Sadkey Tumhare. (For Your Sake)

seventeen

I'm your host Leah Trevor and we're back on BBC with another episode of 60 minutes.

On sixty minutes, today we have with us, a couple from Pakistan. With him, being announced as the new chairman of the strongest, in government party and her, daughter of a business tycoon and wife of the current foreign minister. Both of them come from different yet same worlds. Surrounded by controversy and rumours, this is their first interview together as a married couple.

Zaydaan Ziagil, son of Prime Minister Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and foreign minister, part of Prime Minister's current cabinet. He's a thirty four year man who married a twenty two year old girl, a University student.

While people might think they are very different from one another, the one thing that attracts me the most is their elegance and choice in clothes.

Zaydaan Ziagil is dressed in one of his infamous suits, (mind you all, he was named under the top ten best dressed men in the country, the only politician to have made the list anyway)

Aaina Zaydaan, seems to be fond of good clothes too, since she elegantly carries herself, she comes off as simple, someone who isn't trying too hard.

We ask Zaydaan about their marriage, and how he decided to pick someone so young as a wife, the smile on his face as he talks about the memory is surreal, like someone who is extremely fond.

Zaydaan :

"Okay, so."

He fixes his suit jacket, adjusting himself in a more relaxed position.

"This is the story."

"So, I met her when I wasn't even supposed to meet her. I remember being working till late and then baba told me to attend this post eid party. Honestly, I was a little angry because all I wanted was to stay at home and sleep."

Aaina Zaydaan, sitting beside him simply smiles.

"Anyway, this was around a year ago I think? So I'm standing there and I see this person, while everyone's gossiping and chit chatting, she's munching on food. And mind you, there are elite people around."

"And she's eating without a care in the world."

Someone as skinny as her doesn't look like she's fond of food. But Aaina agrees, remembering.

Leah : 

"Alot of people might not find that attractive though, so why did you?"

Zaydaan smiles at her and then at me. The memories of the past clearly make him happy.

Zaydaan :

"I guess I'm not like alot of people."

He answers me, then goes on telling me the whole story of how they met. It isn't one of those love at first sight stories but it still feels genuine.

Zaydaan :

"So I'm just standing there, suddenly interested in the party. And I keep on thinking who this person is. And finally I see her talking to her father."

"Her father is a good friend of baba. So I realised that we were family friends in a way."

"I had so much pressure on me, to get married and to just settle down and I couldn't find someone that I genuinely liked enough to get married."

Women around the world and men, when they exceed thirty are always asked to marry, as if marriage completes them. The foreign minister admits that he had pressure on him too.

Zaydaan :

"And then I looked at her and I just realised that maybe she's the one. Her personality was so kind and she's absolutely beautiful, ofcourse. So yeah, that's about it."

Aaina blushes upon being called beautiful, she's a shy twenty two year old, trying to adjust in a completely different world. But as any other woman would feel happy upon getting compliments, she blossoms too.

Leah : 

"Wow, so how did you propose?"

She interferes, chuckling.

Aaina :

"Oh, he didn't."

Zaydaan admits to the truth.

Zaydaan :

"Yeah, I didn't. I went home and I thought about her. Then a few days later, I saw her at another event and we talked for a while."

"It was all very casual."

Leah : 

"You tell us, Aaina. You don't talk much, do you?"

Aaina :

"I do, actually."

Leah : 

"Right, so when he says that it was casual talk, what do you remember?"

Aaina :

"It wasn't casual, actually. He asked me some really important questions, political views, if I was a intellectual enough I guess, my studies, you know all of these questions."

"And I didn't know whether I should answer him or not, because like, he was a Minister and I was just a regular person. I was a little intimidated as well,"

"But I don't know how, we talked for like an hour or two. It was pretty nice."

"Then I went home and honestly I didn't think much of the conversation. A few months later, I get to know that his father has talked to my father about our marriage."

Leah : 

"That's very old school."

The foreign minister doesn't like the term old school. He interferes.

"I think traditional would be the right term, here."

Leah : 

"Right, so traditional. Were you surprised Aaina?"

