Sachin and Sara’s Love Story: A London Beginning, 5 Years of Family Disbelief, Farooq’s Acceptance as Sachin Became MP

On Tuesday, news emerged about the end of the 19-year-long relationship between Sachin Pilot and Sara Abdullah, which is expected to come as a surprise to many. Sachin Pilot, who filed his nomination from the Tonk constituency, has shared in his affidavit that their marriage has come to an end.

Sachin and Sara, who met in London, exchanged expressions of love through emails in their early days. While their paths have now diverged, the journey to romance and politics was anything but a cinematic love story. Here’s how their love story unfolded:

Sachin Pilot was born in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, and is a resident of Vedpura in Greater Noida. His father, Rajeshwar Prasad Bidhuri, was a pilot in the Indian Air Force. Due to his close proximity to the Gandhi family, Rajeshwar Prasad Bidhuri changed his name to Rajesh Pilot, keeping a close connection with the family. Sachin Pilot was named after his father’s change, and he contested elections from Bharatpur to become a Member of Parliament.

Sachin’s mother, Rama Pilot, was also a Member of Parliament. Sachin’s political journey took a turn when he inherited the Tonk Lok Sabha seat from his father, making him a Member of Parliament. Sachin Pilot’s marriage was fixed with Sara Abdullah, and they met while studying abroad.

Sara Abdullah is the daughter of Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, who are prominent political figures in Jammu and Kashmir. Their marriage was a result of a political alliance, and Sachin Pilot found a connection with the influential political family through his marriage.

While their paths may have diverged today, Sachin Pilot and Sara Abdullah’s relationship was a mix of politics and personal life, making for an interesting love story.

Sachin Pilot had never intended to enter politics and had worked in multinational companies.

Sachin Pilot began his education at the Air Force Bal Bharati School in Delhi. He later earned his undergraduate degree from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University. Afterward, he pursued an MBA at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, in the United States.

During his studies, Sachin also interned at a media institute in Delhi. Apart from his educational pursuits, he worked in General Motors, an American multinational corporation.

Interestingly, Sachin never aspired to get into politics. However, when he was just 22 years old, tragedy struck as his father, Rajesh Pilot, passed away on June 11, 2000, in an unexpected incident. This event altered his path, and at the age of 26 in 2004, Sachin Pilot entered politics by winning the Lok Sabha elections and becoming a Member of Parliament.

While studying for his MBA at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, Sachin Pilot, along with his family, lived in Kashmir from 1990 onwards. Due to the ongoing turmoil in the region, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah sent Sara, Sachin’s mother, to London. At that time, both Sachin and Sara were studying in London. Despite coming from political families, they initially didn’t know each other. However, they met at a party in London, and from there, they developed a friendship that eventually turned into a romantic relationship.

Sachin Pilot completed his course and returned to India, while Sara continued to live in England. As the physical distance between them increased, their love continued to grow through emails and phone calls. They maintained their connection through conversations over email and phone calls for three years, nurturing their relationship despite the geographical separation.

After three years of maintaining a long-distance relationship, Sachin and Sara made the decision to get married. However, before their wedding, it was essential to gain their families’ approval. The most significant concern they faced was the difference in religious backgrounds, with Sachin being Hindu and Sara being Muslim, which could potentially affect both families’ political careers. To address this, Sara introduced Sachin to her mother, Saira, and shared the details of their relationship. While Sachin’s family had concerns about this relationship, Sara’s mother chose not to express any opinions at the time, as she believed in their friendship.

Sachin explained the situation to his family and managed to gain their acceptance for his relationship with Sara. However, Sara, despite having conversations with her father, former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, did not succeed in convincing him to approve of her relationship with Sachin. Farooq Abdullah was clear in his disapproval.

The phone bills were quite expensive, and both Sachin and Sara would talk to each other over the phone extensively, even when Sara was in London and Sachin was in India. Their long-distance calls incurred significant costs, but they continued to communicate with each other for an extended period. Over the course of five years, they maintained this long-distance relationship.

During an interview, Sara mentioned that convincing her family about their marriage was not an easy task. She explained that it wasn’t just her family; even Sachin’s family initially wasn’t inclined towards the idea of their marriage. However, Sara and Sachin were determined to get married, and they decided to give it some more time, around five years. They made it clear that if the situation didn’t improve during that time, they would go ahead with their wedding plans anyway. They were both committed to the idea of being together and believed that happiness could be found in their relationship.

Sara’s father and brother had both had love marriages, but they weren’t supportive of her relationship initially. Sara mentioned during the interview that their country is still influenced by religious and caste considerations when it comes to marriages. She is Muslim, and Sachin is Hindu, so both of their families initially had reservations about their union. In the end, Sachin managed to convince his family, but Sara couldn’t do the same with hers.

She explained that her family was not as open-minded as Sachin’s, which had previously accepted a Catholic woman in a marriage and had seen her brother, Omar Abdullah, marry a Sikh girl. Sara’s family, on the other hand, had a more conservative approach towards religion, and they were not willing to accept her relationship with Sachin.

Sara mentioned that she had an accepting and understanding relationship with Sachin’s family, and her mother had genuinely grown to like Sachin. She said that they both decided to do what was best for them, despite the reservations of their families, as they believed happiness could be found in their relationship.

During the time when Sachin and Sara were discussing their relationship, the political leaders from Farooq Abdullah’s party were not in favor of their marriage. In fact, they didn’t want to allow their members to marry outside their religion because it could lead to a divisive atmosphere and backlash from the public. In such an environment, Sachin and Sara’s relationship discussions were happening.

The political climate in Jammu and Kashmir was tense, and there was strong opposition to inter-religious marriages, especially within the context of the Abdullah family. Some party members even started a campaign against Abdullah’s family. As a result, many political leaders were unhappy with Sachin and Sara’s relationship.

Sachin Pilot and Sara Abdullah finally got married on January 15, 2004, at a simple and intimate ceremony held at 20, Kensington Lane in Delhi. This wedding was attended by very few people, with only close family members and a few friends receiving invitations. Interestingly, members of Sara’s family, including her father Farooq Abdullah, and her brother Omar Abdullah, were not present at the wedding. At that time, Farooq Abdullah was in London, and Omar Abdullah was unwell and had been admitted to the hospital. So, the wedding took place without their presence.

After the marriage, Sara’s family eventually came around and accepted the union. A few months after the wedding, Farooq Abdullah, Sara’s father and the former Chief Minister, also approved of the relationship. Over time, the bitterness and anger within Farooq’s family subsided. During the time of their wedding, Sachin was working with a multinational company. Just a few months after their marriage, he contested the Lok Sabha elections. When he won a significant victory, Farooq Abdullah also welcomed him into the world of politics. Sara was working as a yoga teacher during this time. After their marriage, Sachin and Sara had two sons named Aran and Vihan.