Amid border tension, partners from two sides get engaged

Moiz Amir, 30, first met his Karachi-born fiancee Fatema Gadiwala through common relatives in January this year and fell in love with her instantly

Mumbai, Nov 4: Even as tension continues to simmer on the border amid ceasefire violations by Pakistan, a man from Mumbai has got betrothed to a woman from the neighbouring country here.

Moiz Amir, 30, first met his Karachi-born fiancee Fatema Gadiwala through common relatives in January this year and fell in love with her instantly.

"When India was partitioned, some of our relatives shifted to Karachi. My family was looking for a bride for me and suddenly we realised that Fatema's family too was looking for a groom for her through common relatives," Amir told PTI.

Her said once both families approved their match, they started talking to each other via video calling on social networking applications. Once the pair firmed up their plan to live together, the process of securing visa for the bride started.

"The bride's family approached the Dawoodi Bohra 'jamat' (office) in Karachi to apply for a visa for niqah ceremony, which they then forwarded to government officials in Islamabad.

The Indian embassy in Pakistan was very forthcoming in giving visas to the bride, her mother, her brother and her uncle to visit India for the engagement ceremony," Amir, who works with a web portal in the city, said.

The bride along with her relatives reached India by train earlier this week while her uncle flew day before yesterday for the ceremony. The couple then got engaged amidst much fanfare in South Mumbai yesterday, with a few relatives of the bride and all family members of the groom attending the function.

Amir said he will now get the marriage registered in India. He will approach the Pakistan embassy in New Delhi next month for him and his mother to travel to Karachi for the 'niqah' and the reception ceremony early next year. "We are hoping that Pakistani officials too are helpful like their Indian counterparts in giving us a visa to visit the neighbouring nation.

"Through our marriage we hope that we send out a message to both governments, that the world can be a much better place to live in if we keep aside weapons and use the language of love for communication," Amir said.

Fatema said she is eager to come and live in India, enjoying the ambience of its diverse and accommodating culture, post the marriage reception in Karachi.

PTI