Finding My Soulmate, My Forever
Hi everyone, does it feel like time is racing by this year? Just a few days ago, it was the first day of 2024 and today we’re celebrating Valentine’s Day. And tomorrow, I’ll be celebrating my 9th marriage anniversary. Almost a decade! Today, I am excited to share my journey of finding my soulmate, my forever.
It still feels like a dream; I can’t believe it’s been 9 long years. Each anniversary, I find myself telling my husband that it’s unbelievable our marriage has lasted this long. I never imagined that an arranged marriage could endure in today’s world, where even love struggles to stand the test of time. Nowadays, we have the option to voice our concerns and walk out of a marriage if things feel off. It’s easier to break than to mend, and we often lack the mental capacity to deal with complicated situations. But ours has stood strong and I give the credit to my husband for that.
Many of my friends used to say I was lucky to find such an amazing partner like Sumit (my husband). But I always told them it wasn’t just luck; I fought a long battle to find the right person for me.
In our society, young girls are often made to believe that they don’t have a choice and should settle for whatever comes their way. This mindset is flawed!
I challenged that notion and fought for what I truly deserved!
In the first part of this series, “Finding Love in Arranged Marriage”, I shared my ordeal of meeting with families to find a perfect partner for marriage.
In the second part, I ventured into the unknown in a quest for “Finding My Jeevansathi on Jeevansathi dot com.”
Now, let’s dive into the final chapter of this short series on marriage and love. As I mentioned in my last post, Sumit and I officially began dating on 15th September 2014.
Initially, we only met on Sundays but after a few weeks, we started meeting on Saturdays too. We’d spend the whole day together, hopping from one cafe to another with endless conversations. It’s incredible how quickly we became comfortable with each other as if the universe was paving the way for us. I wanted to truly know and understand him before committing to marriage and I wanted him to do the same.
First, I confirmed if what he had mentioned in his Jeevansathi profile was correct. His love for adventure and travel was the first thing I had noted in his bio. After a few meetings, I found out that he was also a foodie, just like me.
I tested him in various ways to get to know him better, to see his true nature and how he acted and reacted in tense situations. This is something young couples often overlook in their partners because they are so deeply in love. However, once the initial lovey-dovey feelings fade, they often feel clueless about their partner. That’s when the problems start! I didn’t want to take that chance.
We hear a lot about green flags and red flags nowadays. I wasn’t aware of these terms back then but I’m glad I’ve been successful in finding a partner with all green flags.
October 2014 – Finding My Soulmate
It was 4th Oct, a Saturday, when my mom said, ‘Let’s go and meet Sumit at his place.’
I was taken aback! It was unplanned and my mother asked me to confirm with him if we could visit. I could sense his surprise at this sudden request but he agreed nonetheless. At that time, he was living in Noida, sharing an apartment with his friends.
It was such an awkward meeting but he was a gracious host, making us comfortable and even brewing up some chai, which I instantly fell in love with. To this day, he makes chai for me every morning without fail.
Our journey together is filled with countless memories, from our first selfie to birthday celebrations and family meetings. What I loved most about his family was their warmth and acceptance, without any expectations or demands.
You might be thinking that I must have fallen in love with him by then. But no, I didn’t!
I can’t explain why but the feeling just wasn’t there.
And that began to bother me. I started finding fault in everything. I realized that despite our shared interests, our personalities were quite different. This led to clashes of ideas. One day, I became furious over something and told him I didn’t want to continue the relationship.
Somewhere in my mind, I knew I was wrong but didn’t want to admit it. Love had found me but I kept running away.
It was during this time that he saw my other side, my worst side. He could have easily accepted the breakup then; it wasn’t too late. But he stayed. He helped me open up, he listened and we talked. That day, for the first time, I felt a strong connection with him.
On 12th November 2014, we had the Roka ceremony.
Soon after, the elders finalized the wedding date, 15th February 2015, which felt too soon to me. I asked for more time but nobody listened. This time, I didn’t force and went with the flow.
We planned our wedding together, went shopping and visited venues. We embarked on a hunt to find the perfect wedding rings for us. Those three months flew by in a jiffy but they left us with many sweet memories to cherish forever.
In my quest for finding love and companionship, I stumbled upon something truly remarkable – a soulmate. He isn’t just a partner to me; he’s the missing piece of my soul, completing me in ways I never imagined. With him, I’ve found more than just a lover; he’s my confidant, my friend and someone who truly understands me.
It took me some years to fall in love with him. But our relationship is not just about love, it’s about understanding, respect and mutual support. It’s about weathering the storms together, celebrating the victories, and being there for each other through thick and thin. Our bond is strengthened by laughter, shared dreams and the countless memories we’ve created over the years.
