the first few minutes are always the same. People arrive a little unsure, checking their phones, pretending to be busy with their coffee cups. Then a host suggests an ice-breaker — a blindfold round, a name game, a simple ‘tell us one embarrassing story’ — and the room changes shape. By the time the laughter begins, strangers are already leaning in like they have known each other longer than an hour.
Across the city, evenings like these are replacing the swiping ritual. Co-founder of Social Sailor, Krishna Khurana says the idea came from watching how limited social life had become. “People are tired of the same routine — clubbing, cafés, doing the expected things,” he explains. “Many singles just want to meet people and feel part of something.” Dating apps, he feels, rarely solved that need. “Something might begin online, but it rarely turns into a real meeting. That’s why apps feel outdated now.”
Social Sailor began hosting jamming nights, pub crawls and casual mixers where no one is asked to define what they are looking for. “You might meet a friend, a travel partner, even someone to start a project with,” Krishna says. “We wanted to create a space, not a promise”.
For Ritik Raina, co-founder of Milaap Events, the need he saw was even simpler — to not feel alone in a big city. “People build careers, but they arrive without a circle. It isn’t only about relationships — sometimes there is simply no one to talk to,” he says.
He noticed how difficult starting a conversation had become. “A lot of people are introverted now, and it’s difficult to speak when you don’t know how the other person will react.” Milaap Events was shaped as “a no-judgment space where you can talk about your experiences. We keep it open and inclusive for everyone.”
The dating editions are designed to ease the participants into the setting. “We begin with blindfolds because attraction shouldn’t be only about looks, but about chemistry,” Ritik explains. Participants take movie-character names, talk in short rounds and play quick games — “take a selfie together, buy a coffee, share a dance.”
Saurav Arya of Small World believes the shift toward offline connection was inevitable after the pandemic. “Many men swipe endlessly without matches, while women are flooded with them. That imbalance created disappointment. People wanted genuine interactions and were tired of the fear of being misled online”.
Small World now hosts chai conversations, eye-contact booths, blindfolded confessions and speed dating. The crowd changes with every format. “Younger participants often want friendships or casual connections, while those above 30 look for meaningful conversations or companionships,” Saurav says.
Organisers tell us the real story is what slowly unfolds, “Everyone walks in trying to look perfect and mature,” Ritik says. “But eventually, you see them laughing freely, enjoying the moment.” “There’s a social comfort that forms naturally,”Krishna adds.
Because the rooms are full of strangers, safety comes first. Milaap Events checks age through ID and removes anyone who behaves inappropriately. Social Sailor begins with consent guidelines and reminders that no one should expect to leave with a partner, while Small World focuses on Right to Admission and creating “a place where everyone feels they belong and can meet people on their own terms.”
Sometimes these evenings do turn into love stories. “I’ve seen people meet at an event and eventually get married,” Ritik says. Krishna measures it simply: “If someone leaves having made a few friends and felt comfortable, that itself is meaningful.”
Email: anshula.u@newindianexpress.com
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