Aaina :

"Massively, yes."

"I mean how can one not be? Right."

Leah : 

"Yeah,"

Zaydaan looks at her once again, then back at me.

Zaydaan :

"I didn't want to make her uncomfortable so I just texted her that if she's willing to talk, we can talk about it and then she can make a decision."

He tells us about it. It is common in Pakistan to ask the parents first for a girl's hand in marriage, the parents then go and ask for their daughter's consent.

Aaina :

"But I had already said yes to the proposal before that."

Leah : 

"So it was liking on your part and an arranged marriage, then?"

Aaina :

"Liking on my part too."

Aaina informs us. The liking or loving on her part is visible through her eyes.

Leah : 

"But it must have been a shock because there alot of age gap. And people don't take that lightly."

Leah : 

"People who live more, have more wisdom. They have more experience so they accumulate more wisdom. He's almost a decade older than you, do you think he's a wiser person than you?"

Aaina :

"Yeah, I think that he's got alot to teach me and he knows people better than I do,"

Leah : 

"So you're prepared to learn from him?"

Aaina :

"Yeah, I guess I am."

Leah : 

"Zaydaan, being announced as the next chairman by your father at the procession yesterday and knowing that if you play your cards right, you might be the next Prime Minister. How does that feel?"

Zaydaan :

"It feels great because I have learned from my father in the past five years. And I have a better idea of how life will turn out for me if we win the upcoming elections."

Leah : 

"Your father talked about a Pakistan where people would come on merit, but at the same time, you inherited a chairmanship, you didn't achieve it. So don't you think it's hypocrisy?"

Zaydaan :

"Not at all. I think it would have been hypocritical, if I had studied my whole life in a foreign country again all of a sudden I would be gifted a party chairmanship. But that is not the case with me."

Zaydaan :

"My father has a vision that is similar to mine but still very different. I have worked hard to reach the place where I am today. I have been rejected twice for the party ticket because I couldn't win the inter party elections. I started from a student federation, so to say that it is nepotism, it's wrong."

Zaydaan :

"if my brother was suddenly promoted to the position where I am today, then yes, it would have been nepotism or favoritism, but not with me."

Leah : 

"Some people say that it was a pre planned strategy, that you married at a very right time, end of the government, elections are almost here and you get married. A month later you get announced as a new chairman, it all seems like a strategy."

I see a flicker of anger in his eyes, like he is defensive of this. Of his family. Of his wife.

Zaydaan :

"I believe my personal life has nothing to do with my politics. I married when I knew I could give my time and space to someone that I liked, yes I wanted to marry someone who had the same vision as me."

Leah : 

"So do you Aaina? You have a vision that resembles his vision?"

Aaina :

"I think that, instinctively I believe in his judgement and I believe that what he wants for this Nation is what is right. And at the same time I hope that I can help him achieve a tiny percent of that."

Leah : 

"Your mother in law is a first lady, has that been a lesson for you that if you win the upcoming elections, you will be the first lady. Are you prepared for that role?"

Aaina :

"It would be pretty arrogant to say yes I am prepared, I am 22 year old girl. But I have seen my mother in law and the way she conducts yourself, how passionate she is about things, so yes."

Leah : 

"the first lady has focused in the past 5 years on widows and orphans, if you do take up the role, what would your passion be?"

Aaina :

"When I become the first lady, if I do. That is, then I will share what I think and what I have planned."

Leah : 

"What about children?"

She looks like I've asked a question she wasn't expecting but Zaydaan looks composed.

Aaina :

"What?"

Leah : 

"You are married now and obviously at some point you are going to have children, so?"

Zaydaan :

"I married when I thought I could give her my time of the day, and we will have children when we think that we can be good parents."

Leah : 

"You constantly have people targetting you, is it hard to go out and have a good time with your wife?"

He looks at his wife, gesturing her to answer my question.

Aaina :

"I think that spending time with him is what I really want and like, I don't really care if we can go out or not."

Leah : 

"Okay, so Aaina, I'd like to know something from you. There were rumours that your father is paying for their election campaign, how much truth is there to it?"

