He could picture the algorithm humming away tirelessly, crunching relevant data, 421 million potential matches if the experts are to believed. That to him, was an absolute sea of options. And amidst these endless potential pairings, a curious pattern emerged to him. Similarity, it seemed, was the digital matchmaker.

Aka is a software engineer with a penchant for sci-fi and a love for old 70s music, and he was skeptical. He had always believed opposites attract. But the algorithm, with its cold, calculated logic, disagreed. It repeatedly suggested profiles that mirrored his own personality: tech-savvy, introverted, and with a taste for intellectual debates.

Finally, one profile caught his eye. Seni. A fellow software engineer, who shared his love for coding marathons and late-night philosophical discussions. The algorithm, it seemed,  had done its job. The initial connection was undeniable.

It’s all a game…, of thrones

As their online conversations deepened, they discovered that they had many more things in common that went well beyond their shared profession. They were both avid readers of just about anything they could lay their hands on, they both spent hours on end, fixing future world problems or immersing themselves in period dramas. But it was their complete love for Game of Thrones that sealed it for them. The 2 nerds had even contemplated learning the totally made-up language of the Dothraki! At least they differed on who they considered the most vile villain – Ramsay Bolton or Joffrey Baratheon. The jury was still out on that one.

Comfort zone

Aka and Seni grew comfortable with each other. They had their WhatsApp on video mode all day, just being in each other’s presence as it were. Sometimes, they went hours without even talking, happy in the fact that the other person was simply “around”. They shared meal menus, planned their days together, watched the same series on Netflix, and waited for the other person to catch up if they’d missed an earlier episode. Yet in private, Aka feared maybe they had gotten too comfortable. What if they didn’t hit it off in real life? What if his insecurities shone right through and created an awkwardness they couldn’t surmount?

Aka was comforted by the one challenge the algorithm didn’t factor in – as their online romance blossomed, the elephant in the room grew larger and larger. Distance. Seni lived all the way across the country, begging the question: Could a long-distance relationship, built on digital connections, translate into a tangible, in-person affair?

Same similarity

How was this going to work in real life? Both of them were not only fully entrenched in their locations, neither of them was particularly adventurous, and loved the familiarity of what and where they called home. The thought of being uprooted and relocating, frightened both of them almost to stupor. Suddenly, the “similarity” which had brought them together all those months ago, was now threatening to rip them apart, even before their lives as a real life couple had started.

But maybe they were getting ahead of themselves. One step at a time, Seni said to Aka. Let’s plan to meet up for a weekend. “Somewhere convenient enough for both of us”. Separate rooms, but in the same hotel. Dinner, movies, site seeing. Nothing heavy, they told themselves in half belief.

As Aka and Seni prepared for their first in-person meeting, fear and uncertainty mingled with excitement. Aka’s day started and ended with Seni. Seni had shared more about her life and aspirations with her online lover than with anyone else in the world. And now the time was nearly upon them – would their digital connection translate into a real-world spark? Or would the similarity they share end online? Only time would tell.