Kriti Mehrotra
As a reality series shining a light upon the age-old yet utterly complex process of arranged marriages, Netflix’s ‘Indian Matchmaking‘ truly echoes the desi community from every possible angle. That’s because it primarily revolves around Mumbai’s premier matchmaker, Sima Taparia (or Sima Aunty), as she tries her best to find suitable life partners for lovelorn singles across the globe. Amongst them in season 3 was actually ER doctor Vikash Mishra, just for him to eventually end up uncovering a spark with public defender Janki Kaneria despite all their evident differences.
Vikash and Janki’s Indian Matchmaking Journey
From the moment Davis, California, native Vikash first came across our screens, he made it perfectly evident he was a loud and proud Indian-American for whom his heritage was everything. That’s why he placed significance on not just his potential partner hailing from the same culture but also on her knowing the Hindi language, liking Bollywood, and understanding family values. In fact, the nearly 40-year-old’s lengthy criteria list explicitly included all this, along with the clarity he hoped she’d be attractive, charismatic, energetic, kind, outspoken, positive, and tall too.
Nevertheless, Vikash was well aware of the fact he’s been single for so long owing to the disastrous combination of his intense “work, waiting for the right person, and maybe being too picky.” This admitted pickiness was actually evident in the way he unenthusiastically responded to the three matches initially presented by Sima Taparia: Sonia Patel, Vinita Patel, as well as Anjali Naskar. The doctor ultimately did give the latter a brief chance, yet it didn’t work out since he felt like she was simply too young and too different for his liking — plus, she did not speak Hindi one bit.
That’s when India-born Namrata Shah came into the picture, only for him to reject her as well because his ideal woman was American-born or raised (without an accent), leading to Janki Kaneria. The truth is even she was 10½ years younger than him, but the way they innately connected from the get-go over their shared interests and similar personalities essentially made him look past it. Whether it be their sense of humor, opinion on food, or distaste for adulting, they indeed clicked on every level, making her go as far as to admit, “There is definitely a vibe, as the kids say.”
Though the most significant aspect of Vikash and Janki’s first date was the fact they were also able to engage in serious discussions regarding their careers, expectations, and individual goals. This was especially necessary as the latter is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, meaning long distance would be a big part of their relationship if they chose to go ahead with it, which they did. After all, by the end of the evening, the duo had not only exchanged numbers to meet up again, but they were even talking of traveling to one another’s cities to experience them first-hand.
Vikash and Janki Are Possibly Still Together
“I just love that [Vikash is] so gracious, and he’s really, really kind,” Janki said at one point in the original production. “You know, you gotta pick up on the softer stuff on a first date. ‘Cause everyone can tell a great story, but is everyone going to be, like, a good, caring, nice, sweet person?” As for Vikash, his opinion of Janki was just as high, as made evident by his stating, “She’s like really vibrant and fun to talk to, easy to get along with. Yeah, North Carolina is a plane ride away, and logistics are logistics. But I think if there’s a will, there’s a way. I’ll try to make something happen.”
Therefore, we’re happy to report that it appears as if Vikash and Janki are at least still in touch as close friends — something their respective public social media platforms clearly suggest. First things first, apart from mutually following one another on Instagram, they sometimes interact through likes as well as comments too without making things too obvious or explicit. Then there’s the fact that the Davis-based ER Surgeon and the Charlotte resident Public Defender are not shying away from their time together on ‘Indian Matchmaking’ one bit, which in itself says a lot. So even though neither of them has confirmed or denied their continued romantic involvement as of writing, we believe there’s definitely hope for them.
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