With carpooling services like Ola Share and UberPOOL emerging in India and across the world, the latest buzz is “Umm, what if you meet someone cute on the ride you are sharing?” Bonobology contributor, Disha Dadlani, wonders if one could find love or a friend in their co-passenger through OLA Share or UberPOOL.
Is It Possible To Fall In Love With A Stranger?
Richard has not used either of these services but agrees that sometimes friendship can blossom within just five minutes of interaction. “If two people who can relate to each other are taking a ride together, their interaction can lead to friendship or even love. So falling in love with a stranger you just met is not completely out of the question,” he says, without hesitation. Steve, who has witnessed people developing business relationships in shared Uber rides, quips, “Can you love someone you don’t know? How is it possible to fall suddenly in love with a stranger? “Friendships have been known to blossom between people on local trains and buses. Whether these friendships grew into something more, I do not know. So if it can happen on trains and buses, why not on Uber or Ola?” he adds. Of course, the reality can be uneventful – but Matt shared with us his story of how carpooling actually got him a friend for life. “Thanks to aggregators like Ola and Uber, I met a girl while sharing a ride. And within a few minutes, we bonded so well that it has now turned into an innocent friendship. With her, I absolutely love the drive. We are so in sync with each other that we book a cab at the same time, even if either of us has to wait for five to ten minutes. It has been almost 7 months since we first shared a ride together, and we still remember that day fondly,” says Matt. We have fallen in love with the idea of pulling out our mobile phones and booking a ride. But are we really ready to share more than just a ride with a stranger? Is falling in love with a complete stranger on our cards? Is loving a stranger even possible? Let’s try to answer these questions. Well, if falling in love with a stranger was not possible, then you wouldn’t have grown up hearing stories of love at first sight. There wouldn’t be anything like having a crush on someone or liking someone at first glance. It might seem strange but most of us know or have experienced what loving a stranger feels like or at the very least what being hopelessly attracted to one does to your body and mind. Isn’t falling in love with a complete stranger or dating a stranger a natural or normal thing to happen to a person? Isn’t that how every relationship begins? You experience butterflies in your stomach or intense feelings for someone you’ve only seen or barely know. Something about them makes you feel attracted or drawn to them. You feel like you want to know more about them, spend more time with them. Of course, getting to know them on an emotional level takes a while but there’s no stopping the heart from feeling what it feels. Like they say: The heart wants what it wants.
Things You Should Do If You Are Falling In Love With A Stranger
Falling in love with a stranger is a beautiful feeling. It can happen to anyone at any point in their lives. It could be someone you see in the subway every day on your way to work, a senior in school or college, someone sitting across from you in the library or you exchange glances with on your morning run. You start to feel strongly for them. You fantasize about getting romantic with them. You feel attracted to them for no good reason. You might also be asking yourself, “Can you love someone you don’t know?” or wondering how to make a stranger fall in love with you. Here are a few things you should do if you’re falling in love with a stranger:
1. Understand whether it’s love, attraction or infatuation
There is a huge difference between getting attracted to or infatuated with someone and falling in love. So, before you go all guns blazing, sit back and take stock of your feelings. Understand whether what you are feeling is a mere infatuation or true love. Are you only physically or sexually attracted to this person or want to know them on a deeper, emotional level? If it’s the former, it’s probably a sign of infatuation that you’ve mistaken for love.
2. Ask yourself if you want to spend the rest of your life with them
Before you conclude that you’re in love with a stranger, ask yourself if you want to spend the rest of your life with them. Do you envisage a future with them? Do you feel a strong emotional connection with them? If you feel a connection with their spirit and mind and see a future with them, then we suggest you take it forward. If not, what you’re feeling is just an attraction.
3. Talk to them
After you’ve understood your feelings, you need to decide whether you want to take the risk of talking to this stranger about it. It is a tricky situation because they might not reciprocate your feelings. But, if you do decide to speak to them, it’ll probably be the start of a new friendship. You’ll get to know more about them and also find answers to a few important questions.
4. Find out if they’re single or committed
This is the most crucial thing to know if you find yourself falling suddenly in love with a stranger. You may be sure about your feelings but what about them? It’s possible that they might be in a relationship or engaged or married. Before you start dating a stranger in your head, make sure you know their relationship status.
5. Try to gauge whether they reciprocate your feelings
You are possibly thinking about how to make a stranger fall in love with you. It’s quite natural. Once you start talking to them, gauge their responses or reactions. See if they are attracted to you or reciprocate your feelings. You should be able to understand, through their actions and body language, whether they feel the same way for you. If they do, take the association forward. The possibilities that come with sharing a ride alongside absolute strangers can be exciting for the curious ones and can be equally intimidating for the typically reserved kinds. And to fall in love with a stranger on the way? That is the absolute cherry on the cake! So take out your mobile, push the share cab button as you book a cab, and sing Jim Morrison’s, “So let’s take a ride and see what’s mine…”
