Swara Bhasker shares love story with Fahad Ahmad: We certainly rushed into marriage

Swara Bhasker and Fahad Ahmad

Actress Swara Bhasker and political activist Fahad Ahmad complete a year of marriage today. On February 16, 2023, the couple made their union legal under the Special Marriage Act (SMA) in the presence of their family members. A month later in March, they celebrated their union with a 10-day feast following both Hindi and Muslim traditions. As they complete a year, Swara shared the story of their love and friendship. She revealed that they first met at the CAA-NRC protests in Delhi where they became friends and eventually partners.

In a collaborative post with the India Love Project, Swara spoke, "‘Wise men say, only fools rush in…' Fahad & I certainly rushed into marriage, but were friends for 3 years prior. It was a love neither of us noticed blossoming, perhaps because the differences between us were many."

She added, "Hindu-Muslim was only the most obvious. I'm older than Fahad & we come from different worlds: a big city girl from an ethnically mixed English speaking family & a small town boy from a traditional Western UP family that speaks Urdu & Hindustani. I'm an actress in Hindi films, he's a research scholar, activist & politician." However, none of these difference could keep them apart. "Our liberal arts education & values gave us a shared language of political beliefs & a common vision for our society & country. We met at the CAA-NRC protests in December 2019 & even organised one together. Slowly, we became close confidants.I felt safe with Fahad & always seen by him. He said he could talk to me about anything without fear of judgement".

"After months of intense communication & night long conversations, I asked Fahad what next. He said though we were worlds apart, we were very compatible, he was very fond of me & if I waited 2-3 years for him to ‘settle' we could marry. I was stunned but also disarmed by his confidence & candour. I always thought I had gone beyond the log kya kahenge mentality, but suddenly, I was worrying about how family, friends, filmy acquaintances & even my ever loyal trolls would react. I had to face the secret shadows in my heart. Amazingly, Fahad could read my unspoken fears & we worked through them," she added.

It was not all easy for the couple as they also had the task of getting their family on board. "Our families were concerned, but we stood by our love. Our shocked parents accepted our BIG decision, though hesitantly & after gently laying out concerns. When they met us together, I think they felt reassured. We were married under the SMA one year ago today. Fittingly, a relationship that began at a protest to preserve the Constitution was solemnised under constitutional provisions. A month later (I was pregnant by then), we celebrated at my nana-nani's home with shared customs. There was lots of music, feasting & a Daawat-e-Walima. The joyous 10-day affair felt like a cultural mahotsav," she concluded.

Swara and Fahad welcomed their first child, a baby girl, in September last year. They named her Raabiyaa Rama Ahmad.