Love stories from across the border that will make you believe in love all over again

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” - Rumi

On either side of the Indo-Pak LOC, two countries are locked in conflict, but sometimes they are liberated by tales of love. Guided by faith, suffused with courage and filled with hope, these stories honour the triumphant heart. And we are here to share some of them today.

Habiba & Rayan

The last week of February this year was mired in fear and violence with Balakot Strikes. While civilians from India and Pakistan were divided in the debate of war, a wedding in Dubai brought the nations together in celebration. The newlyweds were Rayaan, who is Gujarati, and Habiba, who hails from Karachi.

Their love story will make Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, an incredibly happy man as the couple found each other on this social media platform. Thereafter, Habiba and Rayaan dated for six and a half years.

After they got married, the groom took to Facebook to announce the change in his relationship status - “6yrs before we had a fear that how will we ever be One since I am from India and you are from Pakistan. But still, we chose to never give up on each other. And finally, after 6 long years with lots of fights, sacrifices and difficult times, we are now officially ONE!!”

This story was published on Gulf News:

Irshad and Vignesh

Just like most men from Kerela, Vignesh Menon found professional success in the Gulf. He was also friends with a Pakistani girl Irshad Ruby. As a well-to-do businessman, he enjoyed a life of luxuries. But, businesses can be unpredictable and he had a massive financial setback. During his lowest low, Irshad helped him unconditionally. She sold her jewellery and sent her salary to support him. Later, it was Irshad who tactfully popped the question.

Vignesh was hesitant as he knew that his strict Hindu family will oppose their relationship. Irshad is a Christian from across the border. Most of his friends advised him to not marry, but he had the support of his father and a handful of his comrades. Unlike the large wedding ceremonies in Kerela with thousands of guests, his wedding was attended by just three friends.

Vignesh’s family reconciled after the birth of his first child. Irshad learnt to whip up South Indian dishes like an expert. From Diwali to Christmas and the Independence Day of India and Pakistan, they now celebrate all festivals.

Irshad says, “I see no difference between my husband and me, except the colour of our passports.”

This story was published on Khaleej Times:

  https://www.khaleejtimes.com/news/general/friendship-and-hope-meeting-their-match-across-the-border

Sarah & Mustafa

As the youngest child of an affluent family in Karachi, Sarah Hussain was completely pampered and protected from the vagaries of the world. But, life had plans to lead her beyond the borders, far away from her sheltered cocoon and turning her into a majestic butterfly. She visited India to attend a wedding and that’s when she met Mustafa Dawood. After spending a month together, he proposed marriage over a text message while they were sitting in a room with family. In her own words, she felt like the honeymoon was spent in multiple visits to Government offices, custom documents and security checks as they settled in Mumbai.

In a few weeks, an unwanted visitor arrived in the guise of financial crisis as Mustafa lost his job. This was the moment of metamorphosis for Sarah. In a haze of tears and living on a pittance, she decided to pursue a career as a makeup artist. She was the sole bread earner, while there was gossip about Mustafa living off her earnings. Her husband was her cheerleader emotionally and professionally, and that was enough for Sarah to take flight. Looking back, she believes the ‘tough time’ also brought precious romantic moments. She says, “Romance is overcoming your fears to make the other person unafraid of what’s to come. Lastly, romance knows of no LOCs — it’s boundless.” 

This story first appeared on Humans of Bombay: 

https://www.facebook.com/humansofbombay/posts/804040869804892  

Kainaaz & Vedant

Kainaaz is innocence personified. A young Pakistani girl, she was imprisoned in India as an alleged militant. The atrocities she faced as a prisoner left her with permanent scars, but her spirit remained unbroken with the flickering hope of going back home.  She wasn’t alone though, as she gave birth to a cherubic girl in prison and named her Seher. One day, she crossed paths with Vedant, a journalist working on human interest stories. An ex-lawyer, Vedant was obsessed with knowing Kainaaz’s truth, and in the process finds himself being disarmingly drawn to her. He knew that the biggest gift he had to offer her is freedom. Even though he was conflicted, unconditional love driven by acts of selflessness triumphed in the end.

This story is from Zee5’s new web-series, Kaafir. The show has been inspired by real-life incidents. Dia Mirza and Mohit Raina are in the lead roles, and it has been scripted by the writer – Bhavani Iyer of the Raazi fame. The show has been directed by Sonam Nair and produced by Siddharth P Malhotra, director of Hitchki and We Are Family. While the show captures their love story, championing humanity is at the heart of Kaafir.

Mohit Raina has talked about the series on his social media using some soulful words-

Hausla banaye rakhna, yakeen ka chiraag jalaye rakhna. Har mushkil se ubharna mumkin hai, bas insaaniyat pe yakeen banaye rakhna!

All episodes are now streaming on ZEE5. Catch it if you believe in the power of unrequited love. Subscribe now !

This is a partnered post.