I know this thread is kind of abandoned

but I'll try to help.
If you want to know if karma does play a role in your "relationship", I suggest you using the South node as this is the primary karmic indicator. See, if you make a synastry chart with each of your family members (parents, siblings, children) as well as with very close friends you'll see you have south node conjunctions (south node conjunct planets or ASC/MC) with most of them (Indian astrologers use a 15 degree orb).
I'll also use asteroids: Amor (love), Anteros (love returned), Lust (lust or ambition), Medea (avenged love), Circe (feeling bewitched). There are tons of asteroids out there, so if you have an astrology software with that feature it would be awesome. You'll find that asteroids that no one uses are relevant in your synastry chart (e.g. you may find he has an asteroid named after an egyptian pharaoh or deity on your south node and that the same asteroid on your side is conjunct his sun. All of these denoting a past life issue that must be adressed). Karmic astrology is very complex, if you want to know the causes and purpose of this life meeting it may result time-consuming. So it would be better to consult an expert on this astrology branch.