This doesn’t mean we don’t have disagreements, misunderstandings and conflicts. But we’ve learned to communicate openly, to compromise and to grow together as individuals while also growing as partners. Our relationship is a journey of discovery, constantly evolving and deepening as we navigate life’s ups and downs hand in hand.
Some people find their soulmate in a friend or in a lover or in a sibling or in a parent or in their partner. I found my soulmate in my husband. Reflecting on our journey, I am grateful for every twist and turn that led us to where we are today.
If you are someone who is on a quest for finding a Jeevansathi or embarking on a new relationship, remember to cherish every moment, embrace the journey and trust that the universe will guide you to the right person at the right time. Trust in the power of love and connection! Here’s to finding your soulmate, your forever and creating a love story that’s uniquely yours.
~A message for my soulmate~
Happy 9th anniversary, baby!🧿 So, this year, I’m not going to ask you how we are able to come this far. Now, I’m looking forward to our 10th, 15th, 25th, 50th anniversary and already planning how we are going to celebrate our special days.
Whenever I close my eyes and imagine us in the future, when we get old, very old may be in our 70s, I see us sitting near a beautiful beach looking at the sunrise hand in hand. Then you ask me to go for a walk along the beach and I hesitate and resist but then give you my hand. You help me get up and we hold our canes and take baby steps towards the ocean, reminiscing about the wonderful journey we’ve had together and feeling grateful for every moment we’ve shared. I pray to God everyday to make it happen.
You’ve broken all the bad stereotypes a man carries with him, you’re not just an amazing partner but also a wonderful father. Men like you need to be protected and celebrated at all cost. I’m super proud of you and I love you more than words can express.🧿
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This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Mads’ Cookhouse.
Hello Neha,
Again a very interesting read! Thanks for sharing your stories to readers and make them feel that love and understanding can be found in an arranged marriage. I can very well understand that state of yours when you pleaded elders to shift the time,being in the same boat. I was in a similar situation and my marriage was got fixed just before the lockdown. Our first meeting was with family and then the marriage got fixed within 3 months of that meeting. We were living in different cities and owing to his busy schedule (which stays the same even now), he couldn’t utilise this brief 3-months.Every day ,I was dying with the anxiety of marrying a stranger, something that nobody could understand at that moment.On my request, my father took me to meet him at the airport, just a day before our engagement and similarly, I met him again alone just a day before our marriage,which was a month away from my engagement. I Iistened to the elders who advised me to “go with the flow” without any expectation and I am still going with that flow without any expectation. I have heard a lot of tales of cheating, fake promises in arranged marriages but this hasn’t happened in my case, *touchwood* Even though, there isn’t much effort from my husband, I am grateful to God for things that could’ve gone wrong but didn’t.
Hi dear, thank you for visiting my blog again. I am glad you found the stories relatable. Your journey sounds quite challenging, long distance relationship is not easy. I am relieved to hear that you got to meet your partner a day before your engagement & then marriage but I’m sure just one meeting is not enough when it comes to marrying a stranger, it would have been very difficult for you. We can only trust the process and go with the flow in such situations. Even though there may not be much effort from your husband’s side, your gratitude for the things that haven’t gone wrong is truly admirable. Remember, every relationship has its own rhythm and sometimes, it’s about appreciating the small blessings and moments of harmony that come your way. Wishing you continued peace, love and understanding in your married life.
It was a great read for me to have gone through all 3 parts of your marriage story. In this busy work schedule, It is so heartening to read that both of you took time out to celebrate these small milestones of a serious long-term committed relationship like marriage. To feel grateful for what we have in our relationship, we must walk past the memory lane together with our partner and cherish those moments. I love how you’ve presented the timelines of your journey through pictures. Who can relate more than me to this statement “I asked for more time but nobody listened to it”, my marriage date was decided a month after my engagement and we couldn’t meet each other before our marriage/engagement except for brief meetings a day just before marriage and engagement. I’ve never understood such rushes in the process of the next stages of arranged marriages starting from engagement, marriage, and having babies contrary to love marriages where love blooms organically without any deadline. I hope that more people are receptible to the idea of comfort and compatibility between partners in an arranged marriage (where two strangers are marrying) over caste, creed, religion, and deadlines. It’s difficult to fall in love with someone whom you’ve hardly met in person and that too in a short period in arranged marriages. In the gamble of arranged marriage, It was great to know that you you not just found your soulmate but a very supportive and accepting family. I wish that more women find what they’re searching for , in an arranged marriage. Your story definitely sends a ray of hope for arranged marriages. I wish you and your family all love, laughter, happiness in days to come.
