A love affairt to remember

Prologue:

“When you feel nervous or are having a breakdown, just close your eyes and imagine that your parents and siblings are standing next to you, cheering you on and boosting your confidence. They are your biggest fans and believe you can do anything you set your mind to. Hold on to that belief which will make you strong and resilient. Believe in yourself and put this into your heart and mind that you can do it no matter what. Open your eyes and speak from your heart whatever you have in your mind, and you will do great I promise. Remember always that your family loves you no matter what and they will always support you. I am sure you will blow away the minds of your peers, friends, and your university with your speech. Keep the faith and love”.

SYNOPSIS

Sara remembered those words and gave an outstanding speech at her convocation at East London High School as a high school senior graduating with top honors. She instantly fell in love with the person who gave her that mouthwatering advice. Who was this person who stole Sara’s heart? Where did she meet him? How did she meet him? Who is this mystery man? A cool breeze flows through and Sara is rushing though her university crowd searching relentlessly for the man of her dreams, but he is nowhere to be found. After thirty minutes of planlessly searching, reality hits Sara and she realizes that the love of her life, is someone she met online a while back and they don’t even live in the same country. She rushes back home……………..  

Sara just graduated from her East London high school in the summer of 1992 in the UK. With top honors, she will start in the University of London in fall of 1992. However, Sara always had stage fright since her young age, she would freeze when asked to speak on the stage. Also, she is a British Bangladeshi young girl and is usually depressed most of her life. She is suffering from an identity crisis and doesn’t understand what her introduction is. Is she Bangladeshi? If so, then why is she usually ignored in local Bangladeshi functions? Is she British? Then why do her friends at school make fun of her? her looks and her non-participation in British culture like boyfriends, dates, clubs, parties, society’s norms typical British society, not to mention alcohol and others etc. But Sara has always been forbidden from this way of life. She was even asked out on a date in high school, but her parents vehemently opposed it. She is depressed and confused. She has 2 best friends, Simran and Payel and they ask her to connect with folks on Instagram. On Instagram, she meets Zaid (3 years younger than her) but immediately sparks fly between them and they hit it off. From Instagram, they spend time video chatting and calling each other. Zaid lives in Finland and is Finnish Bangladeshi. Like Sara, he suffers from identity crisis and has similar experiences as Sara. This synergy between them created a bond of friendship and then love. Sara is hopelessly in love with Zaid, especially after her high school graduation Zaid was her heart and soul when she bravely spoke on the stage. Sara proposes to Zaid and after six months of chasing him, he finally agrees to her love. This newfound love brings a lot of joy to both Sara and Zaid’s heart. They finally believe that they have an identity in their respective countries which they can cherish. But unfortunately, fate had other plans for them. Over the next six years, Sara would visit Helsinki to be with Zaid and Zaid would visit London to be with her on a yearly basis. However, their love may have blossomed, but Sara was more apprehensive about introducing Zaid to her world, especially her family, since Zaid was younger to her. Moreover, Sara met someone in her university a British Indian hunk called Ramesh, who was interested in her. He tried endlessly to propose to her, but she refused because of Zaid. However, one sad night six years later, Sara was bragging to her friends Simran and Payel as it was her birthday the next day, as to how she would like to date hot guys like Ramesh or moreover and Ramesh would be a great birthday present. Her friends then asked her what about that kid Zaid and Sara would respond please u guys know he was always a time-pass as he was the result of a bet Sara made with Simran and Payal to trap him into her love. What Sara didn’t know was Zaid was standing behind her at the door of her apartment in London, he wanted to surprise her on her birthday with cake, ring, and gifts. He heard everything and was shocked, he was looking at Sara’s eyes straight totally confounded. His eyes were red, and he left the apartment dropping all her gifts, cake and ring without a word. Sara rushed after him and chased him across her apartment complex, but Zaid disappeared. Sara was left crying uncontrollably, what had she done? Was she really playing with Zaid’s heart? Or did she love him? Was she really interested in Ramesh? Zaid rushed back to London Heathrow Airport, heartbroken and in tears. He couldn’t believe what he heard from the one person through he thought he had an identity that he could be proud of. He finally thought he out of this taboo of being Finnish or Bangladeshi or both. Now, he was left with nothing but numbness in his heart. He was back to being in the same position he was six years ago, in an identity crisis. Zaid returned to Finland and broke off all ties with Sara. Sara tried to contact Zaid to explain herself, she flew to Helsinki and looked for him endlessly, but Zaid disappeared from everything, his family didn’t even know where he was. Sara tried for two years to find him but was not successful. Ten years later, Sara bumps into Zaid in Paris next to Eiffel Tower on 14th February, Valentine’s night. Sara can’t believe it, many years ago Zaid and Sara made a pact when they were in love with each other, to meet each other in Eiffel Tower in 10 years. Sara rushed to Zaid and wanted to hug him and hold him tight and she did that. She kept on apologizing and wouldn’t stop, and she couldn’t live without him. Zaid was in tears and was overjoyed to see the love of his life and said he couldn’t live without her. Reminiscing their past, they suddenly came to reality in the present. Sara is engaged to fellow British Bangladeshi in London her parents arranged. However, Ramesh is still chasing Sara and has threatened to kidnap and marry her. Zaid is engaged to be married to his maternal cousin Myra set up by his mother. However, the long-lost lovers can’t stay away from each other. They become inseparable. They rekindle their love affair and continue to see each other despite the odds. What will happen next? Will Sara break all the bonds and finally become one with Zaid? How about their family? How about their identity crisis? Will Zaid who is afraid of his mother (single mother) be able to break his engagement?

