Andaleeb & Lamiya

Some love stories begin with a single moment. Ours began with years of near-misses, quiet connections, and perfect timing. We both went to Sunnydale Private School in Dhaka, attending the same assemblies, walking the same hallways, when we were just 3 and 5 years old. We lived only 15 minutes away from each other, but we never knew one another. After we both moved to Canada with our families, life continued its funny coincidences, we ended up living just 15 minutes apart here, too. Throughout high school, Lamiya would hear Andaleeb’s name from mutual friends. We had each other on social media for years, but never really connected. It wasn’t until Lamiya was in Grade 12, stressing over university applications, that they finally started talking. At that point, Andaleeb already was studying at the University of Toronto, the very school Lamiya dreamed of getting into. Still, timing wasn’t quite right. Lamiya was focused on her goals and put the conversation on pause. But fate wasn’t done. A few months later, after she got accepted to UofT, Andaleeb reached out again, and this time, something beautiful began. We shared all four years of university side by side, growing not just as individuals, but as a team. Through every high and low, and all the quiet, ordinary moments in between, we became each other’s greatest support, soft place to land, and best friend. Now, five years later, Alhamdulillah, we’re stepping into a new chapter, thankful to Allah ﷻ for every near-miss, every twist of fate, and every moment that brought us to one another.