What is Mirza Sahiban?
Mirza Sahiban is a famous tragic love story from [[Punjab region|Punjab]]. It is a tale of two lovers, Mirza and Sahiban, whose love was doomed due to social conventions and family pressures. According to the legend, Mirza and Sahiban grew up together in a small village in Punjab. They were childhood friends who fell in love with each other. Sahiban's brothers disapproved of their relationship, as Mirza was from a rival tribe. Despite their families' objections, Mirza and Sahiban continued to meet secretly and profess their love for each other. One day, when Mirza was away from the village on a hunting trip, Sahiban's brothers arranged her marriage to someone else. Sahiban was heartbroken and desperate to escape the arranged marriage. She sent a message to Mirza, asking him to come and rescue her. Mirza, who was deeply in love with Sahiban, immediately returned to the village to save her. But Sahiban was nowhere to be seen. A few hours later, the news reached Mirza that Sahiban had been married and the Nikkah and wedding ceremonies had already happened. Mirza, whose heart was shattered into pieces, was determined to save his lover. He searched all of Punjab for Sahiban, and he luckily found her, after reuniting with each other they were filled with joy. A few hours later they were both sleeping together under a tree. While Mirza was asleep, Sahiban snapped Mirza’s arrows so that Mirza wouldn’t kill Sahibans brothers. When she woke up, she saw, Mirzas dead body was right next to her. Soon after she grabbed one of the broken arrows and stabbed herself with it, ending her life. The story of Mirza Sahiban has been told and retold in various forms of literature, music, and theater. It is often cited as a tragic example of how love can be thwarted by societal norms and family obligations. [[Category:Pakistani folklore]]