Indian Lovers Attempt Suicide at Taj Mahal After Their Families’ Religious Differences Kept Them Apart

It’s a tragic love story that echoes Romeo & Juliet, but instead of warring families, the couple had to overcome the obstacle of faith.

Rajveer Singh (a 25-year-old Hindu) and Shabnam Ali (an 18-year-old Muslim) decided that if her family wouldn’t let her be with him, they’d rather end their lives than move forward without each other. On Wednesday, they put their plan into action at the Taj Mahal, a monument that the creator built out of love for his deceased wife:

Rajveer and Shabnam had arranged to meet at the Taj Nature Walk on Wednesday afternoon. Shabnam, who teaches dance at an academy, met him a few metres away from the world renowned “monument of love”.

Moments later, forest personnel found the two lying in blood, their throats cut. The two were taken to hospital and, according to one account, were “holding hands” while being taken for surgery.

This story doesn’t have a happy ending. While both are still alive, they could be arrested for attempted murder because they tried to kill each other. (Some accounts, however, say they slit their own throats.)

Either way, it’s appalling that religious differences led them to think death was the only option. Because of differences of opinion about the spiritual world, they were forbidden from being together in the real world. (I’m assuming leaving their families and running away together wasn’t a viable option.)

I’m curious what her family does in response to this near-death experience: Do they love their daughter enough to let her make her own decisions even if it violates their faith, or do they continue holding God over her head and preventing her from being happy?

It should never have to come to this.

(Image via Shutterstock. Thanks to Matt for the link)