{"id":2028,"date":"2026-03-02T16:45:27","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T16:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/?p=2028"},"modified":"2026-03-02T16:40:59","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T16:40:59","slug":"rohan-and-priyankas-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/2026\/03\/02\/rohan-and-priyankas-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Rohan and Priyanka's story"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meet Rohan Vasdev\u00a0(MSc Finance 2023)\u00a0and Priyanka Seth\u00a0(MSc Marketing 2023):\u00a0two University of Bath alumni whose friendship,\u00a0built during their year-long stint at Bath for separate master\u2019s degrees, quietly\u00a0blossomed\u00a0into a love story that kept pulling them together.\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Years later,\u00a0they returned\u00a0to Bath from India, where Rohan asked Priyanka\u00a0one of\u00a0the most important\u00a0questions\u00a0of all.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

What brought you to the University of Bath, and how did it feel arriving from India?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Priyanka:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0I came to Bath to study an MSc in Marketing. Bath had an excellent reputation \u2013 especially for marketing \u2013 so getting accepted felt like a dream come true.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Coming to the UK was a huge personal step. I come from a\u00a0fairly conservative\u00a0family, so even travelling abroad alone to study\u00a0was\u00a0a big achievement. From receiving my offer to finally reaching my accommodation in Bath, every step felt significant.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rohan:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>My path was a bit different.\u00a0I\u2019d\u00a0already 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\u2019s, 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\u00a0top-ten\u00a0university\u00a0for my course,\u00a0and studying at Bath had always been something I aspired to.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When did you first notice each other?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rohan:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0from completely different cities in India \u2013 Priyanka is from Mumbai and\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0from Delhi \u2013 so\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0no chance\u00a0we\u2019d\u00a0have met back home. The first time I saw her was in the School of Management. She\u00a0just\u00a0stood out to me. I remember thinking,\u00a0<\/span>who is this girl?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0There was something about her.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Priyanka:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0My 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 \u2013 his finance lecture. I was completely confused, thinking, this\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0feel like marketing at all \u2013 why is everything about numbers? Halfway through, I realised my mistake and rushed out, mortified.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Later that day, through mutual friends, I saw him again.\u00a0He\u2019s\u00a0very tall \u2013 about 6\u20194\u201d \u2013 so you really\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0miss him. I recognised him\u00a0immediately\u00a0and thought, oh,\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0the guy from the\u00a0lecture. I went over to speak\u00a0to him \u2013\u00a0mainly to\u00a0make sure he\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0tell anyone about my mix-up -\u00a0and\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0how our friendship started.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How did that friendship develop?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rohan:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0We met properly through a mutual friend\u2019s birthday party. Priyanka hosted the after-party at her place,\u00a0and\u00a0from then we became part of the same friendship group. It all started very naturally.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Priyanka:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0That group of ten friends quickly became my family in Bath. I lived off campus, and everyone would come over\u00a0almost every\u00a0day \u2013 cooking, talking, celebrating birthdays, and just spending time together. Being so far from home, that sense of community meant everything.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rohan:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0Honestly, I credit Priyanka for my closest friendships in Bath. I wanted to spend time with her, and through her,\u00a0I became close to the rest of the group.\u00a0They\u2019re\u00a0still like a second family to me.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When did things start to feel romantic?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Priyanka:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Quite early on, Rohan did ask me out \u2013\u00a0but\u00a0I said no!\u00a0At that point, I was being practical.\u00a0I\u2019d\u00a0just moved to a new\u00a0country, and I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0want to complicate friendships.\u00a0We only had a year in Bath, and I\u00a0knew\u00a0we\u2019d\u00a0be returning to different cities in India after the course. I liked him, but I\u00a0was scared.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rohan:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0I always say she\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0like me on our first date \u2013 but really, she was just thinking logically.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Priyanka:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Exactly. The feelings were there, but I was overthinking everything.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So\u00a0there were signs, even then...<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rohan:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0Looking\u00a0back, definitely. Whenever our whole group went out \u2013 to caf\u00e9s, restaurants, or just walking around Bath \u2013 Priyanka and I somehow always ended up sitting or walking next to each other. No one planned it, it just happened.