homes, synced over the phone. Once they tried the same recipe — watching each other cook. Once they just listened to music until 2 AM — without saying a word.
Vikram says — 'There was something in those virtual dates that isn't in normal dates. You're focused only on that person — their voice, their words, their reactions. No external distraction.'
Aarti, about those nights"One night he said — 'If this lockdown hadn't happened, maybe we would never have been this close.' I thought — he was right. Lockdown gave us the time that normally nobody gets."
The First Real Meeting — When Lockdown Lifted
When restrictions lifted and trains started running, Vikram planned a weekend trip to Mumbai. Aarti remembers — 'I was standing outside the station. Very nervous. Would he be the same as on screen? And when he arrived — he was exactly the same. Even his laugh.'
That weekend was perfect. They explored the city, ate food, sat on Marine Drive. But the most special moment was when they simply sat in silence — together, physically. Aarti said — 'That silence was as comfortable as our conversations.'
Long Distance — Then Together
For the next year and a half both maintained a long-distance relationship. They met twice a month — sometimes Mumbai, sometimes Bangalore. Then Vikram got a job offer in Mumbai. He accepted it — not only for Aarti, but for his career too. But having Aarti there was a wonderful bonus.
Today both live together in Mumbai. They're not making wedding plans yet — but they are comfortable and happy with each other. Vikram says — 'Lockdown took away a lot. But it gave me Aarti. And that is a trade-off I will always accept.'
