A look at the stories of various couples from around the globe
The Different Faces of Love
- By Reuters
1
Asha Ahuja, 71, a housewife, poses for a portrait with her husband, Chandrabhan Ahuja, 73, a businessman inside their house in Mumbai, India, Feb. 7, 2018. Asha said: "It was the summer of 1971 when I met him for the first time. It was our engagement day which was just six days before our marriage. We didn't talk to each other until we got married. I was a free girl and used to go to jam sessions and enjoy time with friends. My life became completely different after I married him. He comes from a religiously conservative family. I sacrificed a lot after our marriage. We are from a generation where we had to make a lot of compromises to make the marriage work, unlike today. I have no regrets, as he loves me and I have a great family." Chandrabhan said: "I am thankful to God who has given me such a great wife. ... We have become closer now as we are growing old. I now accept whatever she says. I am a happy and satisfied person."
2
Oladipupo Baruwa, 45, an investment promotion officer, and Funke Baruwa, 43, a gender and development expert, pose for a photograph at home in Abuja, Nigeria, Feb. 9, 2018. "Well, he is persistent. We met at a church on the first Sunday service of the year 2000, and he followed me home after every service from that day on until about two years later. I just loved his persistence and the fact that he didn't want to give up," Funke said. After the birth of their first daughter in 2013, the pair made a commitment that, whatever lay ahead, they would face it together. "For me that has always been the unifying factor. ... Marriage is a commitment, it is a hard work and when you are willing to work at it, you get better," Baruwa said.
3
Mezbah Ul Aziz, left, 34, and Mausumi Iqbal, 33, pose for a photo in a coffee shop where they hang out on a regular basis in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Feb. 7, 2018. "Our story was not love-at-first-sight type. ... but you know about magic, it always happens with surprises. Both of us are dentists and married for eight years now. Before that, we met at our dental school on June 1, 2004, on the first day of the class. We both were invited to give a short speech before our classmates and teachers. ... We never admitted, but maybe we felt some spark on the first day, but it was definitely not love. Later, we chose different paths. But fate brought us together after a year and a half. I was being bullied by some of my friends, then he came out of nowhere. He did not need to help me, but he did. From that day, we started our journey together. ... now, we have a treasure too, our five-year-old daughter, the center of our attraction, the sign of our love," Mausumi said.
4
Zakir Omur, 58, and his wife, Nurgul Omur, 53, pose at their home in Bogatepe village in Kars province, Turkey, Feb. 8, 2018. Zakir is a farmer and Nurgul is a housewife. They have been married 29 years and have two sons. "When I was young, my mother wanted me to marry, I thought it was too early but traditions came first. They said there was a girl, Nurgul, that could be my wife. ... We got engaged at our second meeting. When we were newly-wed, we started to live in this house with my mother and father. After a while my parents moved next door, but we stayed here. ... My mother didn't ask me if I loved Nurgul or not. But once we got married, I got to know her better. I loved her. ... We all need someone to be together with in peace and have conversations. ... The place we associate with our relationship, is our home. This is the place where we have lived since day one," Zakir said.
