In November 2018, Rhea and Varun met at Stony Brook University, where they both went to college. They were introduced briefly through mutual friends, but only exchanged a couple of words. Then one day at the library Varun waved to Rhea from the desk he was sitting at; Rhea, not aware that he was waving to her since they had only said a few words to each other before, looked around confused so Varun called her over to tell her he was waving to her. Rhea approached the desk and they talked for a few minutes until she asked him if he wanted to join her in the study room she had reserved. Varun said yes, and while other friends came in and out, they spent the entire day studying together in that room. After this day, they frequently ran into each other at the library and spent more time together as they studied for (and complained about) exams during finals season of their winter semester. Once the semester ended, Rhea went to India to attend weddings, while Varun spent the winter break working. The two spent their entire winter break texting each other in the limited time they had with the time difference. Upon their return to Stony Brook for the Spring semester, the two quickly became close friends. They ate meals together, studied together, and spent all of their free time talking and cracking jokes together. After a few months of becoming each other’s best friends, the two fell for each other, eventually making their relationship official in May 2019. The two have many things in common, but are also vastly different. They find that their differences allow them to learn more about each other and grow both individually and as a couple. They complement each other perfectly, both bringing out the best in each other. After over 5.5 years of dating, Varun took Rhea on a weekend getaway trip to the Catskill Mountains to celebrate their birthdays. It was there that he proposed to her, and where they were able to enjoy the happiness of their engagement in serenity.