'Love Is Blind' 's Deepti Vempati 'Doesn't Fault' Ex-Fiancé Shake for Not Finding Her Physically Attractive

The reality star didn't meet the one on the hit Netflix series, but she tells the PEOPLE Every Day podcast that she found a "best friend" in castmate Kyle Abrams and has athletes blowing up her DMs

Love Is Blind star Deepti Vempati didn't find her soulmate on the hit Netflix series, but she remains grateful for the "amazing support and love" she has received since taking the journey.

Vempati, 31, became a fan favorite after leaving ex-fiancé Abhishek "Shake" Chatterjee at the altar in the reality show's penultimate episode, after listening to him repeatedly say how much he cared about her but wasn't attracted to her.

The reality star explains in a new episode of the PEOPLE Every Day podcast that she noticed a change in the pair's connection once they arrived in Mexico together, but wanted to see what would transpire after creating "a real friendship." She says, "We had fun together and so I wanted to go through the motions and see if, through our dates and through living together and going through that process, can we build this physical connection? I was really holding on to that hope."

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However, even Vempati began to realize they both might be "trying to force something that's not there" and truly started to question whether or not Chatterjee had the characteristics she was looking for in a partner. "I had to really take a step back and realize, this isn't it," she admits. "I don't fault Shake for not finding me physically attractive or having that chemistry. It is what it is... if you have a connection, you have a connection; if not, at least we built a friendship and a bond."

As much as the couple continued trying, the information data analyst could tell it just wasn't working. "Especially the date with the massages - when you create such an intimate scene and we still weren't getting there, I was just like, 'What am I doing? This isn't it'," she reveals. "I just knew in that moment I had to say, 'No, there's no way that this would work.' So it was kind of an easy decision for me at the altar."

Netflix

Vempati's decision not to marry the 33-year-old DJ and veterinarian is one that fans of the dating show celebrated, especially after seeing Chatterjee's endless comments about his then-partner's physical appearance. But she reveals that "Shake is not the physical type" she normally goes for either — she just hoped that their emotional bond might help her overcome that initial reaction.

Since wrapping production on the show in June, the two tried "to stay friends," but Vempati says she began to see "more of his true character" and joined her castmates in distancing themselves from Chatterjee. "He has every right to do whatever he wants to do, but... every time we would hang out, he would always have some sort of issue with somebody," she adds. "I'm realizing that friends should be uplifting and add value to your life, and for me, that just wasn't the case."

During the reunion episode, it became clear Vempati had the support of the entire cast — especially from Kyle Abrams, who shocked viewers when he revealed that his "biggest regret" was not proposing to her. She now says the glazier was her "number two person," so the revelation "didn't come out of nowhere." After struggling to choose between the two, Vempati has loved having Abrams as her "best friend" since filming ended.

Deepti and Kyle from Love Is Blind. Ser Baffo/Netflix (2)

"This entire experience has been difficult for me... and he's really been my rock and my support system through it all," she says, noting that while there is nothing romantic between two now, she'll never say never. "We'll see where life takes us, but as of right now, he's my best friend and that's where we're comfortable. You know, we don't want to overcomplicate things."

Whether or not things grow with Abrams, Vempati already has her fair share of eligible bachelors in her DMs. "I have been getting a lot of messages, mostly from like professional overseas players, which has been kind of interesting," she says. "They're shooting their shot and I'm here for it!"

Check out more episodes of PEOPLE Every Day, airing on Apple podcasts, iHeartMedia, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to your podcasts.