Finding forever love
Love arrives unannounced, in trains, workplaces, radio waves, and even lost-and-found moments
The thick pine groves of Shillong—the timeless “Pine City”—have silently witnessed countless love stories. Some are familiar, almost predictable: love at first sight, chance encounters over fallen books, or romances sparked in the digital world. But beyond these well-worn narratives lie stories far more intriguing—unconventional beginnings that defy clichés and yet blossom into lifelong companionship.
Have we ever paused to notice these quieter, unexpected journeys of love? Stories that begin not with grand gestures, but with coincidences, confusions, and fleeting moments that somehow turn into forever.
Take the story of Jayasree Chowdhury and Apurba Sarkar. Their journey began not in a café or college corridor, but aboard the Guwahati–Kolkata-bound Saraighat Express. Jayasree’s father, then working in Shillong, was understandably anxious as his daughter set out alone for Kolkata for the first time. Fate, however, had arranged for reassurance in the form of a fellow passenger.
“Her father told me to take care of her since she is going alone. He heaved a sigh of relief after giving her responsibility to me,” recalled Apurba.
What followed was a sixteen-and-a-half-hour journey filled with conversations, shared stories, and an unspoken connection. “We shared many details of each other in that journey. We started to sense that there is something common between us,” she recollects. Soon, daily meetings in Kolkata became routine, and within a month, the inevitable was spoken. “We met each other everyday in Kolkata, thereafter, and after a month or so, he said the three beautiful words,” recalled Jayasree with shying eyes. Apurba sums it up simply: “We were destined for each other and we met in the train. I am happy to have her in my life.”
From trains to call centres, love finds its way even in the most unexpected workplaces. Elina Myrthong and Wallambil Nongbet first crossed paths during training at a call centre in Gurgaon. “I got attracted to her right from day one when we went for the training,” recalled Wallambil, though he remained unsure of her identity.
Elina, on the other hand, sensed his silent attention. “I thought what is preventing him to approach me,” she said. The mystery lay in a curious detail—employees were assigned foreign names while interacting with customers, masking their true identities. It took a small, almost comical incident to bridge that gap. One evening, while serving herself dinner, Elina accidentally spilled pulses on her clothes and muttered “Jynjar” (troublesome). That single word was enough.
“He was overjoyed to know that I am a Khasi whereas I was so embarrassed with my pulse induced clothes,” she recalled. Wallambil laughs, “She got angry since instead of helping her, I started asking where she stays in Shillong and all that whereas she was struggling with her attire.” What began with confusion soon turned into clarity—and companionship. Today, they are settled in their careers and planning their future together.
Then there’s a story where love travelled through the airwaves. Vanessa Mawlong fell for Ronald Thongni without ever meeting him—captivated by his voice as an FM radio jockey. “His voice is very manly and I love to talk with him whenever I got the chance,” said Vanessa.
Ronald, however, was oblivious. “It is impossible since a radio jockey attends many calls in a day and it is difficult to understand who is actually dying for you, as everyone seems to be dying,” he said with a smile. Determined, Vanessa took matters into her own hands—tracking down his personal number and inviting him for a coffee in Shillong’s Police Bazaar.
“With the whole body dipped in shyness, she could not say why she had called me there,” reminisces Ronald. Time ticked, hesitation lingered—until finally, courage prevailed. “It is very difficult to hear from a lady about their expression and more so in these cases. She took an hour and forty-five minutes to say what she wanted,” he said, as Vanessa laughed in the background. “She reasoned smilingly that she was in a state of hesitation and expected Ronald to say those words.” Today, they are married, with plans for a honeymoon in Goa—a story that began with a voice and found its way to a lifetime.
And then there is a tale where love was literally returned—along with a lost mobile phone. Kalpana Saikia’s phone, a gift from her father, went missing, prompting worry and even a newspaper advertisement. The next day, a call came. A stranger had found it.
That stranger was Kaustav Dutta.
“I was bowled over by his gentle and extremely well behaviour,” Kalpana recalls of their first meeting in Shillong. They parted ways, perhaps thinking that was the end of it. But destiny had other plans. They met again in Guwahati, quite by chance.
“She was so happy that day as if she had got back something that she lost earlier,” said Kaustav. A month together in the city brought them closer. “That which started with a lost mobile, we thus got lost in each other,” says Kalpana, as Kaustav laughs. Today, they are married and settled in Kolkata—a relationship rooted in honesty and chance.
Looking at these stories, one thing becomes clear—love does not follow a script. It does not wait for perfect settings or planned beginnings. It arrives unannounced, in trains, workplaces, radio waves, and even lost-and-found moments.
“Bizarre, these stories may hear or read but they are true love stories of these beautiful and successful peoples. You never know at which moment and time in your life, you’ll start loving someone and that may be the beginning of a new life,” says Apurba.
Ronald echoes the sentiment: “One who is destined for you, you’ll definitely meet. The only difference is the means and in my case it was the radio.”
In the end, perhaps the pine groves of Shillong have always known this truth—love is less about how it begins, and more about how it finds its way.
(Some names changed on request)
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