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Priyanka:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0We were always glued together without admitting it. At restaurants, during games, on walks \u2013 always side by side. Our friends\u00a0definitely noticed\u00a0before we did.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Are there places in Bath that hold special memories for you?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Priyanka:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>So many.\u00a0The University lake\u00a0was a favourite \u2013\u00a0we\u2019d\u00a0go there after lectures to relax. We were also\u00a0very competitive, so places like Lane 7 and Boom Battle Bar became our regular spots for bowling and arcade games.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We spent a lot of time around Polden, where Rohan lived, and Antica became a go-to\u00a0restaurant\u00a0for the whole group.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After everyone else left, Rohan and I would often stay back for dessert, sharing tiramisu or ice cream.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When did you decide to give it a chance?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Priyanka:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0I had worried so much about the distance between us when we returned home to India.\u00a0But,\u00a0our friendship group of ten was split evenly \u2013 half from Delhi and half from Mumbai. We saw each other often, and it opened my eyes to the fact\u00a0that actually,\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0only a short plane ride away.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rohan:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0It was\u00a0when the\u00a0group took a trip to Bali\u00a0that things shifted properly from friendship to romance.\u00a0We\u00a0finally stopped holding back.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Priyanka:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0That trip made everything feel clear.\u00a0We\u2019d\u00a0spent so much time together in Bath that all my fears had already disappeared. Bath had given us the space to truly know each other.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rohan:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>By then, our friendship had turned into a real partnership. We spoke every day, supported each other, and\u00a0we felt like a team.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why did Bath matter so much to your story?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Priyanka:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>I genuinely feel like I came to Bath to meet Rohan. Everything else almost feels secondary. Even my family jokes about it now \u2013 my dad always says I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0go to Bath to\u00a0study,\u00a0I went there to find Rohan.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rohan:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0The 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.\u00a0I really believe it\u00a0was destiny that we both ended up there at the same time.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Priyanka:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Bath\u00a0is\u00a0cosy and safe \u2013 it feels like home.\u00a0You\u2019re\u00a0always bumping into people you know. If\u00a0we\u2019d\u00a0been in a big city like London, we might never have crossed paths again. But in Bath, we\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0avoid\u00a0each other!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tell us about the proposal...\u00a0Why did you choose Bath?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rohan<\/span><\/b>: Bath was the only place it could happen.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0where we met, where everything started, and where our best memories are.<\/span> \"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Priyanka<\/span><\/b>: It was such a\u00a0surprise\u00a0to\u00a0me. 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.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On the third day, Rohan told me we were going out for\u00a0a nice\u00a0lunch.\u00a0He arranged a hairdresser and picked me up in a Rolls-Royce. He used the\u00a0excuse that he\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0get to be the romantic he wanted to be when we were first in Bath, so was taking his chance now!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In reality, he\u00a0was\u00a0taking\u00a0me to a beautiful\u00a0manor,\u00a0where\u00a0he\u00a0proposed\u00a0in front of\u00a0all our friends. The proposal was perfectly planned and completely unexpected. It felt like a fairytale.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How\u2019s\u00a0the wedding planning coming along?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Priyanka<\/span><\/b>:\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0getting married this time next year - in February 2027. It will be a huge\u00a0wedding with 400-500 people\u00a0in\u00a0a palace in Rajasthan.\u00a0There\u2019s\u00a0so much planning to do before then!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Afterwards,\u00a0we\u2019ll\u00a0finally close the distance when I move to Delhi.\u00a0We\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0wait!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Meet Rohan Vasdev\u00a0(MSc Finance 2023)\u00a0and Priyanka Seth\u00a0(MSc Marketing 2023):\u00a0two University of Bath alumni whose friendship,\u00a0built during their year-long stint at Bath for separate master\u2019s degrees, quietly\u00a0blossomed\u00a0into a love story that kept pulling them together.\u00a0\u00a0 Years later,\u00a0they returned\u00a0to Bath from India,...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2002,"featured_media":2030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[180,3,120],"tags":[5],"class_list":["post-2028","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-international","category-school-of-management","tag-alumni"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/02\/Parade-profile-header-38.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2028","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2002"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2028"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2028\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2028"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2028"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2028"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}