How This Couple's 90s Love Story Is As Challenging And Filmy As It Gets

This story is both filmy and inspirational. Two dynamic, strong-headed individuals who went above and beyond to honour their love and, along the way, made some challenging sacrifices too. No, this isn't straight out of a Bollywood movie, it's a real-life anecdote of the Rai couple, hailing from Darjeeling, who fought all odds to be together.

Their daughter, Sneha Rai, shares with SheThePeople her parents Laxmi Rai and Mahendra Rai's epic love story, and why she aspires for the kind of connection they share.

90s Real Love Stories: The Rai Couple

“My husband always says, ‘I met the queen of my heart in the queen of the hills, Darjeeling!’ In 1995, we first met when I came to Darjeeling for vacation. And we fell in love the moment we saw each other. We used to sneak glances at each other secretly.

From falling in love at first sight to going against the family to be with each other, the ‘90s wala pyaar’ was certainly not easy!

We couldn’t stay connected as there were no DMs back then. So we found solace in writing letters to each other. Our hearts were etched from the very beginning. From sneaking glances to writing heartfelt letters, we tried our best to keep our bond alive! For 13 long years, we waited and finally got married. Our family didn't approve of our marriage and we couldn't convince them either. To go against my family and marry the man of my choice was the most challenging decision I ever had to take. But I am glad I made the right choice with my Mr RIGHT! So it was only two of us!

After many years, finally, our parents accepted our marriage. And even ‘forever’ doesn't seem enough with each other. We still go for walks on the same hills in Darjeeling and it feels as if the hills echo our love story all over again!”

Narrated by the couple's daughter Sneha Rai. Written and edited by Misha, Team SheThePeople

Suggested reading: Abhirami And Dejan: Two Continents, One Martial Arts Training And An Epic Love Story