Couple in Afghanistan Living Like Romeo and Juliet On the Run

Mohammed Ali, 21, and his wife Zakia, 18, are fugitives.

She comes from a family of Sunni Tajiks; he is a Shia Hazara. And, as Rod Norland writes for the New York Times:

Her family has threatened to kill them, and now they face potential arrest, too, as the police are seeking them on what the couple say are concocted charges of bigamy and “attempted adultery.”

The two have been traveling from place to place, staying with distant relatives or in shelters; one night they slept in a cave. They’re almost broke, and unsure where to go next. But they’re upbeat:

“It’s worth it, because we love each other,” [Mohammed Ali] said. “Of course we’re concerned about our safety, but our happiness is greater than our concern.”

And Zakia feels the same:

“How can I be sad?” Zakia said, and gathered her veils over her face. “We’re together; I’m with my love.”