Our driver lucky told us this story about himself.
Lucky is a Sunni Muslim. He fell in love with a girl named Zara he met at the movie theatre. Zara is a Muslim too, but a Shi’ia Muslim, and she is a different caste than Lucky, a lower one. But Lucky didn’t care about that, he loved her.
Lucky and Zara decided to get married. He told his mother their plans and she refused to allow it. At the time Lucky didn’t have a lot of driving jobs. His father, who was also a driver, got him jobs – a lot of jobs. He arranged for him to be out on the road for weeks at a time. Zara went home to her family in Lucknow. She told Lucky she would wait for him.
One day Zara contacted Lucky and told him that her parents were arranging a marriage for her. She said she wouldn’t do it, that she would wait for Lucky but that he must come soon! Lucky could not leave his work, he had no work before and if he left, he would be out of a job…
Finally, Lucky was able to go to see Zara but her parents had already arranged the marriage. She cried and told Lucky it was all his fault, that she had been waiting for him but he didn’t come. It was too late.
Lucky told Zara he would wait for her forever. That he didn’t care about the religion or the caste. He said he would wait until she wasn’t married, even if she had children, it was ok, he would wait. But she cannot be with him, she is a ‘good Indian girl’, but still he will wait.
“Did she get married?” we asked Lucky. “Yes, she got married on December 12”, he said.
“But I will wait. I love her. I will wait forever.”
