Exclusive | Mehreen Pirzada on first meeting with husband Arsh Aulakh: I went to say no but…

ACtor Mehreen Pirzada has quiet stepped into a young stage of her life-time, choosing intimacy o'er spectacle as she married businessman Arsh Aulakh on April 26 in a closely guarded ceremony—one that only came to light after she shared glimpses from the celebrations. Speaking to us, she recalls how the two met through a common friend, with little expectation from either side.“We both thought the meeting would last 30 minutes. For him, it was like, ‘She’s an actor, let’s just meet,’ and for me, I didn’t think it would work. I told myself that if anything felt off, I’d just leave,” she says. Instead, the meeting stretched to six hours. “By the end of it, there was a silent yes. We didn’t say it, but we both felt it. Being honest, Arsh has still not seen any of my work.”  The relationship, which began in July last year, was kept deliberately private, with only a close circle of family and friends in the know. For Mehreen, the idea of marriage was rooted in both love and shared values. “I always believed in love first, but family ideologies matter a lot—upbringing, thought process, how you look at life. Those things need to align,” she explains, adding that her bond with her brother, actor Gurfateh Pirzada, played a crucial role in her decision.“For most girls, it’s their father they look up to. For me, it’s my brother. When I met Arsh, I felt he understood me—even my silences—in a way no one else did.” Gurfateh, she admits, was initially protective and thorough. “He did a lot of background checks, hoping he’d find something. But when they met, they became like brothers. Now they share their own bond.”Explaining her decision to have an intimate wedding, the 30-year-old says, “If it was entirely up to me, I would have had just 20 people instead of 120. Marriage is very personal. Everyone present should genuinely feel something for you. My friends took care of everything like family—it never felt like a formal event.”Recalling a moment that stands out vividly, she shares, “During the pheras, my brother was crying like a baby. He made everyone cry. Even Arsh got emotional seeing him. But the celebrations ended on a high note with an after-party—we danced our hearts out. It felt better than any music festival we’ve attended.”Another reason the wedding was particularly special was her outfit—a refurbished version of her mother’s wedding ensemble. “That was something I always knew I wanted to do. It was emotional, but I had to make it a part of my wedding. Not only that, my kaliras had motifs and messages from my mother and brother, family pictures, even symbols of my grandparents. There was so much thought behind it.” That sense of intimacy extended to how carefully the wedding was kept under wraps. Mehreen admits she was keen on preserving the essence of the moment rather than turning it into a public spectacle. “I feel the essence gets lost if you announce too much in the beginning. We didn’t even hire PR. Even the vendors knew they couldn’t reveal whose wedding it was,” she says, adding that she chose to share the pictures only after the celebrations. “I just posted them to share my happiness and went back to celebrating. Later, I realised how much love it had received.”Looking ahead, she adds, “We’re going for a short honeymoon to Africa for now—that’s one place both Arsh and I haven’t seen. After that, I plan to resume work.” She smiles, adding, “Someone once told me that my busiest phase would begin after my wedding.”