Throughout the course of our relationship, Arhum and I have marveled at our “universe coincidences” - the twists of fate that allowed our paths to cross and the moments throughout our relationship where we knew only a divine power could be behind it all.

Our first date, on July 1, 2019, at La Pecora Bianca in Midtown East, was six weeks before Arhum moved out of New York and shifted to Miami for medical school. We embarked on a four-year New York-Miami long distance relationship after only those six weeks together, with the faith that the universe would be on our side.

Arhum and I immediately connected on our shared passion for impact and helping others - a driving force for my career in impact investing and for Arhum’s decision to leave healthcare consulting and pursue medicine. But beyond that, we connected on our shared Pakistani culture, our Type-A tendencies, our Muslim faith, our appreciation for a well-made latte, our love for history and learning, and our relentless belief and optimism in the world.

We discovered on our first date that not only were we reading the same book - Bad Blood by John Carreyrou - but we were also on the same chapter. Arhum’s office in New York was on the same block as my beloved first apartment in the city; we presumably crossed paths many times without even realizing it. Both our families immigrated to the US from Pakistan for our fathers to pursue medical residency; Arhum’s family settled in Atlanta, while mine settled in Philadelphia. But perhaps our favorite “universe coincidence” of all is that our names come from the same Arabic root, meaning “kindness” and “mercy”, as my Nano pointed out excitedly the first time I told her about Arhum.

People often ask us both how we were so confident in pursuing a long-distance relationship after only six weeks of knowing one another, but if I were to answer honestly, I knew I’d marry Arhum before they even served our appetizers on our first date. It is the greatest cliché of all, but when you know, you know.

We have counted down the days until our long-distance relationship becomes a short-distance relationship, and we are so excited to begin this next chapter with your blessings and support.

With all our love,

Rahima and Arhum