The cross-border love story between Seema Haider and Sachin Meena, aided by the PUBG mobile game, has taken a new twist as the couple has been reported as 'missing' for the past 24 hours, with no communication to their families.
The Indian media extensively covered their unusual love story, which blossomed despite living over 1,300 kms apart in countries not on friendly terms.
Seema, a 30-year-old Pakistani national, and Sachin, a 22-year-old resident of Greater Noida near Delhi, met through PUBG in 2019 and fell in love, facing numerous challenges due to their different nationalities and cultures.
"We became friends and our friendship turned to love and our chats became longer -- every morning and night -- before we finally decided to meet," said Seema, speaking to AFP from the cramped courtyard of Sachin's two-room family home, a couple of days ago.
Seema, who left Pakistan and her husband with her four children by smuggling herself into India via Nepal in May said she has since married Sachin and taken his name.
"I converted to Hinduism," she said, sitting next to Sachin in the village of Rabupura, about 55 kilometres (35 miles) from New Delhi.
"I'd rather die than return or leave Sachin".
The couple's saga took a legal turn when Seema was arrested on July 4 for entering India illegally with her four young children. Sachin was also detained for providing shelter to the undocumented immigrants.
According to latest reports, after their recent release on bail, the Uttar Pradesh's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) is currently interrogating Seema, Sachin, and his father at an undisclosed location in Noida.
The court had imposed certain conditions, restricting Seema from leaving India without prior notice to the police and requiring her to inform the court of any address changes.
Meanwhile, Seema's decision to adopt Hinduism and change her surname after her release from jail has caused estrangement from her family and neighbours in Karachi, Pakistan. Some in her community have voiced their disapproval, with one high-profile religious leader openly threatening punishment should she return to Pakistan.
Last week, a senior Uttar Pradesh police officer expressed concerns about potential attacks on Seema Haider following her public announcement of converting from Islam to Hinduism to be with Sachin Meena - Image Credit: Twitter
Seema's neighbours and a relative made it clear to a PTI Correspondent that they don't want her back in Pakistan.
"She should just send her children back to Pakistan. She can stay there. Now she is no longer even a Muslim,” said the 16-year-old son of the landlord in whose rented home Seema stayed with her children for the last three years before deciding to illegally enter India to be with her Hindu lover.
The story of how this largely uneducated mother of four and the wife of a husband working abroad could have the courage in Pakistan's largely conservative society to abandon everything and enter India illegally to be with a much younger man still fascinates everyone in her neighbourhood.
Her home is in a neighbourhood of Bhittaiabad a Katchi Abadi in the heart of Gulistan-e-Jauhar and is nothing much to talk about as it is a three-room portion in a building devoid of any paint and located in a narrow lane full of garbage and overflowing sewerages.
As soon as one reaches Seema's house, one myth is broken that her husband Ghulam Haider who works in Saudi Arabia brought her the house for Rs 1.2 million.
"No, she was a tenant with us for three years with her children. She lived alone with her children. Her father-in-law lives some distance away from here,” Nur Muhammad, the landlord's son, explained. Seema and Ghulam Haider had eloped 10 years back to Karachi and got married against the wishes of their parents.
"We saw her call a taxi and leave one day with her children and some bags and we thought she was going to her village in Jacobabad. But after nearly a month, when we heard about her escapade on TV channels, we were all shocked,” adds Jamal Jakhrani, an elderly man, who was her neighbour.
Jamal, who belongs to the same tribe that Seema and Ghulam Haider belong to, believes it is best Seema remains in India now.
"If ever she thinks of coming back, she will not be forgiven by the tribe and secondly her decision to stay with a Hindu has angered everyone now,” Jamal said.
Initially hesitant to discuss the incident, Maulvi Samiuddin, a prayer leader in the neighborhood mosque, eventually described Seema as evil.
He asserted that husbands should never leave their wives alone for extended periods, and parents should closely monitor their daughters and sisters.
Recently, the Gau Raksha Hindu Dal, a right-wing organisation, issued a 72-hour ultimatum to Seema, demanding her departure from the country, citing concerns about her being a potential Pakistani spy.
The Uttar Pradesh Anti-terrorism Squad is also investigating the case, exploring various angles, including the possibility of Seema being an ISI agent.
The couple's absence from their home in Noida has added to the intrigue surrounding their story.
Last week, India Today reported that a senior Uttar Pradesh police officer expressed concerns about potential attacks on Seema Haider following her public announcement of converting from Islam to Hinduism to be with Sachin Meena.
The police official warned about the risk of someone from the crowd or disguised as media personnel carrying out a fatal attack on Haider.
Despite no formal request for security measures from Seema or Sachin, the police continued constant surveillance on their residence in Rabupura, deploying officers in both uniform and plain clothes.
Sources disclosed that the central government might not repatriate Haider to Pakistan at this time, leaving the final decision on her future to the Ministry of External Affairs and the central government.
Regarding Seema's illegal entry into India, police sources indicated the potential consideration of granting her a long-term visa with specific conditions due to her marriage to an Indian.
Additionally, sources informed India Today that if Sachin appeals to the government for his wife to stay in India, she could be granted a long-term visa based on her status.
(With inputs from PTI, AFP, The Free Press Journal and Business Today)
Diwali illuminations in Leicester (Pic credit: Beth Walsh Photography) Beth Walsh Photography 