Mohammed Shamim and Simran Sagar live in India and they've been waiting to get married for years.

Oh, here they are. Okay. They're coming out of the gate of the magistrate's office.

NPR corresponded Lauren Freyer met them last winter when they thought their special day had finally come.

Oh, you can't tell if they're smiling or not because they're wearing masks. Are you smiling?

Shamim was not smiling as he walked out of a Delhi courthouse last winter

because the wedding didn't happen. You see, Shamim is Muslim and his fiance Simran is Hindu.

People look at us here. Like why is that good Hindu girl dating a Muslim?

The couple met at a test prep center in their hometown. Shamim was 21 and Simran was 18.

We're from a small town, conservative. People talk. So we used to have to go on date secretly.

Simran would cover her face with his calf. They dated in secret for four years.

The plan was to graduate college, get good jobs and then when their parents acceptants.

It was a solid plan. Until big breaking years the state cabinet has approved a bill against

love jihad. Love jihad. That is the term Hindu conservatives used to accuse

Muslims of forcing Hindu women to convert to Islam. Love jihad laws have been passed in

several Indian states. They prohibit a bride or groom from converting to his or her fiance's

religion. The idea is to stop forced conversions. I felt like the ground shifted beneath my feet.

Days after Shamim and Simran state, Uttar Pradesh passed the law, police started to break up

weddings. At times, Muslims were even arrested. Shamim scared. I thought I'd lose Simran.

Neither of us was thinking of converting religions. But I just knew this law would fuel hatred

and intolerance. So they packed their bags and they ran.

I switched off my phone and didn't turn it on again until I was reached Delhi.

I had messages from my parents crying begging me to come back. They never thought I'd do something

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