The imprints of the individuals who live in Delhi leave behind stories. The echo of many interwoven lives may be heard in every street and alley. Here, in the middle of the bustle of Connaught Place, the tranquillity of Lodhi Gardens, and the mayhem of Chandni Chowk, Prithvi and Sadeeqa often crossed paths until fate brought their lives together.

Prithvi's Strict Views and European Life

Growing up in a very devout Hindu household, Prithvi Sharma learnt that dedication was more than simply faith; it was identity. His religious pride, which his parents had ingrained in him, eventually devolved into fanaticism. He was sceptical of other religions since he thought his was the only true one.

Due to his business job, Prithvi spent a number of years living in Europe, where he saw cultural variety but held fast to his convictions. Because he thought interfaith partnerships diluted cultural purity, he had frequently participated in arguments against them. For him, religion was a line, an aspect of who he was that must not be compromised. 

He had no notion that his outlook on life would be permanently altered when he travelled to Delhi for a brief job assignment.

The Initial Meeting: A World War

It was everything from typical when Prithvi first met Sadeeqa. Their shoulders collided as she attempted to go past him in the packed metro at Rajiv Chowk. Prithvi was too busy browsing through his phone's religious arguments to notice. "Please move, excuse me," said Sadeeqa as she turned around.

He heard her voice. Her sharp features, the tenderness of her eyes, and the hijab framing her face caught his attention as he looked up. An old prejudice flared in his head almost instantly, a conditioned reaction to keep his distance. However, she vanished into the crowd before he could respond.

But fate had other ideas. He spotted her once again at a Khan Market bookshop a week later. Each of them grabbed a copy of Rumi's poems.

"You accept it," she said, grinning. "Rumi should not be fought over, but shared."

Sceptical, Prithvi grinned. "You like Rumi?"

"I adore Rumi," she answered. He asserts that "love has no religion." Do you think so?

Prithvi paused. It was a straightforward inquiry, yet it called into question everything he believed in. He took the book, said curtly, "I don't know," and turned to go.

The Invisible Strings of Delhi

Delhi continued to pull them together in an enigmatic manner. They met while on a history stroll in Old Delhi, at a street food stand in Karol Bagh, and even at India Gate. Every time, Prithvi was fascinated and irritated. Why was fate making him interact with someone he had learnt to stay away from?

In contrast, Sadeeqa found Prithvi's icy manner amusing. She was able to see through his inflexible façade to a guy who was torn and terrified of the feelings he was beginning to experience. Slowly, without noticing, Prithvi started listening as she questioned his opinions and challenged him in talks.

What began as apathy evolved into interest. Conversations grew out of curiosity. And discussions evolved into something much more profound.

A Change in Prithvi's Perspective

He detested acknowledging that Prithvi was changing. He couldn't explain why he was pulled to Sadeeqa. He was unnerved by her generosity, her insight, and her steadfast faith in love above labels.

They were drinking chai one evening in Lodhi Gardens when Sadeeqa talked about her dreams. "I want to tell stories, travel the world, and prove to people that love is the only truth."

Prithvi laughed. That is naïve. That isn't how the world operates.

"But it ought to," she retorted. "Prithvi, tell me why you believe we are different because of our religions."

He had nothing to say. And he began to doubt the barriers he had erected around himself.

He became aware that he was in love at that moment.

A Choice That Changes Lives

It was intolerable to return to Europe after his duty. He was now reminded of Sadeeqa on every street in Delhi. He missed their arguments, her humour, and the way she forced him to think critically. Love had destroyed his convictions one by one, even though he had never disregarded them before.

Even Prithvi was taken aback when he quit his job and went back to India. For Sadeeqa. For love.

She looked at him incredulously as he arrived at her door, panting and anxious. "You left your life in Europe?"

"I discovered something more significant," he declared. "You."

Sadeeqa's eyes welled up with tears, and they both realised then that this was true.

The Battles Start

From the beginning, their love was a battleground. Sadeeqa's family's entire world changed when they learnt.

Her father's voice was stern but tinged with grief as he added, "Sadeeqa, you know this can never be." "Our worlds are not the same."

Her brother forewarned her of the repercussions, and her mother sobbed, terrified of social rejection.

At home, Prithvi had to contend with an equally intense storm. His folks were furious. His father yelled, "You gave up everything for a Muslim girl?" "Are you insane now?"

"Prithvi, please don't do this," his mother begged. You have no idea what others are going to say. Their family does not interact with ours.

Prithvi said, "But Ma, she is just like us." "She believes in kindness and love—"

His father said, "She is not one of us." "And that concludes it."

They faced animosity from their relatives, rumours from the public, and threats of severe repercussions for months. On some days, Sadeeqa thought about giving up, and on other nights, Prithvi questioned whether love was sufficient.

True love, however, finds a way.

Identifying a Path Forward

Prithvi's genuineness and the obvious love in their daughter's eyes won Sadeeqa's parents over, despite their reluctance. Despite their reluctance, Prithvi's parents realised that their son had discovered love instead of being lost. They agreed to get together.

At first, the encounter was tense. Two families, each with years of dread and discrimination. However, something changed as the evening went on, as they shared tales and watched their kids together. They saw two individuals who were incredibly in love, not a Hindu and a Muslim.

It wasn't simple. It took time to gain acceptance. But love began to creep through the barriers as they gradually shattered.

A Successful Love

Sadeeqa and Prithvi were married in a modest ceremony that honoured both of their traditions. Their union was sanctified by a Muslim Qazi and a Hindu priest. There was simply love, no compromise, no conversion. In addition to bringing two spirits together, their wedding marked the dismantling of long-standing obstacles.

They eventually strolled side by side in the bustling city of Delhi, where they had met several times, demonstrating that love is the only religion that counts.

Their tale turned into one of change, optimism, and the uncomplicated realisation that love transcends religion. Prithvi and Sadeeqa demonstrated that love is the only belief worth clinging to in a world when religion frequently divides people.

Years later

The same location in Lodhi Gardens where Prithvi had first declared his love was where he and Sadeeqa sat years later. Their fingers intertwined, their wedding rings glinting in the fading sunlight.

"Do you still think religion has no place in love?" "What?" Prithvi teased.

With a grin, Sadeeqa rested her head on his shoulder. "Prithvi, love is the only religion."

Their love tale became a part of Delhi's unending history as it buzzed around them, a tribute to love that triumphed over all obstacles.