Divorce is often a painful exercise for both families, but for the couple it is even worse. Over the past few years, though, dissolving such a relationship has not been held to be a mourning event but a stroke of luck, at which some have been greeting the change wholeheartedly.
On the other side, Pakistani daughters’ mothers can be observed day and night trying to mend their marriage and dowry and offering prayers for their prosperity. However, a new trend has emerged where, instead of mourning the dissolution of a marriage, others are celebrating freedom from it.
It has been a recent trend in the past few years to celebrate divorce, with people cutting cakes and others dancing along to the beats of drums in celebration. Recently, one of the viral videos showed a woman celebrating her divorce with great zest. Social media influencer Azima Ihsan shared a video on her Instagram account in which she was seen celebrating a new beginning with great enthusiasm, breaking traditional norms.
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In the trending video, Azima, dressed in a classy long shirt and gharara, was performing a Coke Studio dance. She said that although she was divorced, she was extremely happy and successful in life. She captioned her video by stating that divorce in Pakistani society is viewed as a death sentence, especially for women. She told us how people told her that her life was over, that she would live to regret it, and that she would never be happy anymore.
Speaking from the heart, Azima continued that people still judge her today, but she’d rather dance around it, laugh, and live. She explained that divorce is not a sin nor an embarrassing word but a new beginning. She conceded that it is painful and hard and that loneliness creeps in at times, but she is sure that it is much worse to be trapped in a choking relationship.
Reflecting on her failed marriage, she stated that being in an unhappy marriage is far more painful than being divorced. She emphasized that she did not decide so lightly and did not ever wish to be a divorced woman. However, for her and her three children, it was an escape. She also added that, as it turned out, it was also best for her former husband.
Talking about what constitutes a successful marriage, she said that there was a need for a marriage to be based on respect and love and not on fear of societal opinion. She noted that Pakistani women most of the time sacrifice their happiness only so that they would not experience the shame of being divorced. To them, she sent a stern message that their happiness and peace of mind are significant and that life doesn’t end following an unsuccessful marriage.
It’s been two years since she was divorced, but Azima put out a word that she is living proof of how one can grieve, heal, and then dance without caring—other than Instagram, which is perpetually on high alert. She shouted that she works for her own money, serves herself, spoils herself, and is her own best friend, with a life that is no-care when it comes to men.
Her words clearly show that she knew she would be criticized when she walked out of her marriage, and she still is today. But she is happy, moving on, and living her life to the best. While some internet users criticized her, most of them wished her well and prayed for her happiness to prevail.
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