Mrunal Panchal begins her story with a warning - "Heads up! Our story is as millennial as it gets" - and she could not be more accurate. From meeting on Instagram, sliding into each other's DMs, dating over video calls and bonding on TikTok, Mrunal and Anirudh's love story is truly as dependent on technology as millennials are. In an interview with Humans of Bombay, the couple reveals how they 'met' for the first time, started dating and kept the romance alive thousands of miles apart.
Mrunal confesses that she is the one who slid into Anirudh's DMs when she came across his Instagram profile. "When I came across Anirudh's profile, I loved his feed - it was so aesthetic," she says. "I messaged him-or slid into his DMs if you will! He replied with a 'Hi' instantly and we began chatting."
The two content creators found plenty to talk about, even though with Anirudh in Canada and Mrunal in India, the time difference was tough.
"We're both content creators, so when Anirudh suggested we do a TikTok Duet video, I was game," says Mrunal, describing the experience as "so much fun". It was making a TikTok video together, from different continents, that made the two millennials realise how much they liked each other. So, very soon, their texting turned into virtual dates.
"That night, I told him I loved him...and he did too," says Mrunal, describing a date where the two dressed up for a video call and ordered the same food.
The two met in person for the first time three months after that, when Anirudh flew down to Pune. They spent a month doing everything together, though Mrunal says she knew Anirudh was the one the minute she set eyes on him. "So, we became 'official' and told our family and friends, but he had to go back to Canada to finish his last month-I missed him so much as the long distance resumed."
While Anirudh had the option to stay on in Canada, he chose to return. "He said his heart belongs with me in India," says Mrunal. Mrunal and Anirudh then moved to Mumbai, where they live in separate apartments in the same building. Their Skype sessions have turned into Netflix nights at home, and Mrunal describes their relationship as "a modern day love with an old school heart".
Mrunal and Anirudh's love story has struck a chord with many. On Instagram, it has collected over 1.3 lakh 'likes', along with hundreds of comments.
"That's how a modern fairytale would be," wrote one person in the comments section. "What a beautiful story. My heart melts," said another.
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