How I met the LOML on Tinder
WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED SANA JAZEER
I wasn't looking for anything serious at the time, because I'd just broken up from a mentally-taxing (borderline abusive) relationship about three months. Followed by a week-long fling about a month later. After which, I found myself floundering about tinder looking for a stranger, a friend, anybody who would listen to my stories.
Now, tinder (circa 2018) was a wonderful place to meet like-minded people in your vicinity: considering the algorithms almost customised who you crossed paths with. It was my fool-proof way of meeting people who were on the same wavelength as me. And honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by the multitudes of people I interacted with.
From the internet troll to the classic fuckboy (& girl), I found every type of person one might fathom, all genders included. And then to top it all off, I also happened to meet this smart, sweet and genuinely nice guy, who, as it turns out, was looking for the same thing I was - friendship. And the best part! He was only ten minutes away from me! A kind, creative soul, who studied art in a college close to where I lived, quickly made me feel very comfortable with his presence and I soon ended up revealing my true, whacky nature to him, unlike anyone before. I finally felt safe.
April 11th, 2018.
We decided to meet for the first time at a Plan B, for wings and beer. A Bangalore staple. But the wings weren't the only thing I enjoyed that day, obviously!
Apart from having some wonderful conversations about life and living in the city, we spoke about the music we liked, our individual styles, our beliefs, our dreams in life, everything. And on the ride back, when we were jamming to some tunes, I remember thinking to myself- that if true love was possible, this might be it.
A few days went by, the spark turned into raging fire. I was soon invited over to his house for the first time. At this point, even my mom was aware of another source of interest in my life. I guess it was good sign for me that they instantly clicked – what with them sharing the same birthday and all. We also bonded strongly over a common love for philosophy and crude jokes, so you know I had to go over to his place when the invite for a sesh popped up in my DMs!
Throughout my life, I’d been known to be a very reserved person, only extroverted when I was around my people. And then came along this lad, who made me completely change my approach, in a way that felt so familiar, who challenged me and made me push my boundaries. One day, out of the blue, I looked at myself in the mirror and said, “I love who I am when I’m with this boy” – and I knew that day, I couldn’t let an opportunity like this go. It was as if, every time I was with him was an opportunity to be a better version of myself.
May 2018
On the day that I uninstalled tinder for the last time, I had a feeling of gratefulness and profound hope for everything.
For life.
For love.
And for opportunity.
I guess that's how I found the lurrv o' my life!
