Beyond domestic wins

On August 7, actor and VJ Hina Altaf shared a much-needed reminder on her Instagram Stories regarding the achievements in life that are celebrated less.

"Engagement. Marriage. Pregnancy. New baby. All wonderful things to celebrate. But they are not the only things," advised the grid post from the user @fightthroughmentalhealth that the 32-year-old celebrity extracted from her Instagram feed to upload on her Stories.

The post further urged to celebrate a friend who rejoined school, initiated a business start-up, left a strenuous job, ended a detrimental relationship, adopted a rescue dog, ran a marathon, healed from emotional damage, purchased a home, and/or is taking steps towards a better life.

While no caption accompanied the shared post, Hina's sentiments resonated with her fans. This is significant in the context of a society that views a blooming marriage as the primary sign of success and happiness.

The Bandhay Aik Dor Say actor herself tied the knot in 2020 with her Dil-e-Gumshuda co-star, Aagha Ali. Once the two celebrities completed three years in matrimony, fans began speculating a possible split due to Aagha's recent comments alluding to living by himself. Additionally, the two actors no longer follow each other on Instagram, which is another cause for enthusiasts to suspect divorce.

Perhaps, Hina's thoughts regarding the celebration of marriage and domesticity imply a deeper insight into her own married life and her possible disconnect from it. Or perhaps, they do not reflect any personal association at all. However, the possibility is difficult to rule out.

This, of course, does not disregard the star's earlier statements regarding her marriage. In an interview alongside Aagha, she mentioned, "We had a lot of respect for each other in our hearts, which we agreed to convert into a relationship. The understanding, compassion, and love, it all happened after marriage."

"The thing that I find most beautiful is that when you don't hold expectations, better things come out of the bond," Hina further said. "The moment you find the right guy, you automatically start to think, 'I should settle down'."

The Kasa-e-Dil actor approaches life in a holistic and wholehearted way. It cannot be denied that she values commitment the same way any married individual does, and she wishes to seek it out with an open mind.

For Hina, it is possible for happiness to blossom in a marriage that is built on the foundations of respect. At the same time, her sentiments align with the happiness that sprouts as a result of the various other accomplishments that life offers.