Dubai - To him, their nationality and religion should not matter; because it's love that really counts.
Published: Mon 14 Aug 2017, 4:48 PM
Updated: Mon 14 Aug 2017, 6:55 PM
Pakistani expatriate Ravi Shanker married his Indian wife, Aarti, 10 years ago. Both are Hindu, but for Shanker, these are just the menial details of his marital journey. To him, their nationality and religion should not matter; because it's love that really counts.
"We want to spread a message of love. We don't want to see people or nations fighting, it's not part of humanity," he told Khaleej Times.
As the happy couple (and parents of two) celebrated both the Pakistan and India Independence Days on Monday and Tuesday, Ravi said it was an encounter back in 2011, which made him realise the power of their rare union.
"I was travelling to India with my family. Back then the situation between India and Pakistan was not good, but when I handed mine and my wife's passport to the man at check-in in Dubai airport, he said he was so happy to see the two passports together."
And in the UAE, he said their union has always been met with "positivity".
"Everyone is so accepting, and we thank the UAE a lot for our relationship because this is where we first met. If I was in Pakistan and my wife was in India, we would never have had the opportunity to meet and fall in love."
When the journey began
The couple first crossed paths at a friend's birthday party 11 years ago, and after showing an interest in Aarti, their mutual friend alerted her father to tell him about their meet. Not long after, Ravi received a phone call.
"Aarti's father contacted me and asked me a few questions about myself.
Before, he belonged to an area in Pakistan, but at the time of the partition in 1947 he went to India and settled there," he said.
But once her father knew she liked Ravi, the marriage was approved.
Today, Ravi said he believes the duo is one of the only couplings in the UAE to have such a union; if not the only couple.
"My wife and I are both Hindu so I think this might be the first case here where two Hindus from India and Pakistan have come together. But this is a union we want to promote."
And with the India and Pakistan Independence days being celebrated this week, that special bond has been highlighted even more, he said.
"We celebrate both days with pride. We go for parties, have decorated cupcakes and wear the colours of our nations on both days."
Even Ravi's 3- and 6-year-old son and daughter get involved too, telling all their friends about their parents unique union, he said.
- kelly@khaleejtimes.com
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