One Love: 5 Love Stories

Love takes many forms, and sometimes, the most powerful bonds go beyond the traditional definitions of romance. In a world that often equates grand gestures of romantic love with perfect pairings, some stories quietly challenge the norm.

These partnerships are built on mutual respect, deep friendship, shared purpose, and unwavering support. These are connections that feel like home, evolving with time and circumstance.

We spotlight five remarkable pairs whose relationships have transcended romance to create something richer, more resilient, and uniquely their own, a testament to the many ways love can be found, nurtured, and lived…

5 Successful Pairs Tell Us What Makes Their Love Unique

Gauri Verma and Karuna Laungani  (Co-Founders, Jodi Life)

Friends and Business Partners

A stint at Elle brought these craft lovers together. Soon after, they founded a fashion brand known for its prints—vivid and joyful, like the friendship that keeps their creative minds in sync.

Manifest: How has your collaboration shaped your creative voices?

Gauri: When I was younger, my creative perspective often leaned towards a more muted, slightly grey-toned aesthetic. Working with Karuna has brought a lightness to my approach. Beyond that, we’ve given each other the confidence to trust our instincts. When someone you respect backs you up, it strengthens your creative voice in ways you can’t explain.

Karuna: Working alone, it’s easy to get stuck. With Gauri, everything feels more dynamic.

M: What’s the key to lasting adult friendships?

Gauri: Empathy. And space.

Karuna: Letting people evolve. You can’t hold on to who they were—you have to meet them where they are now.

M: If the other person were a Jodi print, which one would they be?

Gauri: Karuna would be bold, clashing, maximalist—unexpected but effortlessly cool.

Karuna: Gauri would be a timeless indigo block print—grounded, classic, full of depth. 

Gaurav Gupta and Navkirat Sodhi (Fashion Designer, Poet and Performer)

Best Friends and Life Partners

They met as teenagers, bound by an inexplicable fondness, and have now spent decades side by side. Last year, a devastating fire left them navigating pain and healing together. This year, at Couture Week in Paris, Gaurav turned that journey into art. And Navkirat stood at its heart—his muse.

M: Was there a defining moment when you knew you’d spend your lives together?

Gaurav: Not one moment, but a series of choices. Moving in together 23 years ago was our quiet way of saying, “This is it.” We weren’t waiting for approval—we had already made our own rules.

Navkirat: I agree. We never had to sit down and define what we were; we just were.

M: Did your accident reveal something new about each other?

Gaurav: It reaffirmed what I already knew—Navkirat is my strongest force. She held everything together when things felt uncertain, with the same quiet strength she always has.

Navkirat: I was reminded—again—of how much Gaurav transforms everything he touches. Even in pain, he found beauty.

M: What about Navkirat continually inspires you?

Gaurav: Her way with words, her way with the unseen. She sees the world through a poet’s lens, making even the ordinary extraordinary.

M: What poem would you dedicate to Gaurav?

Navkirat: No drops

No flood

Will drown me

Deeper than your scape

My escape

You stay

Always

On top of me.

M: If your love were an art piece, what would it be?

Gaurav: Donald Judd’s Untitled (Stack), composed of a series of open metal boxes. There’s a form but no enclosure. That’s how we exist—intentional, expansive, and never confined by convention.

Navkirat: René Magritte’s The Lovers—two figures connected, yet with their faces veiled. Not everything needs to be seen or explained to be deeply understood.

Prayag Menon and Porus Vimadalal (Stylist, Photographer and Creative Director)

Married

Nineteen years ago, they became each other’s first love. Today, in creative circles, ‘Porus & Prayag’ is one identity. 

There were no fireworks the first time we met

Porus: I was 20, Prayag was 18 and in college. We first connected through his blog—comments turned into phone calls, and three months in, we met. We talked about life, about everything. It didn’t feel like something new. It felt familiar, as if we’d always known each other. Around him, I felt safe—something I’d never felt before. 

