For better and worse: Pandemic-era lovestories
happy Even 2020 had some Day, endings. On Valentine’s found that meet couples who — love most elusive of things lockdown — in the midst of a
Lway in 2020, as the in a rather literal ove was in the air meet in the pandemic. the safest place to internet became from on dating apps jumped The number of Indians according to to 31 million in 2020, 18.4 million in 2019 offline dates and forum Statista. With the German data of interactions table, the nature hook-ups off the Three months were talking more. changed too. People more people were exchanging Tinder found that volume and into the lockdown, up 60% in with conversations OKCupid messages than before, in India. just before the lockdown 28% in duration since go up by 12%. voice saw matches video and a 38% increase in
Bumble has reported when India since late March, calls in the 10 months eventually last lockdown that would announced a hard
68 days. their forced people to evaluate
“I think the pandemic to us all what we became clearer relationships. It change,” says and what needed needed in our lives at a relationship consultant Shahzeen Shivdasani, meaningful were making more
Bumble India. “People was completely as the physical aspect connections during the lockdown.” removed as people with uncertainty,
In a time riddled new connections reached out to form around the world acquaintances, singles were with neighbours, and relationships, they defined love also rethinking how and asking to the fundamentals returning to them, says counsellor what was most important therapist Arati Kedia. and dance movement took priority in and conversation Companionship Dating, came before romance. many cases. Friendship drives, all-night old-school — long effectively, went treasured because simple moments phone conversations, was so far away. we the next meeting I’d been on where the first such date six “Our first date was Sinha, 29, one of the no filters,” Devlina actually talked, with in the pandemic. to who found love says her couples we spoke hero in me,” brought out the film my car “Trying to meet her of groceries into
31. “I’d load bags kitten partner Varun Kumar, them. Or take my
I needed to deliver and, if stopped, say going to the vet.” treated along and say I was rather than together and tackled, says Hurdles were faced 27, an only child, on. Joshna Joseph, first as a reason to move when she and unused to chores neatness she was disorganised 28 and a partner, Conroy D’Costa, me moved in with her and helped patient and caring freak. “He was says. disciplined,” she become a bit more of the power is also a reminder
Each of the six stories so much would have been of love. “The lockdown it with,” Karthik had her to spend worse if I hadn’t our second Kashika Gupta. “On Yermunja says of make me that he would always date he promised says it,” Devlina Sinha chai, whenever I wanted would “I think the lockdown of Varun Kumar. much it would have been have been horrible, Ankit had each other,” worse if we hadn’t
Parashar. Dutta says of Nilanjana meet people who This Valentine’s Day, it in love and made met virtually, fell in the midst work, through a lockdown that even 2020 of a pandemic, proving happy endings. had at least some