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Our story began in Chicago in the summer of 2022. As two Malayalees raised in the U.S., we quickly bonded over our shared culture and tight-knit families. What started as easy conversation soon turned into discovering our mutual inability to sit still, whether that meant picking up new hobbies or simply finding any excuse for an adventure.

Our relationship soon involved a little more geography than we initially planned. Navigating the miles between Chicago, San Francisco, and New York became our normal. While the distance meant coordinating time zones and airport security, it also gave us the absolute certainty that we wanted to build a life together, turning every layover and late-night FaceTime call into a foundation for our future.

Friends often point out exactly how similar we are—we are both loud, unapologetically extroverted, and rarely take anything too seriously. Our relationship thrives on that shared spontaneity and a lot of joking around. When we aren't out trying a new restaurant, taking over the mic at karaoke, or getting entirely too competitive on the tennis or pickleball court, you can usually find us glued to the couch, binge-watching TV shows and movies in whatever language we happen to land on.

Four years and three cities later, Gokul proposed to Ria at Summit in NYC, a moment made even more special by a surprise appearance from both of our families. Following the proposal, we traveled to India to celebrate a traditional Nischayam (Kerala engagement ceremony) with our extended family at the beautiful Taj Bekal.

Now, we are incredibly excited to officially begin this next chapter surrounded by all of our favorite people!