I have been following your blog posts through February and finally decided to delurk. I love your reels and the way you all come together – not just as a couple but as a family including your parents and your in-laws. That’s the essence of Indianness. All I can say is what you have is rare. Keep it close to your heart.
I’ll definitely keep that close to my heart. Thank you so much di. I truly appreciate your support and kind words. It means a lot to me to hear that you’ve been following my blog posts and enjoying the content. Thank you once again for taking the time to visit my blog and leave such a thoughtful comment.
awwww… soooo sweet… u r lucky Neha… to have found your soul mate cuz this type of connection doesnt happen easily… its rare. Happy for you… and thank you for the this part of your story. I was waiting after reading the other two😀. I wish you and your husband togetherness and many many more memories and milestones.
That is such a beautiful story Neha. Congratulations on your wedding anniversary. I wish that your love only grows till eternity.
The fact that he invited you all to his bachelor pad meant he was decent and confident of getting your Mom’s approval at least with his lifestyle!
Your stories are so engaging, sharing a young girl’s inner turmoil when making such a huge decision in life. It is heartening to see you both grow closer with time.
You so beautifully talk about your relationship. It’s ups and downs, gradual maturity and commitment. Wishing you more happy anniversaries.
HAPPY Anniversary to both of you… I love reading your blogs and especially your love story full of humor.
Your journey is so inspiring! Its wonderful to hear that you and Sumit have defied all odds and grown together. Happy Anniversary and here’s to many more!
Enjoyed reading your three part story! And so happy that you found your soulmate. I also consider my husband my soulmate – we are friends first and then spouses.
“He isn’t just a partner; he’s the missing piece of my soul, completing me in ways I never imagined.” Such a beautiful line and yes we all want and deserve this kind of a person and love by our side. What a beautiful journey you’ve led us through in this series. It made us look at love in a different way and also look at arranged marriage in a positive light. That last stanza where you talk about sitting together as an old couple at a beach just made my heart melt and my eyes well. God bless you both and your little one
You are definitely that lucky one who found her soulmate in her husband. it’s important that you first become friends and then lifepartners. Life is all about balancing. wishing you both a very Happy wedding Anniversary.
It’s so heartwarming to read your story. Congratulations on your anniversary, and I wish you many more years filled with love for each other.
This post really touched my heart. it so beautiful to hear about your journey in finding your soulmate,yoir forever. your words are filled with love and authenticity, and its evdent how deeply connected you are with your partner. wishing you botah happy married life.
Loved reading about your journey, Neha. You two make such a cute couple. You are indeed blessed and so is Sumit. Happy 9th and many many more to come. Touch wood.
Final partbis here Neha. love reading your two part. You are really lucky to have a partner like that. I have too arranged marriage and yes I agree love can be found in arranged marriage too. I wish you and your husband stay together always happily.
Oh Neha Dear, That’s a wonderful ending to the real love story of your life with Sumit. You are truly fortunate to have found a soulmate through arranged marraige , you cherish the bond you share. The connection transcends expectations filled with mutual understanding and unwavering support. You navigate life’s journey with love and respect. You discovered the true meaning of companionship and partnership. Stay blessed and I wish you both many more years of happiness and togetherness.
Happy anniversary Neha! loved reading this three part series .. very beautifully written! you are really lucky that you have found your soulmate!
Your first two posts were awestruck and so is this. Firstly congratulations on your 9 years. It takes a lot to maintain love for this long. Enjoyed reading this post too
I loved reading all the parts neha it’ was indeed wonderful to know each stage in your relationship. I hope young people would read this and proceed before getting married
I don’t know why I am crying while I am writing this but I wish you only happiness, my dear. 😊 Wonderful post.
A lovely love story! I have loved reading this series, it really shows the solid foundation that you both have built up over the years, but somewhere, it all began right in the beginning with you both expressing yourselves – and yes the good and the bad – going through it together! Yours is a Green Flag relationship 🙂
A great post, Neha. I loved all three parts for sure, and I must say you are so lucky to have such a good life partner who not only understands you but also respects you and values you. I hope this could be an example for Jeevansathi users as well.
Wonderful story. your story has so many twists and turns and glad you find your true soulmate in your husband. We have one thing in common, I too got married in 2015.
Such a pleasure to read your love story Neha. I echo your feelings with respect to my husband – it’s more than a love, it’s a bond of souls. Thoo thoo thoo nazar na lage 🙂