LOVE STORIES FROM THE GYM
‘After meeting her for three-four times in the gym, we went out on our first date.’
In 2013, she came back to Mumbai after completing her studies in USA. I had seen her six to seven times at the gym. She would run on the treadmill, and I would do weights with my trainer in an adjoining area. I would talk to a lot of other women in the gym, but not her. We never even trained together. When you workout in the gym, you are happier; the mood is different. So, I guess this was one of the reasons for me getting infatuated with her. My sister, who used to work out at the same gym, used to interact with her regularly. I told my sister that I liked her, so my sister spoke to her and set up a dinner for all of us. We started talking soon after. We went out on our first date
after meeting her for threefour times in the gym. These days, her work keeps her out of Mumbai for most of the week, but on weekends, we work out together.
— Anup Mitra (name changed), a 24-year-old businessman, who met his girlfriend at a gym in Mumbai
‘I fell for him after seeing him do pull-ups.’
When I saw him doing pull-ups for the first time, I couldn’t stop myself from falling for him. After that, each day was like a treat to me. My friend, who accompanied me to the gym, initially tried hitting on him. A month later, I approached him for help with some exercises and we shared contacts and started talking. I flirted with him, whereas he was innocently trying to analyse the situation. Soon, we started working out together. He would pick me up from my house and drop me back. My heart would beat very fast every time I met him. We were getting to know each other more and more with each passing day. After three months, I decided to ask him out. I had butterflies in my stomach when we planned a long drive date. We stopped in Panvel (Mumbai) and got out of the car. The weather was perfect. With a rose bouquet and a box of chocolates in my hand, I went down on my knees and proposed to him there. With tears in his eyes, he said yes, and I realised that Vijay was the best thing to happen to me.
— Archana Nagpure, a MAPR student, on how she met her partner in a gym in Mumbai