In Rabupura, India, a Pakistani mother of four and her young Indian lover, who developed their relationship while playing the popular battle royale video game PUBG, have expressed that their love transcends international rivalries and religious differences, believing that only ‘death’ can separate them.
The enamored couple, hailing from countries known for their historical animosity, crossed paths in 2020 during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic while immersed in the virtual world of PUBG. Their friendship gradually evolved into love, with their conversations growing longer each day, eventually leading them to decide on a face-to-face meeting.
Seema Haider, a 27-year-old married Pakistani woman and follower of Islam, spoke to AFP from the modest courtyard of her new husband’s two-room house. Her husband, Sachin Meena, a 22-year-old unmarried Indian shopkeeping assistant and a Hindu, welcomed her into his life.
Seema, who undertook a risky journey by smuggling herself and her four children into India through Nepal in May, resulting in their arrest and subsequent release on bail, revealed that she has since married Sachin and adopted his surname. Residing in the village of Rabupura, she emphatically expressed her determination to remain by Sachin’s side, even if it means sacrificing her life.
However, the couple’s union is overshadowed by the longstanding animosity between their nations. Pakistan and India, both possessing nuclear capabilities, have engaged in three wars since their partition in 1947. Bilateral relations between the two countries have deteriorated, with the expulsion of each other’s high commissioners in 2019 and severe limitations on diplomatic, cultural, business, and sports exchanges.
Indian authorities remain skeptical of Seema’s long-term stay in the country, asserting its impossibility. In a plea to the Indian government, Seema, donning a red headscarf while her four young children played nearby, expressed her desire for citizenship as a means to secure their future together.