Love That Asked for Nothing: The Tender Poetic Tale of Amrita, Sahir & Imroz
- Nikita
- Jul 22
- 5 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
One real-life love story that I couldn't stop thinking about, which I came across through an Instagram reel, is this. It got me thinking, and I went on to read more about the trio. I simply had to share this! Stranger than Bollywood, and more heartfelt than anything ever seen or heard of. It clicked something within that said true love is in giving without expecting anything in return. Read the entire piece; I promise you, it is worth it.
This is the story of Amrita Pritam, Imroz, and Sahir Ludhianvi. To give you an introduction, here is a brief about them:
Amrita Pritam
A popular Punjabi poetess, novelist, and writer, most of us have heard of her at some point, albeit in school. Pinjar, Raseedi Ticket, and Kagaz Te Kanvas are a few of her popular works. A part of one particular poem, "Fir milange'", that touched me, is at the end, so please keep reading.
Sahir Ludhianvi (aka Abdul Hayee)
He was an Urdu poet and lyricist. We all know him in some way or the other. How?
Here are the songs written by him:
Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein
Mere dil mein aaj kya hai
Aage bhi jaane na tu
Keh doon tumhe
Mai pal do pal ka shayar hun
Milti hai zindagi mein
Kiska rasta dekhe
Ring any bells? If they don't, give these a listen, and to many, many more. Tell me if you're not impressed!
Imroz (Inderjeet Singh)
A famous poet and painter born in undivided India, Imroz was not as legendary a figure as Amrita or Sahir. However, he is known for the love and care he showed Amrita throughout his life, without any expectations.
Their Story
Amrita was already married at the age of sixteen. She had two children with her husband, Pritam Singh. However, she was not happy in her marriage, and some texts suggest that her husband felt he was not suited for an intellectual lady like Amrita.
As Amrita gained recognition as a writer and poet, her intellectual and personal views evolved, leading her to seek a more fulfilling relationship. She parted ways with her husband in 1960.
Sahir & Amrita: Love Beyond Convention
Amrita Pritam, already married with two children, met Sahir Ludhianvi at a mushaira in the 1950s and fell headlong in love. She called him “Mera shayar”, “Mera khuda”, “Mera devta” - her poet, her god, her hero. Their love was expressed mainly in letters, still powered by longing, distance, and silent devotion.
Whenever Sahir visited, he’d chain‑smoke; afterward, Amrita would collect the half‑smoked stubs and light them herself - trying to feel his presence in the faint taste left by his lips.
Their meetings were filled with silences that spoke volumes - intimate, intense, yet never formalized.
But Sahir never committed. Deeply attached to his mother, and later drawn to singer Sudha Malhotra, he stayed emotionally reserved. Amrita felt his love, but their romance remained incomplete and unforgettable.
When they parted finally, Sahir recited a verse:
“Tum chali jaaogi, parchhaiyaan rah jaayengi... Kuchh Ishq ki raanaaiyaan rah jaayengi.”
(When you leave, your lovely silhouettes shall remain)
It was a farewell wrapped in poetry - but also acceptance. He later said he was not sad that she moved on; he was glad she found someone worthy of loving her.
Imroz & Amrita: A Love Rooted in Quiet Devotion
Enter Imroz (born Inderjeet Singh), Amrita’s illustrator and editor for decades. When she left her marriage and moved to Delhi, Imroz offered not possession or rebellion, but a steady partnership built on respect and tender care.
He never lived in jealousy despite knowing of her lasting love for Sahir. Amrita traced Sahir’s name on his back while seated behind him on his scooter, and Imroz never objected.
He would wake up at night to prepare tea for her while she wrote, quietly supporting her creative soul without expectation. Imroz loved her in a language more profound than words. “We never used the term ‘love’ … it was too empty an expression,” he said.
Their partnership spanned over forty years. He designed her book covers, cared for her children, tended to her late husband, stood by her in illness, and brushed her poetic world with his art and devotion.
Their Love: Unconditional, Patient, Romantic, and Without Rebellion
No anger, no drama - just pure understanding - rightly explains their relationship.
There was no rebellion or conflict in their dynamic. Imroz accepted Amrita’s poetry‑filled heart: he understood she loved Sahir deeply, yet he gave her unconditional space and comfort.
Sahir, too, never forced a commitment. Their romance stayed beautiful in its restraint - no pressure, only poetic presence.
Imroz cared for Amrita in the smallest ways - bringing tea while she wrote, managing their home quietly - all expressions of love through action, not words. His care came without any claims over her love or life.
Their lives were filled with romance in simplicity. Love letters, poetry, cigarette stubs, gazing silences, home illustrations, a shared magazine (Nagmani) - they co‑created a universe rooted in artistic intimacy. Their poetry of love transcended all.
Amrita’s writing remained powered by Sahir’s memory: he became an enduring muse in much of her poetry and prose.
Yet, the safe harbor that sustained her creativity - and later, shaped the rest of her life - was built by Imroz. His steady love allowed her to flourish as a poet and woman.
I'm not sure if I've done justice to their story here. But what has touched me the most in their story is care without conflict or claiming - two men honoring a woman’s heart in different but complementary ways.
In that universe, three wasn’t a crowd - it was a world filled with poetic romance, respect, and unspoken tenderness. I don't think we can find this love in today's world. Therefore, it is essential to share these stories of love and respect between souls. And if you have found such love, you're lucky. Treasure it always!
Poem
Here is the beginning of the poem Amrita wrote for Imroz in her final days.
Main tainu fir milaangi
Kithe? Kis trah? Pata nahi
Shayad tere takhiyl di chinag banke
Tere canvas te utraangi
Ya khore teri canvas dey utte
Ik rahasmayi lakeer banke
Khamosh tainu takdi rawangi
Main tainu fir milaangi
I will meet you yet again,
How and where? I don’t know that.
Perhaps I could be a
figment of your imagination
Or maybe I will draw myself
As a mysterious line that shouldn’t be
On your canvas
Quietly, I will stare at you
And I will meet you again.
And here ends the heartfelt tale of love.
References
Beautiful story and such a wonderful poem.
Such a beautiful story ❤️
Amazing!!! It's amazing to have to know about love in such a way. Never seen love in this way before. Beautifully written article.
It's so difficult to love unconditionally but yet love needs to be unconditional. Such a beautiful story. This is true love not what we see in many Bollywood movies.
Whoa! what a story...