It all started the summer before college when I decided to go watch the 2017 KCYL basketball tournament. A mix of freshman nerves and excitement were stirring up when my cousin, Jincy, spotted Rahul, an ISU student and of course convinced me to go meet him. She instantly caught my attention, what an energetic girl who’s overly excited to be in college - typical freshman I thought. She was cute but figured she’d just be another person asking me for car rides home from college. Little did I know these car rides would go a long way…

I remember thinking he seemed so cool and mysterious (how was there a kna guy from Chicago around my age that I DIDN'T know like what!!) I couldn’t imagine him noticing me in that way, so I pushed aside any hint of a crush I may have had. Fall semester began and I started noticing Jenny right away. I even started walking the route from her dorm just in case I run into her ‘unexpectedly’ on the quad and get to say “sup.” Seeing each other more often meant more opportunities for Rahul to ask for dining hall swipes, and I of course kept saying yes—wow, this guy is always hungry. I also conveniently “needed” rides home and always asked him. Even after all that time together, he always played it sooooo cool- I never could tell if he liked me. (I liked her). We were just friends after all.

Later that Fall, our friends threw a Homecoming tailgate, (s/o ISU fam for always playing cupid), and naturally, me and Jenny ended up hanging out. With a little liquid courage, we made more excuses to be near each other that whole day - talking longer, and teasing each other. This was the day I realized she could be more than just a friend.

After our next road trip home he texted me “time flies when I’m talking to you” and it all clicked OKAY THIS GUY LIKED ME BACK. The Nivin Pauly romcoms were finally paying off.

The rest is history! Somewhere in between Harry Potter movie marathons, library dates, walks by the White Oak pond, and jamming out to Malayalam songs on our road trips back home - we fell in love.

Fast forward 7.5 years, we are beyond excited to share our journey as we step into the next chapter of our lives. We're grateful for everyone that's played a factor in our story and can't wait to celebrate with all of you by our side. Here's to the beginning of forever!