Language and Loneliness Brought the Duo Together on Woo Dating App

What started out as simply seeking someone to talk to on the phone went on to become a romance that will soon turn into a lifetime of companionship. Meryl Abraham and Stevin John share their love story and how they met on Woo dating app.

It was a sheer coincidence that Stevin and Meryl hailed from Kerala…

He had moved to Hyderabad to intern after his graduation in Mechanical Engineering, while she had moved to Bengaluru to work at Amazon after a post-graduation in French.

Both were in new cities, feeling the pulls of loneliness, as they adjusted to new cultures and languages. Big city life was different from the small towns of Kerala that were more conservative and traditional.

And so the story began…

Stevin: ‘I downloaded the app, as I was totally alone and had no one to connect with. I saw an advertisement which talked about dating apps. It struck me as a novel idea to try out… My primary hope was to find a suitable person to talk to. If we clicked, we could take it to the next level of a romantic relationship, and commit to each other. With this in mind, I set the filters accordingly to match my tastes, religion etc. on Woo dating app.’

Meryl: ‘I shifted to Bengaluru for a job with friend, but half-way through, she had to leave. So, I found myself alone in the city… Since I’m not an extroverted person, I felt chatting in privacy, was better than going out initially. I had no agenda when I downloaded the app, I just needed company, when I came back from office. If I made a friend, it was fine, if I found a life partner, it was fine.’

While Stevin downloaded just two apps — Woo Dating and Tinder, Meryl did a comparative study and decided which one was safer for women… She finally selected Woo Dating and Hinge.

Using the app

Like anyone new on dating apps, both Meryl and Stevin had their apprehensions. Stevin was worried about ‘fake profiles’ and Meryl didn’t want to encounter creepy guys…

Luckily the duo didn’t have any negative experiences. Meryl says, ‘Whoever approached me on Woo dating did it in a very decent respectable way. Others were upfront if they wanted something else.’

Stevin kept it to himself that he was using Woo dating app, but, like all girls, Meryl had to share it with her closest and most trusted friends.

Privacy on the app was not a concern for Stevin, but it definitely was for Meryl, who didn’t want her picture to be traced back to her… Woo dating app addresses this issue successfully, as pictures no longer appear to those men who women reject on the app.

The dating process

Like every experience, the use of dating apps is also a mixed bag…

Stevin: ‘Overall, I liked the process of using a dating app… Though, I did experience some self-doubt and insecurity, as I received the first like on my profile only a week after using the app.’

Meryl: ‘I chatted with five guys initially, then narrowed them down to three, and finally to one. I actually didn’t connect instantly with Stevin, but since we both spoke Malayalam, we continued chatting on Woo calling… It was a twist of fate that it landed up being him. In two-three weeks of using the app, I eliminated all other chats and uninstalled the other apps, and chatted only with him on Woo calling.’

Stevin on the other hand connected with one girl only — Meryl, and stuck to chatting with her!

Discovering the other

As the two chatted on Woo dating app, and got to know each other, a romance blossomed…of course with some hiccups!

Stevin: ‘We kept up a casual, cool mode of communication with each other. I was always open and honest with her, but she was more reserved, and took a while to open up to me… It wasn’t all great and smooth-sailing right from the start, it was okay-ish.’

Meryl: ‘It felt good chatting with him. We soon got into a comfortable routine of calling each other every day… When the call didn’t come, we would know something was wrong with the other person.’

Soon Stevin decided to visit Meryl in Bengaluru… Being the cautious person that she was, Meryl went to meet him with a pepper spray in her bag and a prayer on her lips, hoping he would turn out to be as nice in person as well.

The first meeting was odd, and Meryl didn’t know how to go about it…

Meryl: ‘It’s strange because you don’t know how to eat next to the other person, how close to sit, etc as we hadn’t seen each other before.’

Despite the strangeness the duo continued to chat and meet… The turning point came when Meryl fell ill and her friends at work could not spare enough time to look after her. It was at that time that Stevin flew down to Bengaluru, and took charge of her recovery for a whole week.

Meryl: ‘It clearly showed his care and concern for me. He then confessed he liked me…’

Building a future

The connection only deepened, and within five months of chatting, Meryl and Stevin decided to be in a committed relationship.

Stevin: ‘We have both agreed to continue as we are now — each committed to the other, getting closer every day, and learning new facets of the other’s personality. We hope to tie the knot, sometime down the road, when the time is right.’

Meryl: ‘We are dating still… He comes to visit me in Bangalore every month. We have introduced each other to friends and family, and they know we intend to have a future together… Hopefully, we will marry soon. We are in a happy place right now, both content.’

Dating in India…

As young millennials in India, Stevin and Meryl started out with an open mind to dating, knowing well that it had a 50–50 percent chance of success…

Stevin: ‘Our generation is far more open to the idea of finding love on their terms… Dating apps like Woo are a viable platform for doing so. While many may use apps to find random hook-up partners, others may use it to lock in on that someone special with whom they can share a life. I personally feel indebted to Woo dating for introducing me to my partner.’

Meryl: ‘After I’ve found someone through Woo dating app, I’ve been telling my friends to use it too. Of course, one must use caution and discretion while on them. But, overall, apps give you more access to diverse people, and options available. I feel hugely indebted to Woo dating app.’

Words of wisdom

And now that they’ve found love through an app, here’s what they have to say to those who are hesitant and skeptical of such platforms…

Stevin: ‘I would like to advise everyone out there, looking for true love, to just be authentically ‘you’, without hiding any parts of you that you think are ‘crazy’ or ‘weird’ … And, when you find someone who sees, accepts and love the real you, as much as you accept and love the person back the same way, don’t let them go… Don’t let the good ones get away!’

Meryl: ‘Don’t be afraid of opening up to people on apps, and showing the real you. Don’t try to conform to people’s expectations and fears… It’s a delicate situation knowing how much to be yourself and how much to hold back, but this becomes clearer when you get a sense of the person. Once you’re clear, throw away any caution and just be yourself… Don’t be too visible on apps, but be visible!’

Woo dating app — a blessing in disguise!

Stevin confesses that he never imagined in his wildest dreams that he would meet his life partner on a dating app like Woo. He says, ‘It still seems like some sort of a pleasant dream.’

Meryl too feels it’s almost like ‘a fairy-tale, or a blessing in disguise.’ She says, ‘I definitely did not think I would find love and companionship on an app… There is no logical explanation about our connection!’

Are you also looking for a fairy-tale romance yourself? If so, download the Woo app today, and get ready to seek that sizzling illogical connection you’ve always wished for!

*Names changed for privacy purposes