It’ll be an eid of mixed emotions: Gauahar Khan

Right now, I am shooting in Delhi and will fly to Mumbai only for the day for the celebrations. Though my inlaws are sweet, I wouldn’t want to miss it for anything. GAUAHAR KHAN, Actor

Every festival is important but first-time celebrations hold a certain charm. And actor Gauahar Khan, who tied the knot with actor Zaid Darbar in December, is excited about this Eid ul-adha. “Last year was the first time Zaid met my mum on Eid, and this will be my first after our wedding, so it is special. Right now, I am shooting in Delhi and will fly to Mumbai for a day for the celebrations. I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” she exclaims.

“The story of Bakra Eid is that Allah wanted to test Prophet Ibrahim and asked him to sacrifice his most precious belonging,” shares Khan, adding, “So, when he decided to sacrifice his son,

Allah loved the gesture so much that he turned the sacrifice into a lamb and spared the son. So, that’s the qurbani of a goat. You give three-fourth of it to an orphanage, so the people in need get food and a feast.”

Missing her father, who passed away in March, Khan recalls how he would take her to select the goats. “He taught us how to take care of them, treat them right and with respect, even in death. My memories of spending time with him are precious, including getting the Eidi. It will be my first Eid without him, so there are mixed emotions. I can never replace my dad and his loss will always remain with me,” she says.

Darbar and Khan recently returned from a trip to Russia, where they spent quality time together. “It was a honeymoon trip as we couldn’t go anywhere after our wedding. Though we visited a few cities in India, it was mostly workrelated. [Russia] was a lot of fun and there were so many things to do. With everything that we have been through in this year, it was perfect,” says the Tandav actor.

However, she realises travelling amid the pandemic is “a luxury”. “All of us will have to come to terms with the situation today and start having a life again. The way to do that is to be responsible, not just towards yourself but everyone. Be careful about things you do and take all safety measures possible,” she signs off.