Meet Rohan Vasdev (MSc Finance 2023) and Priyanka Seth (MSc Marketing 2023): two University of Bath alumni whose friendship, built during their year-long stint at Bath for separate master’s degrees, quietly blossomed into a love story that kept pulling them together.
Years later, they returned to Bath from India, where Rohan asked Priyanka one of the most important questions of all.
What brought you to the University of Bath, and how did it feel arriving from India?
Priyanka: I came to Bath to study an MSc in Marketing. Bath had an excellent reputation – especially for marketing – so getting accepted felt like a dream come true.
Coming to the UK was a huge personal step. I come from a fairly conservative family, so even travelling abroad alone to study was a big achievement. From receiving my offer to finally reaching my accommodation in Bath, every step felt significant.
Rohan: My path was a bit different. I’d already studied in the UK, completing my engineering degree at Greenwich, before returning to India to work for two years. When I decided to do my master’s, Bath really stood out. At the time, it was one of the few universities offering a practice-track rather than a traditional dissertation. It was also a top-ten university for my course, and studying at Bath had always been something I aspired to.
When did you first notice each other?
Rohan: We’re from completely different cities in India – Priyanka is from Mumbai and I’m from Delhi – so there’s no chance we’d have met back home. The first time I saw her was in the School of Management. She just stood out to me. I remember thinking, who is this girl? There was something about her.
Priyanka: My first impression of Rohan is a little more chaotic. On my very first day, I arrived late for a lecture and accidentally sat in the wrong class – his finance lecture. I was completely confused, thinking, this doesn’t feel like marketing at all – why is everything about numbers? Halfway through, I realised my mistake and rushed out, mortified.
Later that day, through mutual friends, I saw him again. He’s very tall – about 6’4” – so you really can’t miss him. I recognised him immediately and thought, oh, that’s the guy from the lecture. I went over to speak to him – mainly to make sure he didn’t tell anyone about my mix-up - and that’s how our friendship started.
How did that friendship develop?
Rohan: We met properly through a mutual friend’s birthday party. Priyanka hosted the after-party at her place, and from then we became part of the same friendship group. It all started very naturally.
Priyanka: That group of ten friends quickly became my family in Bath. I lived off campus, and everyone would come over almost every day – cooking, talking, celebrating birthdays, and just spending time together. Being so far from home, that sense of community meant everything.
Rohan: Honestly, I credit Priyanka for my closest friendships in Bath. I wanted to spend time with her, and through her, I became close to the rest of the group. They’re still like a second family to me.
When did things start to feel romantic?
Priyanka: Quite early on, Rohan did ask me out – but I said no! At that point, I was being practical. I’d just moved to a new country, and I didn’t want to complicate friendships. We only had a year in Bath, and I knew we’d be returning to different cities in India after the course. I liked him, but I was scared.
Rohan: I always say she didn’t like me on our first date – but really, she was just thinking logically.
Priyanka: Exactly. The feelings were there, but I was overthinking everything.
Despite that, nothing really changed between us. We stayed incredibly close, spent all our time together, and were constantly around each other as part of the group.
So there were signs, even then...
Rohan: Looking back, definitely. Whenever our whole group went out – to cafés, restaurants, or just walking around Bath – Priyanka and I somehow always ended up sitting or walking next to each other. No one planned it, it just happened.
Priyanka: We were always glued together without admitting it. At restaurants, during games, on walks – always side by side. Our friends definitely noticed before we did.
Are there places in Bath that hold special memories for you?
Priyanka: So many. The University lake was a favourite – we’d go there after lectures to relax. We were also very competitive, so places like Lane 7 and Boom Battle Bar became our regular spots for bowling and arcade games.
We spent a lot of time around Polden, where Rohan lived, and Antica became a go-to restaurant for the whole group.
After everyone else left, Rohan and I would often stay back for dessert, sharing tiramisu or ice cream.
When did you decide to give it a chance?
Priyanka: I had worried so much about the distance between us when we returned home to India. But, our friendship group of ten was split evenly – half from Delhi and half from Mumbai. We saw each other often, and it opened my eyes to the fact that actually, he’s only a short plane ride away.
Rohan: It was when the group took a trip to Bali that things shifted properly from friendship to romance. We finally stopped holding back.
Priyanka: That trip made everything feel clear. We’d spent so much time together in Bath that all my fears had already disappeared. Bath had given us the space to truly know each other.
Rohan: By then, our friendship had turned into a real partnership. We spoke every day, supported each other, and we felt like a team.
Why did Bath matter so much to your story?
Priyanka: I genuinely feel like I came to Bath to meet Rohan. Everything else almost feels secondary. Even my family jokes about it now – my dad always says I didn’t go to Bath to study, I went there to find Rohan.
Rohan: The same goes for me. I could have come to Bath earlier, straight after my undergraduate degree, but I came two years later instead. If our timings had been even slightly different, we might never have met. I really believe it was destiny that we both ended up there at the same time.
Priyanka: Bath is cosy and safe – it feels like home. You’re always bumping into people you know. If we’d been in a big city like London, we might never have crossed paths again. But in Bath, we couldn’t avoid each other!
Tell us about the proposal... Why did you choose Bath?
Rohan: Bath was the only place it could happen. It’s where we met, where everything started, and where our best memories are. 
Priyanka: It was such a surprise to me. I had absolutely no idea. Our entire friendship group travelled to Bath together to relive our university days, so I thought it was just a nostalgic trip. We walked around campus, visited my old apartment, and ate at all our favourite spots. It felt emotional being back.
On the third day, Rohan told me we were going out for a nice lunch. He arranged a hairdresser and picked me up in a Rolls-Royce. He used the excuse that he didn’t get to be the romantic he wanted to be when we were first in Bath, so was taking his chance now!
In reality, he was taking me to a beautiful manor, where he proposed in front of all our friends. The proposal was perfectly planned and completely unexpected. It felt like a fairytale.
How’s the wedding planning coming along?
Priyanka: We’re getting married this time next year - in February 2027. It will be a huge wedding with 400-500 people in a palace in Rajasthan. There’s so much planning to do before then!
Afterwards, we’ll finally close the distance when I move to Delhi. We can’t wait!
Respond
