ROMANCE EN ROUTE

FROM A CHANCE ENCOUNTER ON AN EIGHT-HOUR-LONG FLIGHT TO MEETING SOMEBODY ON A FIVE-DAY TREK, TRAVEL SOMETIMES THROWS UP SURPRISING OPPORTUNITIES TO FIND LOVE

- SHREYA CHEEMA

Love sneaks up on you when you least expect it; sometimes painful, mostly challenging, but always worthwhile—like travelling. So, what happens when the two worlds collide? When one glance from a stranger in a new city is enough to make you travel miles to see them again; when one conversation is enough to dream up a forever; when one look makes your heart skip a beat?

THE INDIA CONNECT

FOR YOUTUBER KARL ROCK, WHO, IN HIS own words, is "not romantic at all," a trip to India changed everything. After making his first trip in 2013, there was no looking back—he kept returning with the goal of visiting every state and Union Territory. And in 2014, he finally found a reason to stay when he met his now-wife, Manisha, in Delhi. "The first time I met Manisha, it felt like a movie scene. I was at a friend's place, and the first time I saw her, I knew there was something special about her," he says.

With a shared passion for travel, Rock and Manisha hit it off instantly. "He had a very positive energy. We instantly clicked and ended up chatting for hours. It just felt right from the beginning," says Manisha.