Love sneaks up on you when you least expect it; sometimes painful, mostly challenging, but always worthwhile—like travelling. So, what happens when the two worlds collide? When one glance from a stranger in a new city is enough to make you travel miles to see them again; when one conversation is enough to dream up a forever; when one look makes your heart skip a beat?
For YouTuber Karl Rock, who, in his own words, is "not romantic at all," a trip to India changed everything. After making his first trip in 2013, there was no looking back—he kept returning with the goal of visiting every state and Union Territory. And in 2014, he finally found a reason to stay when he met his now-wife, Manisha, in Delhi. "The first time I met Manisha, it felt like a movie scene. I was at a friend's place, and the first time I saw her, I knew there was something special about her," he says.
With a shared passion for travel, Rock and Manisha hit it off instantly. "He had a very positive energy. We instantly clicked and ended up chatting for hours. It just felt right from the beginning," says Manisha.
That night was enough to know they had found their "the one." However, they decided to take it slow and put their compatibility to the ultimate test by travelling together to the northeast and Rajasthan in the first year of getting to know each other. "It feels great to explore the things you are passionate about with somebody. Through our travels, I discovered how similar we were," says Manisha. Meanwhile, for Rock, who was already smitten by India, travelling with Manisha deepened his love. He says, "Manisha taught me much about India in those early days and still does." Even now, five years after their marriage, the couple continues to take on the world, setting travel goals for their 2.8 million viewers.
Cupid's Spell: Manisha says, "I highly recommend travelling with your partner before marriage; it's a great way to strengthen your connection and test the resilience of your relationship."
In 2019, when Akshay Chawdhry was flying from San Francisco to New York, he could not have imagined meeting his partner on board an eight-hour-long flight. "One of us was not meant to be on the flight at all," he says. And yet, he happened to be sitting next to Mia Holmes—then a friendly stranger and, now, his wife.
"Many things conspired to make us sit next to each other. Mia's flight was cancelled, and they rebooked her on my flight. Meanwhile, I was assigned another seat, which I got changed," recollects Chawdhry.
The next eight hours for the couple remain a blur. Several feet above, among the clouds, the couple talked about everything despite belonging to different worlds—India and Norway. Chawdhry says, "We didn't realise where the time went. We spoke throughout the flight. I just remember when we took off and when the pilot announced the landing."
Since that first meeting, Chawdhry and Holmes have taken their love around the world—from their first trip to Mexico early on in their relationship to Goa, where they exchanged vows. "What I love about travelling together is that we are a team. She's all in when doing things I like, and so am I. Just knowing that there's always somebody willing to try different things with you and not take things too seriously is a great thing to have," says Chawdhry.
Cupid's spell: While Chawdhry was struck by their instant connection, it was Holmes who took the chance, as she told Akshay, "When you spend eight hours with somebody and don't realise it, you just don't leave it up in the air."
How far can you go for love? For the Indian-born PK Mahanandia, no distance was too much if that meant he'd be with his now-wife, Charlotte or, as he lovingly calls her, "Lata."
In 1975, when Charlotte was visiting Delhi on a holiday from Sweden, she met Mahanandia, who, in those days, reigned Connaught Place as a street artist. He was popular for being able to create one sketch in under ten minutes—until his gaze fell on Charlotte, and time stood still.
What followed was a whirlwind romance. After spending only a few days in Delhi together, the couple made their way to Mahanandia's hometown in Odisha, where they got married according to tribal traditions. However, it was time for Charlotte to return to Boras, in Sweden, where she belonged.
The miles between the couple only brought them closer, sustained by exchanging letters for a year, until Mahanandia decided to bridge the distance in 1977. Owing to financial difficulties, flying to Sweden was out of the question. But he found a way—Mahanandia sold all his belongings to buy a secondhand bicycle, on which he covered 70 miles each day for four months.
The 3,799 km journey took Mahanandia through Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, and Vienna.
"In those days, most countries didn't require any visa. My art kept me company and even came to my rescue. I would sketch portraits in exchange for money and, sometimes, food and shelter," recounts Mahanandia. When the journey got exhausting, Mahanadia pedalled on, fuelled by love and the hope of a reunion that has now completed 46 years.
Cupid's Spell: Mahanandia's journey wasn't an easy one, but for him, it wasn't a big deal, all because he had love on his side. "She supported me in every step. I had no money, and cycling was the only way I could get to her. I was simply cycling for love," he says.
An avid traveller, Shivani Ghai embraced her move to South Africa on a work assignment. "I moved here in 2015, and I got into hiking," she says. On her bucket list was a five-day adventure–the great Otter Trail, which ran along the Garden Route coast of South Africa.
"It is tough to get the chance to take on the trail unless you go with a hiking group. So, I signed up for one. And that is how I met Wessel—on the first day of our hike," says Ghai. "At the time, I was going through an extremely hectic period and was taking myself too seriously. But when I met Wessel, I was drawn to his carefree nature," she adds.
On that trip, Ghai knew one thing for sure: that she wanted Wessel to be in her life. "But I never considered dating him because he had a girlfriend then," she says. Little did she know that fate had other plans. She coyly admits that Wessel would hike closer to her, trying to hear all the stories she narrated to her friend. "Even now, I am the storyteller during our trips, and he's the maker of all things fun," she says. It has been seven years since they got together, and travelling continues to play a significant role in their relationship.
Cupid's Spell: When asked about what makes travelling with her partner special, Ghai says, "To be able to realise your favourite part about travelling together, you also have to travel alone. Thus, every year, we try to travel once together and once on our own."
