Sharib Hashmi recently made headlines after revealing that his wife Nasreen’s oral cancer has relapsed for the sixth time. Through every stage of her battle, the The Family Man actor has stood firmly beside her. But long before life tested them with hospitals, heartbreak and uncertainty, theirs was a love story straight out of a Bollywood film — filled with young romance, family opposition, separation, second chances and finally, a happily-ever-after they fought hard for.
Speaking to Hauterrfly, Nasreen recalled how the two first fell in love during college. “We were together in college for a year. After that, we broke up,” she shared.
Sharib then revealed the reason behind their sudden separation. “After our first anniversary, her brother found out about us. He confronted me. His main concern was my height and the fact that we belonged to different castes. He told me, ‘You are still in college. We will get her married in six months. You haven’t achieved anything yet.’ He tried to scare me and warned me to end the relationship,” the actor said.
Nasreen admitted the breakup shattered her. “He got scared and decided to end the relationship without even asking me. I begged him not to, but he still left. I kept thinking he would come back once things calmed down. But he gave up on me. I didn’t give up on him though. I waited for him for two years,” she said emotionally.
Over time, Sharib tried moving on with life and even got engaged to someone else. “My engagement lasted for one and a half years. But when it broke, I ran back to her because there was only one shoulder I wanted to cry on. That’s when I realised I was happiest with her. I decided I would fight the world for this relationship,” he shared.
The actor then contacted an old college friend, who once acted as their “postman” during their relationship, to reconnect with Nasreen. She still remembers how excited she felt hearing from him again, though she tried hard not to show it. “I told him clearly that I wasn’t interested in casually dating anymore. I was 24. If he wanted me back, he would have to speak to my parents and marry me,” she said.
This time, Sharib was determined. But convincing the families was far from easy. Nasreen revealed that when she introduced him at home, she lied to her mother about his financial condition. “He was jobless when he left me, and even five years later, he still didn’t have a stable income. So I told my mother he earned Rs 15,000 a month, which was considered a huge salary back then,” she laughed.
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According to her, the “salary” suddenly made Sharib’s height difference irrelevant in the eyes of her family. “My mother liked him after that and agreed to speak to his family,” she recalled.
However, Sharib faced resistance at home too. “I thought convincing my mother would be a cake walk, but she refused. She had issues with Nasreen’s height and weight. I cried for a week,” he admitted.
Interestingly, it was one emotional incident that eventually changed everything. Nasreen revealed that one of her mother-in-law’s closest friends strongly supported their relationship and tried convincing the family not to oppose the marriage. Tragically, just a week later, the woman slipped into a coma and passed away. “She was my mother-in-law’s best friend. That incident made her extremely emotional, and she finally agreed,” Nasreen said.
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Soon after getting engaged, life also started changing professionally for Sharib. He landed a job at MTV with a salary of Rs 25,000 per month. In 2003, the couple tied the knot, beginning a marriage that has now lasted for over 23 years.
Years later, when Sharib was finally finding major success with The Family Man, life threw another challenge at the couple. In 2018, Nasreen was diagnosed with an aggressive form of oral cancer. Since then, the couple has continued to face the illness together as Nasreen has had six relapses.