Epilogue

Sara is waking up from a heavily sedated state. She doesn’t understand what is happening. She is sitting in front of a mandap firelit (Hindu wedding ceremony rites) wearing a glazing red saree and glimmering ornaments dressed to be bride. It took a while for her to fathom what was going on. Apparently, Ramesh, her friend from the university, drugged her and is trying to forcibly marry her in a Hindu style wedding. A while back, Sara turned down his proposal to marry stating she was in love with someone else. But in a twist of events, Ramesh is trying to marry Sara who is a Muslim against her wishes. Sara regains her composure and as Ramesh is getting closer to her to put a garland and mangal sutar(the Hindu wearing necklace i.e. signifies marriage bond), she pushes him away and runs away from the mandap. She is quick on her heels and leaves the temple and is drastically looking around for a taxicab or public transport. Luckily, she finds a cab and asks the cab to take her to Zaids apartment. She now knows that she can’t live without Zaid, and she belongs to him. A while back, Sara and Zaid had a heated argument as Sara thinks that Zaids mother was forcing Zaid to marry his maternal cousin Myra. Sara couldn’t believe it and asked Zaid to take affirmative action and elope with her. Zaid asked for a calm solution that he would convince his mother that Sara is the love of his life, and he can’t think of marrying anyone but her. But he doesn’t want to hurt his mother and eloping is the last thing on his mind. Sara doesn’t agree and feels eloping is their best option as Zaids mother will never accept her. The argument turns acrimonious with Sara giving an ultimatum that if Zaid doesn’t marry her, he can forget her and go marry his maternal cousin Myra. Zaid tries to reason with her, but she is unmoved. They part ways and both burst into tears because they don’t want to be apart. They love each other so much. The thought of losing each other for good would devastate them.

Zaid is sitting next to Myra in his apartment and getting ready to be wedded. Myra is very excited, she has been in love with Zaid since their childhood, although 3 years older than him, she is crazy about him. She can’t believe her dream to be with Zaid is coming true. As the Qazi(Muslim marriage counselor) is reading the wedding rites and asks Zaid in Bengali Kabool(do u agree with this marriage with Myra?). Zaid is hesitant and reminiscing about his time with Sara. Zaid can’t go through with this wedding; he is in love with Sara and can’t hurt her. Without uttering a word, he rushes out of the apartment much to his mother and relatives’ surprise. Zaid rushes down and is in the street ready to call Sara. Suddenly Sara arrives in the taxicab, and she sees Zaid. The lovers rush towards each other and embrace. Both are in tears, and they utter to each other “I love you so much, I can’t live without you”. “Don’t ever leave me, if we live, we live together, if we die, we die together, our love will be everlasting.”

Suddenly two gunshots are heard, Zaid and Sara fall to the floor. Zaid was shot in the back single gunshot, likewise Sara was also shot in the back, single gunshot. As they fall to the floor, while dying they reach out and hold each other’s hand and their dying words “My love hopefully we will be together in the next world, our love will never die”. Both die peacefully holding each other. Zaid’s father rushes to the spot as does his mother, Sara’s parents also come to their daughter’s side. All of them break down in relentless crying, Zaid’s father Rashan hold Zaid’s hand and hugs him, and his mother Arya then holds his head next to her wailing like anything “What have I done”, “This is my fault” “I shouldn’t have forced you to marry”, “I am so sorry Baba, please forgive me”. Rashan blames his ex-wife and his cousin sister Samyra (Sara’s mother) for this ordeal as they both were stubborn enough to reject Zaid and Sara to be together. The killers Ramesh (shot Sara) and Arman (shot Zaid) are caught. Ramesh couldn’t stand Sara marrying or being with anyone else and Arman, who loved Myra couldn’t stand Zaid taking Myra away from him. 

Narrator talks to audience” I leave it for you viewers to decide who was right? Was it wrong for Zaid and Sara to love each other and be together? Was it forbidden love that Zaid and Sara were related by family as Zaid’s father and Sara’s mother were first cousins? Who is to blame, the parents, the family, the antagonists’ shooters who were in love, the bd society, societal norms? How can these incidents have prevented in the future?” “Was it the identity crisis the lovers Zaid and Sara finally led to their demise?