For a minute, she looks sad. Maybe, it's the fact that hearing things about your own self at a young age all of a sudden is harsh and unfair. But then Zaydaan puts his hand on hers and she gains control.

Aaina :

"I think people have written the worst things about me. About our marriage. It's hurtful and untrue."

Leah : 

"And then the chaos on media about you in horse riding clothes with your brother in law. What was that all about?"

The foreign minister laughs on that one.

Zaydaan :

"It was about her trying to have fun with her brother in law. Apparently, girls can't go out and enjoy themselves."

Leah : 

"Were you shocked?"

Aaina :

"Yeah, pretty much."

Zaydaan :

"I thought it was ridiculous. Media writes so many untrue things, it's pathetic."

Leah : 

"You said that your brother being in the same position would be nepotism. Do you think that his public friendships are ruining your reputations?"

Ahad Ziagil is known as a romeo rat, a playboy but Zaydaan Ziagil knows his brother more than that. He takes a protective stand when it comes to his brother.

Zaydaan : 

"Not at all. He's young and he has alot of female attention but he's also very smart. And I'm sure he's going to do great in the future."

Leah : 

"What do you think Aaina?"

Aaina gives me a polite smile, she's still a little hesitant with the several cameras but she speaks nonetheless.

Aaina :

"I think Ahad is such a special person, he's so charming and kind. And funny, he's really funny. And he has proved to be such a good friend to me. I really believe that he has more than what media shows of him."

Leah : 

"You had such a fond smile on your face when you were talking about him."

Aaina :

"Yeah, he's amazing."

Leah : 

"And what about your husband? How much have you learned about him so far?"

Aaina :

"One thing that I know of him for sure, is that he knows what he wants and he's very clear about it. So that puts things in perspective for me too."

Leah : 

"Alright, and one last question before we let you both go.." "You don't cover your head as most first ladies before you have, so do you think that it's a problem for people."

She looks unsure and surprised. She looks at her husband for help.

Aaina :

"Uhh, why don't you answer that?"

Zaydaan shakes his head, encouraging her. He's a supportive husband, his gestures and his words show that clearly.

"No. You say."

Aaina :

"I don't know if I should say this or not but I don't like fake people. I have seen so many women, who cover their heads for the media and among people but when cameras are not watching, when they are at parties, they just take it off."

"For me, if I want to cover my head, I will do it on my terms. When I am that close to myself or my spirit that I can make this big decision. And honestly nobody has forced me to cover my head, that counts for a lot of things."

Leah : 

"Are you calling all the first ladies hypocrites?"

Aaina :

"No. My mother in law only takes off the covering from her head when she is with her family, otherwise she always covers up. But a lot of women don't. I don't agree with that and I wouldn't want to be one of them."

"It's like, you can't judge from an appearance."

Leah : 

"And you agree to it?"

He has a degree in political sciences from LUMS, another one in international relations from a local university in the capital, he has a diploma from Columbia, result of a zero semester in foreign media and culture.

But all that education, it can't change the way a person is raised. For Zaydaan Ziagil, to tell his wife to cover his head would mean oppression.

And if he's diplomatic about it, it would still indicate oppression of some sort.

I anticipate his response and he takes me off guard with his reply.

Zaydaan :

"That's a choice which is not mine. I cannot impose anything on her, specially what she has to what she can't wear."

Leah : 

"That's a breath of fresh air for me. It always feels like women are very oppressed, especially women of higher authorities."

Zaydaan : 

"Yes. Besides she already takes so long to get ready, God knows what she will do when she starts covering her head!"

They share a playful relationship here, something that indicates they're still newly married.

Aaina :

"I don't."

Leah : 

"Okay, that's all we have for 60 minutes. I hope you guys will give me another interview as the Prime Minister and the first lady. Good luck to you and to you."

"Thanks for having us."

So after having a friendly dinner with the happy couple, we leave them to rest.

Our sixty minutes might have got complete but there is clearly still alot to know about this couple. Until next time.