Happy-Ending Indian-Iranian Love Story
Love stories with a “happy ending” are becoming rare. Inter-faith weddings often lead to “honour killings”. The Sunday Guardian is pleased to bring you one love marriage story that has shuttled between India and Islamic nation of Iran. The Bollywood-style Prem Kahani began in 2012 at the Lotus Temple (Baha’i House of Worship) in South Delhi. Soft-spoken Indian Ved Parkash Sharma (32) met a pretty bubbly girl, Iranian Romina Zeinali Esmaeilabad, a third-generation Baha’i; she had come for tourism purposes. Ved had already become a Baha’i in 2009. Love blossomed. They got married in October 2013 under Special Marriage Act.
Ved’s family hails from Bihar, but he was born and brought up in Jammu and Kashmir. His father is a carpenter. The family had moved out of Bihar 35 years back when crime peaked in the state. Romina’s father died when she was five. Her mother brought up her and other three children through her pension. Ved has done MBA in Hotel Management and Tourism and also in International Business. Romina is a graduate from the Baha’i Institute of Higher Education (an online university). Ved says: “It’s an invisible institution as many Baha’i are not allowed to study.”
Ved and Romina lived in India for about five years and then moved to Iran in 2018 to try their luck in furniture and spices import export business from Chabahar port. A part of the port was then being developed by India. For three years, business was picking up. They were blessed with a baby boy on 22 April 2020. They named him Vivaan Sharma; Vivaan is said to be one of many names of Lord Krishna.
Deported From Iran
But what they were fearing all along in their hearts, happened on 15 January 2021. Ved was deported to India because of his religion, being a Baha’i (a persecuted minority in Iran). The Iranian authorities refused to give Ved’s toddler son an Iranian passport though the baby was born on Iranian soil. Ved met J.P. Singh, Head of the Indian Consulate at Zahedan, and his three staff officials for help. Singh advised Ved to leave Iran, otherwise, he may be put behind bars. Singh promised Ved that he would do the needful for the baby’s passport so that the family could soon join him in India. After a few days, Ved was informed by the Indian consulate that his baby’s application was rejected. There was a view that the baby deserved an Iranian passport as he was born in Iran and mother Romina was an Iranian passport holder. Ved, after the court marriage in India, had applied for a spouse visa for Romina with the Indian passport authorities and after two years, she got her Overseas Citizen of India.
After returning to India, Ved started working with City Montessori School (said to be the world’s biggest institution) in his home-town Lucknow as an auditor. Ved says that this school is run by the Baha’i. Ved also tried to get his wife and baby back from Iran. After eight months, baby Vivaan got an Indian passport on 26 September 2021. It was senior Delhi BJP leader Dr Vijay Jolly who made it happen. Ved was given Jolly’s reference by a friend. “We will always remain in debited to Jolly Saheb,” Ved said.
Twists In The Tale
Baby Vivaan was to arrive in New Delhi with his mother from Tehran on Iranian flagship Mahan on 8 October, but they were not allowed to board the flight as Vivaan did not have an Iranian visa on his passport. Meanwhile, in anticipation of Vivaan’s return with Romina, Jolly that day had organized a celebration party at his Sangam Vihar office. As the news came that the mother and child were stopped at the Tehran airport, everyone got upset. Jolly arranged a video conference on a laptop with Romina and the baby in Iran and Ved in Lucknow. Romina thanked Jolly for this kind gesture and hoped for their “happy return soon.” Jolly next day contacted the Iranian Embassy and Union Minister for External Affairs for help.
Happy Reunion
Finally, Romina and Vivaan arrived in New Delhi from Tehran in the Iranian flagship Mahan’s flight on Friday at 10.30 pm. It was a great emotional reunion of Ved with his wife and the baby. The couple hugged. “We thank all the beautiful Indian people, especially Jolly Saheb, who helped us to unite our family. God bless them,” Ved and Romina told this writer.
On Saturday morning at the Constitution Club, a grand reception was arranged by the Delhi Study Group (of which Jolly is the president) to welcome the Indian-Iranian family and baby Vivaan. Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta was the chief guest. “We are happy that the India-Iran baby son has come home to enjoy our biggest festival of joy and lights–Diwali,” Jolly said. He thanked PM Modi for “kind help” and wished Vivaan “to live happily with his lovely dad and mom forever in this new home-country”.