Finding the one: four women share the heartfelt story behind choosing their soulmate for life

Four women from different walks of life share what love and commitment means to them, the heartfelt story behind finding their soulmate and their definition of 'Mr Right'. Read on. 

Debasree Banerjee, Digital Content Creator

“I matched with Raamish [Abbasi] on a dating app. Back then, I didn’t believe in the concept of finding 'The One', but when I met him, my perspective changed for the better. I cannot put into words the emotions I felt—our first meeting, our conversations were effortless and flowed easily. We just clicked. I believe Raamish finally found someone who would crack up at his lame jokes [laughs], but, more than that, our 
principles matched. Raamish is so humorous and he is as ambitious and independent as I am."

Debasree and Raamish on a vacation in Maldives

"For me, love means friendship...Friendship is everlasting and you always stick by each other through thick and thin. Over the course of five years, we have stood by one another even when things were tough. And with Raamish, I found friendship and more—there was peace, trust, and commitment. After being with each other for half a decade, we took the plunge and decided to get married. It made us a big family. We now have an extra set of loving parents and an older sibling. Our love just quadrupled and there is nothing better than that.”

Doyel Joshi, Stylist 

“I knew I would only settle down with someone if I could be my true self with them. Like many women from my generation, I was brought up by a mother who took on a traditional role in marriage. They willingly, or, due to lack of opportunity, entered into ‘settlements’. And in our generation, all of us are at a stage where we do not ‘need’ a man or someone to ‘settle down with’. However, I do believe in soulmates...But I don’t consider finding ‘The One’ as the most romantic aspect. Because, I believe the one that we are looking for is just us trying to access our true self. The moment I realised Neil [Ghose Balser] was my 'Mr Right', I let go of my ulterior wants that were born out of fear, societal, personal, and parental pressure. And the day we decided to become partners was when I experienced pure love."

The couple also launched a creative studio called Howareyoufeeling.studio

"The qualities I looked for in my partner were the same qualities I tried to imbibe in myself. Neil appreciates freedom, creative expression, honesty, passion, peace, and vulnerability. These very qualities brought us closer and, eventually, we ended up collaborating on my thesis. Almost a decade later, we formalised our creative and life partnerships on 4th November 2022. We tied the knot and also launched a creative studio together. This wasn’t an easy step, but if you are both able to own the relationship and communicate with your partner sans judgment, there is no reason as to why any relationship, whether romantic or otherwise, won’t be successful.”
 

Juhi Godambe Jain, Digital Content Creator 

“Love, to me, is the feeling of coming home to that one person. I met Siddharth when I was 14-years-old... What began as childhood romance blossomed into a loving relationship that only grew stronger. His qualities, through the years, reassured me that he was my 'Mr Right'. Sid is family-oriented, ambitious, and, above all, has a kind heart. We have been together for 15 years, and there hasn’t been a single instance when I did not feel butterflies in my stomach."

The couple captured candidly on their vacation in Hungary

"Of course, Sid and I have had our fair share of ups and downs. We were in a long-distance relationship for five years, when we were in our early 20s and life had just begun for us. We still made it work and that time made us realise that even the best relationships need work. That’s why I don’t believe in the concept of 'The One'. What’s more important is the commitment to make a relationship work. Small gestures matter because it’s imperative to remind your partner that they are the most important person in your life.”
 

Dr Vibhuti Dhaundiyal, Doctor and Designer 

“I met my husband [Dr Rishi Roy] when we were both studying in medical college. I remember vividly, I met him on 1st September, 2011. He was really chatty and I thought he was a fun person to be with. Later, we began spending a lot of time with each other, and, eventually, we became really good friends. I have always been a die-hard romantic and believed in the concept of finding 'The One'. I wanted someone who is as calm as me, is a homebody, and loves unconditionally."

The couple posing in front of Windsor Castle

"Rishi is exactly my opposite—he has an energetic personality, is very social, and loves going out. He was nowhere close to the ideal guy I wished for, but he is all I will ever need. One of the nicest things about Rishi is that there isn’t an ounce of pretense. I cannot pinpoint the moment I realized I found my 'Mr Right', but from the day I met him, I had an inexplicable feeling that he is my person. And even though he is the yin to my yang, Rishi just completes me and I believe we are two perfect pieces of the puzzle called life.”