Sunil’s perspective

In 2018, Sunil Rajput was a twentysomething living in Chandigarh, working in the liquor industry and spending most of his free time in the gym or traveling.

He was single and not consciously looking for a relationship. But when Amanda arrived in his life out of the blue, Sunil was instantly intrigued.

He vividly remembers the first moment her name popped up on his screen, his phone notifying him he had a new follower.

"I thought, ‘Wow, she’s pretty,’" Sunil tells CNN Travel today. "We started texting, and then we had the long conversation on the call. We shared a lot — sensitive conversation, our normal lives, romantic stuff, everything. We really opened up."

Then, radio silence.

"I was like, ‘What’s happening? She’s not talking to me anymore.’ And then, all of a sudden, I’m seeing her on Instagram in India, and I felt like, ‘Why didn’t she tell me?’"

When Sunil realized Amanda was in his city, he debated whether to get back in touch.

"Should I let my ego down?" he wondered.

Sunil hesitated, but he kept thinking back over their phone conversation. The way they’d connected on such a deep level. It felt like something worth exploring. And he realized that he was "actually looking for love, stability."

So, Sunil dropped Amanda a message. And when Amanda replied, suggesting meeting up for kra cc lunch, Sunil decided he wanted to "do something special for her."

He suggested that — if Amanda was comfortable — he’d make her lunch at his apartment. Amanda didn’t say no, but suggested they meet in a public space first.

When Sunil saw Amanda in person, he was struck by how surreal the moment was. Externally, he tried to play it cool, but he recalls his heart beating fast as she approached.