We learnt to live and fly together

Porus: After college, we trained as pilots in Texas. As a young gay couple from India, we had already chosen an unconventional path. Living together at such a young age only made us stronger. I had never shared my space before, but Prayag was the only person with whom I could. We built a home—cooking, cleaning, creating a life that felt like ours. Some flight instructors were surprised by our relationship, but we never hid who we were. We let them process things however they wanted. 

Our best decisions have been spontaneous

Prayag: In June 2016, on holiday in New York, a friend mentioned we could get married there. We dismissed it at first, assuming it wouldn’t be possible on Indian passports. The next day, she sent a flood of messages confirming it was. Porus and I looked at each other. Should we get married? Without hesitation, we both said yes. I registered online, we picked a date, and with a few close friends, we went to City Hall. Afterwards, we celebrated with ramen and champagne. It was simple, spontaneous, and perfect.

In loving ourselves, we love the other

Prayag: The key to a long-term relationship is to never stop working on yourself. True love begins with self-compassion—the kindness we show ourselves radiates outward, shaping how we love others.

Pranav Guglani and Neha Singh (Co-Founders, Cord)

Married. Parents.

Helming a clothing brand steeped in romantic nostalgia, they draw creativity from the love they share.

Pranav: Neha was a year ahead of me in fashion school. On her last day, I finally said hi!

Neha: I had just secured my dream job in Mumbai and assumed he wanted career advice.

Pranav: I didn’t get her number, but we “friend-ed” each other on Facebook.

Neha: We started chatting—a lot. I was certain I’d never move back to Delhi, so with nothing to lose, I agreed to meet him before I left.

Pranav: That “quick meet” turned into six hours on a Khan Market pavement, rating strangers’ outfits.

Neha: Two years into long distance, I moved back to be closer to him. Our sensibilities and ambitions aligned so naturally that starting a brand together felt inevitable.

Pranav: Neha pours care into everything—whether it’s a garment or dinner. Last year, we became parents to our baby boy, and watching her love expand has been incredible.

Neha: It’s also been hectic! The baby always comes first. But every morning, without fail, Pranav asks me, “What are you having for breakfast?” Having someone care for you when all your energy is on your child—that feels special. 

Amit Malhotra and Sohrab Kumar (Co-Founders, Gulsohrab)

Partners

Since meeting eight years ago, a book designer and a fashion creative have melded their creativity into a life of colour.

A Social Media Meet-Cute

Amit: I was about to leave Instagram when Sohrab followed me. I waited for him to message first, but he didn’t. So, I “liked” all his photos—still nothing. When he posted another selfie, I finally messaged, “Nice beard!”

Sohrab: Thank God he did! I followed Amit because a friend spoke highly of him, but he had deleted all his photos—there was nothing for me to “like”.

First Impressions

Sohrab: When we met for our first date three weeks later, I loved how he carried himself—flowy kurta, juttis, walking towards my car with such insouciance. He looked like he lived in his own world, unaffected by what others thought.

Amit: He brought me flowers and a little tortoise figurine. I’d never met anyone who did that on a first date. It was really sweet. I told him he had beautiful eyes.

A Partner and a Mentor

Amit: Five years into dating, I quit my 16-year publishing career to move to the mountains. That’s when Sohrab asked if I wanted to start a brand together. I thought it was just a ploy to make me stay in Delhi.

Sohrab: Well, yes and no. I admire Amit’s instinct for styling and textures—I wouldn’t have wanted to start it with anyone else.

Amit: Fashion had always been my dream. I said yes—and found in Sohrab a mentor who taught me design like no one else could.

Love Languages

Sohrab: His love language? Silence. He understands me even if I don’t verbalise it.

Amit: A little mad, too. I live with my dogs—I’m not used to talking much!

Sohrab: But I love that I can share your space, and you still feel free to be yourself—even in silence.

Amit: Sorabh is the one person I send every book cover I design. His creative insights mean the world to me.

This story appears in Manifest India’s Issue 02. Subscribe here for more stories like this.