The Misadventures of Maira and her Unlucky Love Life

Maira was one of those girls who was a self-proclaimed romantic. She was dreamy and romantic. She imagined perfect dates and soul mate connections. She valued memories and photographs,  but who was there to cherish these with other than her friends?

 She was emotional, expressive, and very affectionate. Following romantic idealism, she had high expectations of love and was poetic and passionate. However, one thing was constant: she was always hopeful.  

 

She adored love stories – whether it was the tragical Romeo and Juliet or a whimsical rom-com. However, her life was less of a meet cute type of guy and more of the meet awkward guy, and then somehow disaster follows. 

 

It all started in high school when Maira had finally found someone who she liked. His name was Raj and he was tall, dark and handsome; a cliché wrapped up in one person. Unfortunately, Maira’s attempts at confessing her feelings towards him were rather lame and pathetic. 

 

Maira: “Hey Raj, I think I like you… much more than a pizza or an ice cream.”

 

Raj interrupted her, “I’m allergic to ice cream and pizzas”, and before you knew it, her first crush and attempt at love plummeted downwards.  

 

Blinking in an utmost mortified fashion, Maira quickly excused herself to go to the safety of the women’s restroom. However, she realised she left her phone on the lunch table and Raj was yet sitting there. Raj had probably picked up the phone as her mom had already attempted to call her. Maira’s first crush was pretty much over before it could even begin!

 

As an adult, things don’t improve much in the dating scene. Attempting to give online dating in her 20s a try, her first match was with Rahul, who had a profile picture where he looked like a professional model. Maira was sceptical but hopeful about their first meeting.  

 

Agreeing to meet at a local coffee shop they scheduled the day and time of their meeting. However, Maira arrived alone at the coffee shop wondering where on earth her date could be until her eyes hovered across the room where a lean boy dressed in a collar shirt and trousers was. 

 

Maira: “Uh, hey, Rahul.” 

 

Rahul: awkwardly but shyly. "So, I’m just going to say – if you think I look nervous, it is because I am, But I'm also excited, so yay!" 

 

Maira: "What? Rahul, it’s just a casual meeting that you don’t need to make a big deal out of." 

 

Rahul paused and looked at her with the intensity of someone solving a deep existential problem.

Rahul: "I read online that the perfect first dates have to be meticulously planned out from start to finish. And I’m just really particular about things."

 

Maira blinked, her brain short-circuiting for a moment. “Okay…..”

 

The date proceeded with a series of awkward silences and moments. Rahul’s coffee obsession led him to spill half of it on himself and an awkward attempt at trying to impress Maira with a romantic gesture.  They then headed towards the nearby park for a stroll, where he tried to show off some skills by jumping over a bench but instead landed up getting stuck halfway like an awkward human pretzel. 

 

Needless to say, the second date never happened and Maira’s friends began to refer to her romantic endeavours as the Rahul Chronicles.  

 

Maira, however, was determined to find love, and she didn’t back down so easily. She was convinced that love was right around the corner for her; even if it meant looking for candy in a bag; difficult to find but so worth it to keep.

 

Her third attempt came through an app called FateMatch. As per their algorithm, she was to be paired with none other than a boy named Vivaan.

 

Maira: “Oh he likes long walks on the beach and romantic movies! Finally, I think I have found someone normal!

 

They met at a cosy bar, and the conversation became fluid in no time. Vivaan was everything that Maira had hoped for: a charming guy, intelligent, good-looking and funny.   

 

Vivaan: “I just feel that we are deeply connected like a cosmic force pulling us together. However, it became very clear that Vivaan was deeply philosophical and required someone who could handle such deep conversations with him. However, it was not her, not Maira who could handle that.

 

She resigned herself to her fate and pretty much got used to awkward first dates which pretty much landed up hanging in the air. However, there was one thing constant in her life and that was her cat, Mr Snuggles who had no judgement towards all her weird first dates and encounters. 

 

However, one evening, strangely out of the blue, she came across a boy as she ventured out to take her cat for a walk. (don't ask it WAS A THING!)     

 

His name was Aditya and he was standing in front of a bookstore holding a stack of books in one hand. On top lay a book titled, “How to be Less Awkward around Strangers”.

 

Maira: “Those books are perfect for trying to avoid people like me, aren’t they” she chuckled as she looked in his direction. 

 

Aditya: “Yeah, I suppose, but I’m not trying to avoid anyone other than avoiding such conversations, he shyly replied. So, their conversation went on and on for an hour or so as they began to talk about their common idiosyncrasies of life. They spent the next few months going on pretty regular but remarkable ‘first dates’ which involved grabbing a coffee and endlessly walking around the city. 

 

Eventually, they even managed to navigate past the awkwardness of their first kiss and soon enough their awkwardness turned into confidence; confidence in one another. 

 

When Maira thought that her luck had changed, Aditya told her one evening, “I think I’m allergic to pizzas.”

 

Maira laughed and so did Aditya. Of course, he was, but this time they laughed together.