How Mahira Khan made us believe in second chances!

KARACHI: Over the weekend, in a whimsical fairytale-esque wedding, Mahira Khan and her beau Salim Karim, painted a beautiful picture of what love looks like. However, more than that, Mahira Khan and her wedding made us believe in something far more greater and that is, second chances.

She first fell in love when she was just 17 years old and had a son with her childhood sweetheart. But things don’t always work out and Mahira Khan soon found herself divorced. The Humsafar actor has been very candid about how the breakdown of her marriage impacted her and how difficult that phase in her life was. Khan never shied away from talking about how painful the separation and divorce was for her. More so, she faced what a lot of women do, the pressure of having to go back.

In an interview with Frieha Altaf, she revealed, “The first few years were very painful because it was about two good people, it was not an abusive relationship. But it was like two kids had gotten married and sometimes two people evolve differently. There was a little bit of pressure to go back as well.” Conversations such as the one Mahira Khan are important to have. Women should know that sometimes things don’t work out and that’s okay. Two people can be in love and can still end up not being together. And more importantly, the divorce might hurt but the pain will eventually subside.

Becasue Mahira Khan’s (love) story didn’t end at her divorce, she ended up serving as an inspiration to many women. From the time she got divorced to date, Khan focused on raising her now teenage son and making herself financially independent, “I knew that I would take my child but I knew that I didn’t want to be dependent on anyone, not even my parents.” She never let her divorce define her or hold her back, especially when it came to finding love. And when Mahira Khan found the man of her dreams, she would glow when she talked about him! The glow was indicative of a healthy relationship, with love and respect.

In our society, there is a set age to get married, set priorities for single mothers and set societal norms for second marriages. Women beyond 25 are not marriage material. Single mothers need to put their needs aside and focus solely on their children. Second marriages need to be simple and as low key as possible. But Mahira Khan and her wedding broke through all those barriers.

At 38 years old, she proved that a woman can devote herself to her children without sacrificing herself. She proved that you don’t need a man to get you through life but you also don’t need to close the door on love. She proved that you don’t need to rush into something just for the sake of it but rather be patient for love to find you again. And more importantly, a woman can enjoy every single minute of her second wedding celebrations without having to worry about “log kya kahain gay.”

Here’s to wishing the newly weds a lifetime of happiness and hoping everyone finds true love, when the time is right!