Alyannah Kassam and Malik Ladhani’s relationship began with a chance connection on the dating app Hinge, but their story quickly revealed a series of remarkable coincidences linking their backgrounds. The couple went on their first date on September 10, 2022, taking a walk through Central Park in New York City. During their time together, they discovered shared roots as Ismaili Muslims of Indian descent whose families had emigrated from East Africa to Canada in the early 1970s. Both grew up in suburban areas outside Toronto and had come to Manhattan for their education.
Kassam, 30, a director at EY-Parthenon focusing on corporate real estate mergers and acquisitions, and Ladhani, 33, a partner in the mergers and acquisitions practice at the law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, found a strong connection early on. Kassam was drawn to Ladhani’s calm and humble nature, while Ladhani appreciated Kassam’s warmth and humor. “It felt like we had known each other for so long,” Ladhani remarked of their initial meeting.
Their discovery of deeper ties came shortly after their date, when Kassam, visiting family in Richmond Hill, Ontario, realized that their fathers had once been friends at the University of Waterloo. The men had even taken a road trip to New York City together in 1979. Although their fathers had drifted apart over the years, they occasionally crossed paths at Ismaili centers around Toronto. The couple later found out they shared the same birthday, October 28, separated by just three years, adding another layer to their connection.
Following their initial encounters, Kassam and Ladhani continued to see each other frequently in New York. Their bond solidified over months, and in December 2022, three months after meeting, they officially became a couple. Ladhani had just returned from attending the World Cup in Qatar and realized he wanted to experience life alongside Kassam. She welcomed him home with a trip to Queens to pick up doughnuts from Tim Hortons, a Canadian staple, at which point he proposed they take the next step in their relationship.
By August 2024, Ladhani moved into Kassam’s Upper East Side apartment, their home remaining close to the site of their first walk in Central Park. The couple established yearly traditions, celebrating their shared birthday each fall with gatherings featuring activities such as Ping-Pong tournaments and Bollywood-themed cycling classes. In winter, they honor their Canadian heritage by skating at an outdoor rink in New York City, reflecting their mutual love for ice hockey.
In April 2025, while vacationing in Tokyo, Ladhani proposed amid cherry blossoms in Yoyogi Park. He had arranged with a local photographer to capture the moment by posing as a tourist at the perfect time and place. The couple married on July 14 at the New York City Marriage Bureau, with city clerk Yanfang Chen officiating and both mothers serving as witnesses. The celebration continued with immediate family over dinner at a Punjabi restaurant in Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood.
Looking ahead, Kassam and Ladhani plan to hold a religious ceremony and reception on August 8 at the Ismaili Center in Lisbon, where they intend to incorporate both Ismaili rituals and Indian cultural traditions. Reflecting on their journey, Kassam described their meeting as “lucky” and attributed the alignment of their lives to a mixture of fate and the Hinge algorithm, suggesting that “all of these little things were already written in the stars before we even met.”