Anita’s days were dull and her nights were glum before she met Johny. Fresh off a brief and questionable life detour on the East Coast—where she bravely endured what can only be described as boyish clowns masquerading as men—she returned home to Bumblef--… cough, Des Plaines, Illinois. With her Midwestern roots intact and a newly sharpened New York edge, Anita made a quiet vow: she would one day meet a self-respecting, humble, God-fearing, Roth IRA–contributing man. Until then, she placed her love life in God’s hands and focused on her path to becoming a pathologist. Meanwhile, a few hours south in Champaign, Illinois, Johny was navigating his own unconventional journey through medical training. Also in the midst of a transition, his days were glum and his nights were… well, also glum spent in quiet reflection, the very seldom playing of video games, and the subtle chaos of living between Champaign and his cousin’s place in Orland Park. And so, in the sprawling suburbs of Chicago, our two lovebirds’ paths began to align. One day, Johny’s cousins—active members of the Syro Malabar church in Bellwood (where the wedding ceremony will be held)—were pleasantly surprised when he announced he’d be attending the annual perunnal festival to “bolster his blessings.” Proud of this sudden spiritual enthusiasm, they were fully supportive. What they didn’t know? Johny had already matched with Anita on Dil Mil and astounded by this tall, poetry-reading, unexpectedly intriguing man, Anita granted him what can only be described as the chance of a lifetime: an in-person meeting. Hair slicked back, fragrance applied, and a quick set of push-ups completed for a last-minute “pump,” Johny arrived to church fashionably late. After greeting family, he subtly made his way to the church entrance—where he and Anita met… for the second time. Wait—second time? As it turns out, their story had quietly begun earlier. Back in 2022, at a cousin’s baptism party, both Johny and Anita arrived slightly late—each wandering around trying to figure out where to place their congratulatory cards. As fate would have it, they were the only two resident physicians there. Anita recalls being nudged into speaking with Johny by her cousin Grace (married to Johny’s cousin Melvin), suspecting—correctly—that this may have been a setup. Johny, blessed with many gifts but not a strong memory for such details, recalls… significantly less. The conversation, while promising, went nowhere at the time. But fate, it seems, is patient. Fast forward to 2023: Anita, once again encountering Johny—this time intentionally—quietly decided she might like this hunk of a man. Impressed by his height, his ability to sew, and his appreciation for poetry, she agreed to a second date. There was just one final test. He had to meet her dog, Cookie. As you may have expected, he passed that test with flying colors. That date led to another, and another. Along the way, there was a brief hiccup involving a 12-hour U-Haul drive and a valuable lesson in communication expectations—but like everything else, they worked through it together. Over the past three years, Anita and Johny have grown not only as a couple, but as partners in every sense. They’ve celebrated with family, cooked together, traveled across cities and continents, and navigated the challenges of demanding medical careers and long distance with patience, humor, and grace. They may still be deciding on the perfect honeymoon destination, but one thing has never been uncertain: they want to spend the rest of their lives together. And they’re so grateful to have you here to celebrate that with them.