FOR Moshin Khan and Zafiya Shamim, marriage is about choosing each other and embracing life together.
It is about quiet commitments, sharing burdens and blessings, and moving through life side by side.
At its core, they say, marriage is about responsibility and care.
Moshin oversees properties for a construction company while his wife is a senior communication officer.
Even though their careers demand structure and focus daily, at home their relationship is calm and reassuring.
When Zafiya speaks of her husband, her words are measured yet certain.
She describes him as kind, patient and respectful.
“Being with him brings me peace and I feel our meeting was guided by life’s perfect timing,” she said.
Their love story began in 2010 in Suva. At the time, Moshin was working with the Judicial Department, and Zafiya was a journalist with this newspaper.
Their first meeting left a lasting impression; Zafiya remembers walking away feeling unexpectedly at ease, as if something unspoken had aligned.
“I admire how he is respectful and kind to everyone,” she said.
“When we started talking to each other, his honesty and warmth made me realise he was the one. We connected instantly.”
For Moshin, the engagement unfolded with quiet certainty.
He remembers admiring her from a distance before speaking to her.
“Her presence brings peace and I knew she was the one I wanted to share my life with,” Moshin said.
“She was soft-spoken and graceful. Meeting her in person confirmed everything I felt – it was surely meant to be.”
Though they became friends on Facebook after that initial meeting, their relationship did not deepen immediately. Time moved, seasons changed and as they described it – destiny intervened.
“Later destiny brought us together,” they said.
“Sometimes you meet once, and then the universe does its magic. You then reunite with the one you’re meant to be with.
Their engagement reflected the simplicity they value, that was, an intimate gathering with immediate family.
“Our engagement was a simple, joyful gathering with our immediate families, just like how we wanted it,” the both agreed.
In January, their union was marked by a three-day celebration from the 23rd to the 25th, honouring cherished traditions : haldi, mehndi, nikah and walima.
The haldi ceremony saw close family gently smear turmeric paste on the couple, symbolising blessing and purification.
During the Mehndi, Zafiya’s hands and feet were adorned with intricate henna patterns, with which Moshin’s initials were carefully drawn — a subtle token of love woven into design.
The nikaah formalised their marriage. In that sacred moment, they voiced ‘Qubool Hai’, accepting one another as husband and wife.
The celebrations concluded with the walima, a reception shared with family and friends – a joyful gathering that signalled not just the end of ceremonies, but the beginning of partnership.
During their special celebration, they acknowledge the support that surrounded them, near and far.
They thanked God for bringing them together and for family and friends that supported them, particularly those that travelled from aboard to witness their nuptial.
Now, as they step into married life, their aspirations are grounded and sincere.
They hope to grow as a family, anchored in love and respect for one another.
Special mentions:
Wedding: Suva Civic Centre;
Reception: Jai Narayan College;
Hair & Makeup: Makeup by Nic;
Photography: NK Events Photography;
Attires: India, Pakistan and AZA-Fiji;
Wedding Cakes: Beautiful Bliss;
Henna: Elegant Mehendi and Makeup Fiji; and
Decorations: Magical Unique Events and Decorations
The bride hands and feet were decorated with intricate henna designs. Moshin’s initials were drawn on her hands as a token of love. Picture: NK EVENTS PHOTOGRAPHY
The haldi ritual, where the couple was smeared with turmeric paste by close family members.
Picture: NK EVENTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Moshin and Zafiya with their families during the wedding. Picture: NK EVENTS PHOTOGRAPHY
The couple during the walima (wedding reception or banquet). Picture: NK EVENTS PHOTOGRAPHY
The couple during the wedding ceremony. Picture: NK EVENTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Zafiya during the mehndi ritual with family members. Picture: NK EVENTS PHOTOGRAPHY
