"I was feeling lonely. So I married again.”
An Indian man aged 103 has grabbed the internet’s attention after he married a 49-year-old woman.
Habib Nazar tied the knot with Firoz Jahan in a Nikkah ceremony in the Itwara region of Bhopal.
It was reported that the couple actually got married in 2023 but it was in January 2024 that the unique marriage came to light after a video of Habib circulated online.
The clip showed Habib and Firoz returning home after their Nikkah ceremony.
The cameraman is heard congratulating the newlyweds.
Habib replies: “I don’t feel a shortage of anything. I only feel loneliness.”
It was revealed that it was the Indian man’s third marriage.
After his second wife passed away, Habib admitted that he was lonely and this led to him tying the knot for the third time.
His first marriage took place in Maharashtra’s Nashik while his second marriage was held in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow.
The marriage is also not Firoz’s first. After her husband passed away, she had been living alone.
She agreed to marry someone 54 years her senior because there was no one to take care of Habib, who was a freedom fighter.
Speaking to reporters, Habib said:
“I’m 103 years old, and my wife is 49. I got married for the first time in Nashik. After she passed away, I went to Lucknow to tie the knot again.
“My second wife also left for the other world. I was feeling lonely. So I married again.”
Elaborating on her decision to marry a 103-year-old man, Firoz insisted that it was solely her decision and nobody forced her to do so.
She added:
“My husband is absolutely fine and has no medical issues.”
South Asia has seen several marriages with large age gaps.
In one case in Pakistan, a 70-year-old man got married to a 19-year-old.
Liaquat and Shumaila Ali met during their morning exercise routines. Shumaila usually went for a jog while Liaquat enjoyed early walks.
One day, Liaquat saw Shumaila jogging towards him and took a liking to her.
In a bid to impress the young woman, Liaquat sang a song as she jogged behind him.
His singing ended up sparking a relationship, despite their 51-year age gap.
Shumaila said: “One doesn’t see age in love. It just happens.”
Their relationship continued but when the prospect of marriage was brought up, it led to challenges.
Shumaila revealed she found it difficult to convince her parents.
She admitted that they initially objected to her relationship with the elderly man but they eventually gave their blessing.
Shumaila said: “My parents objected for a while but we were able to convince them.
“People shouldn’t comment on people who marry with vast age differences. They should be respected for their decision.
“It’s their life, they can live it the way they want.”
Liaquat stated that he is “young at heart”, despite being 70 years old.
He added: “Age is not a factor when it comes to romance.”
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