Ashika and Matthew met on the very first day of medical school, standing in line to check-in, silently bonding over their mutual judgement of the walking human logo in front of them. (Yes, they’re still talking about it.)

They were grouped together because of their last names, but they instantly knew they were going to be friends from that one quick shared moment of a side-eye glance. This started a beautiful friendship which spanned multiple states and even a different country! From living together as roommates in Barbados, late-night study sessions, playing relentless prank wars, getting overly competitive over just about anything (especially board games), their friendship grew.

They went their separate ways during rotations, oblivious of their own feelings for the other. But as fate would have it, they both eventually ended up in Chicago together. It was there, surrounded by amazing dumplings and deep dish pizza (which Matthew secretly likes but would never admit due to his unbreakable loyalty to New Jersey pizza), that they realized their connection ran deeper than friendship. Though it seemed scary to risk potentially ruining their amazing friendship, they took the chance and began dating. And in a full-circle, straight from an Ashton Kutcher rom-com moment, Matthew proposed to Ashika on their graduation day from medical school: the adventure that started it all. (This whole paragraph was all me! No help from Chat GPT)

Since then, love has looked like long-distance calls between residency shifts, flight itineraries that rival surgical schedules, and learning that real commitment means growing stronger even while hundreds of miles apart. They’ve learned new skills, strengthening their love and commitment to each other. They look forward to officially starting their lives together in July 2026 when Matthew joins Ashika again back in Chicago…where it all began. They look forward to officially starting their lives together — joined in holy matrimony twice over, first at the altar and then under the mandap, because one “I do” just isn’t enough for a love like theirs.