One such person was 72-year-old Nazir Ahmed Khan, a resident of downtown Srinagar. He still remembers the sharp pain of the needle as he got his lover’s name tattooed decades ago. “We both had each other’s names inked,” he says, a wistful smile crossing his face. “I asked the artist to place hers on her shoulder so no one would see it.”
But their love story never reached its destined conclusion. “She was married off at a young age. I had responsibilities, and I couldn’t marry her. Besides, she came from a wealthy family, and her parents objected to our union,” Khan says.
Even after fifty years, the tattoo remains. “At first, I told my wife it was my male friend’s name,” he continues. But as his children grew older, they pressed him for the truth. “Eventually, I opened up.”
His son, Waqas Khan, chimes in. “At first, I wanted him to remove it because it’s against Islam. He tried different ways, but nothing worked.”
Despite everything, Khan remains resolute to this day. “Sometimes, I run into her. We exchange greetings. She was with her daughter the last time we met. We wished each other well,” he says, softly. “I have no regrets about this tattoo. I will die with it.”
Saqib Mugloo is a freelance journalist based in Indian-administered Kashmir. Follow him on X.
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