18 People In India Explain What Love Means To Them

"Sometimes in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.”

Indian dating app Woo asked a bunch of ordinary Indians what it means to be in love. Here's what they had to say:

BuzzFeed / Via Woo

1. On why it's worth the wait.

Woo

“We met each other in college in 1972. Our friends always wanted us to get married from the beginning. But he never came up to tell me that. I waited a whole year for him to propose to me.”

2. On following your dreams and not following convention.

Woo

"I got through a top medical college but didn’t join because I wanted to get into music. I was looking for a job and I got a call for an interview. She was an intern in a recruiting agency. That’s how we spoke for the first time. Two months after that call, we were dating. It was first love for both of us. 6 years later, we got married. It’s been over a decade now. I’m so glad I didn’t join that college."

3. On waiting for things to happen.

Woo

"I’ve been in a relationship. But I haven’t been in love."

4. On coming out stronger after heartbreak.

Woo

"A relationship is not about going around, seeing places and eating together. It’s about making promises and keeping them. I’ve been let down once. The heartbreak led to severe depression and more health problems. But I’ve come out strong and now try to live life to the fullest. I just don’t want to get hurt again."

5. On believing that fairy-tales do happen.

Woo

"Sometimes in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale. That is what we are living in right now.”

6. On not rushing things.

Woo

“I think I’m a little young to be in love. It’s great if you are in a relationship, but life right now is cool without one too."

7. On figuring out that love isn't about the differences.

Woo

"In an arranged marriage, the person chooses your family, your social status and many other factors. In a love marriage, the person chooses you. Either way, as long as you understand each other, love follows."

8. On love having the power to change one's mind.

Woo

"We met at a common friend's party and got into a long distance relationship after that. He never believed in marriage. But that was before we got serious."

"So is marriage on the cards?"

"Yes. But they were printed a year back. We celebrated our first anniversary last month."

9. On distance not being a factor with true love.

Woo

"We dated each other for seven years but both were in different countries, so it was a super-long-distance relationship. One thing that defines love, and what got us through, was the belief we had in each other and the space we gave each other. We even went traditional and wrote handwritten letters. Waiting for a reply for days together was one of the most exciting parts in our journey. Now we've been married for three years and recently founded our own startup."

10. On looking to the future, but remembering the past.

Woo

"I was in a relationship in school and the guy passed away in an accident. I was young and it was first love. It took me five years to come out of it. I blamed myself because we had had a fight just before the incident. But then with the help of God and family, I came out strong. I think I'm ready to get into a relationship once again.”

11. On how time flies.

Woo

"We are both lawyers and met at work. We just got engaged after dating for three years."

"NOOOOO, we have dated for two years."

"There are some calculation discrepancies."

12. On the transcendence of love.

Woo

"I met him at my college in Perth. We were in a big group of friends. But we felt a special affinity for one another, and nurtured into something more special. 35 years later here we are in India, following our hearts and backpacking across the country."

13. On the importance of trust in others, but most importantly in yourself.

Woo

"I was in a relationship in the first year of my college but the guy wasn't serious at all. So I chose to end it despite how attached I was. I think love for me is all about trusting the other person."

14. On realising that it's worth the fight.

Woo

"We met in college where she was my junior. We dated for eight years and managed to tell parents only in the last year. There were issues because our castes were different, but we managed to convince our parents. In due time, they had to agree because they wanted to see us happy, and there is no way we could have been without each other. We've been married for three years now.

In a few months another blessing is coming in our lives. She is expecting.”

15. On enjoying the journey.

Woo

"I have never been in love but I would love to experience it once in my life. Right now, the love of my life is my ride."

16. On love's many blindnesses.

Woo

"We were in the same college but nothing ever happened. After a year, we took a trip to Pondicherry with common college friends. There we had bikes and I decided to be his pillion rider even though he had lost his specs and couldn't see anything on the road. But that's how it all started."

"Yup, I guess love is BLIND indeed.”

17. On realising that simple pleasures are what it's all about.

Woo

"I have been dating a guy for 2.5 years. He is a DJ and it's a long-distance relationship. We are getting married in a year, so I am very excited. Love for me is to wake up in the morning thinking about the same person and going to sleep doing the same. Everyday."

18. And on never ruling anything out.

Woo

"I feel love is the most complicated thing in life. I have seen my friends crying and cribbing about their relationships and played counsellor so many times. But it's easy to do that when single. I'm not too sure about the whole concept of love but am still open to it. After all, who knows what tomorrow brings?"