When we first met Adil, he was onstage narrating a love poem dedicated to his wife Majeda. We were pretty sure they were newlyweds when we met them after the show. It was only later we learnt, that they have been together for ten years. This is a love story of two indomitable individuals. Adil became a quadriplegic at the age of 22, but says that his accident was a blessing – giving him his purpose in life. Adil says he has no desire to be any other way. According to him the real challenge is molding the world around him to suit his needs. This spirit led him to customize his vehicles and figuring out how to drive them with his reduced motor skills. For Majeda it was love at first sight – a love she has kept alive, in spite of the questions she says she still faces every day about her decision to marry Adil. Watch the story of this lovely couple.
They say that love at first sight, is a thing of fairy tales. Or of raging hormones. Not always true. Majeda met her true love in an examination hall. Adil had returned to school to complete Class 12. That he was a wheelchair user did not deter her one bit, and she made her feelings known to him.
“I had mixed feelings initially,” says Adil, who admits his life felt “complicated enough” already, due to a spinal cord injury. Eventually, he fell in love too. But Majeda’s family was concerned. Perhaps they toyed with the usual suspects – how will he earn a living? How will they have sex? How will they have children? It’s not surprising because we belong to a society that judges people with disabilities through a different lens – one that focuses on what cannot be accomplished.
On that note, 2015 was a great year for Adil who showed how his disability doesn’t define him. He currently holds the Limca Book of Records for driving 6,000 km in 8 days and he also snagged two gold medals for a national swimming championship.
This video explores Majeda and Adil’s love story, the deeper connection been two individuals, and their experiences of navigating a judgemental world.
