Shillong, July 9: In a heartwarming twist, Sachin Meena from India and Seema Haider from Pakistan walked out of prison in New Delhi on a rainy day after being granted bail. Seema was arrested on July 4 for illegally entering India through Nepal without a visa, accompanied by her four children, all under the age of seven. Sachin was imprisoned for sheltering the illegal immigrants.
Seema in an interview with NDTV expressed her newfound connection to India, stating, “My husband is a Hindu, so I am a Hindu. I feel I am an Indian now.” Their love story is as captivating as a Bollywood film, as they connected during the Covid pandemic while playing the online game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG). Their virtual interaction led to love, and they got married in Nepal in March 2023, meeting for the first time.
Describing her journey, Seema said, “It was such a long and challenging journey. I was very scared too. I traveled from Karachi to Dubai, where we waited for 11 hours without sleep. Then, we flew to Nepal and eventually made our way to Pokhara, where I met Sachin.”
After their initial meeting, Seema returned to Pakistan while Sachin went back to India. Seema, claiming discord with her husband, sold a plot and arranged flight tickets and a Nepal visa for herself and her children. She arrived in Nepal via Dubai in May and spent time in Pokhara before taking a bus to Delhi from Kathmandu. Sachin had arranged for her to stay in a rented accommodation in Greater Noida without disclosing her Pakistani identity.
Their cross-border love story hit a hurdle when they were arrested on July 4. Seema faced charges of illegally entering India, while Sachin was accused of sheltering an illegal immigrant. However, Seema was granted bail, and she now intends to complete the necessary paperwork to make her move to India official.
Expressing her joy upon hearing the news of her release, Seema said, “I shouted in joy when I heard the news. I had thought that I would be in jail for months.” Their story serves as a testament to the power of love and the resilience of the human spirit, transcending borders and obstacles.
