In the recent past, American freelance journalist Clair Stephen’s marriage with Chitral’s polo player Anwar Ali made headlines in Pakistani media. Many wondered how the two met each other and decided to spend their life together in the mountainous region.

To answer such questions and much more they were the guest of Aaj News morning show Aaj Pakistan on Friday.

“I think that I knew pretty quickly,” Clair said when host Sidra Iqbal asked her when she decided to spend her life with Ali. They tied the knot in Islamabad.

Clair met Ali during her visit to Pakistan eight months ago. She stayed in the Booni area of Upper Chitral. Claire maintained communication with Anwar despite returning to her home and their friendship turned into a romantic relationship.

She realised that they made an “incredible team together” while working on a project to build a library in Booni. It was easy to work with Ali, she added.

“We just laughed so much. We just never fight. We communicate really really well. It’s just that fire this guy has. He just never does anything halfway and so I completely fell in love with his character.”

Ali is a polo player and poet from Upper Chitral, Pakistan. He also runs a guest house in his village where he first met Claire.

At first, he thought that the US journalist was arrogant after she refused his offer to help her when she was tired after arriving at his guest house. But later she asked him to take her to the market.

“I took her to hot springs, Garam Chashma. We went to villages for four to five days. I showed her the culture and let her meet the locals. Everyone was meeting with me affectionately as we have been living here for so many years. Everyone gives respect to each other in the village. She thought I was a big celebrity here,” he said.

According to Ali, their friendship got further stronger when she got to know that he also loves animals and has cats, dogs, and horses as pet animals.

Clair was also asked about her life in Chitral as she came all the way from the US to marry Ali. She shared that the people back home also ask her such questions. “I say it’s actually pretty incredible what we as humans can adapt to. It didn’t take long for me to just sort of settle in. I got used to it. Now even with cold showers, it’s more intentional actually in a way. It’s not difficult to do.”

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She went on to add that the most difficult thing for her has been going from a very individualistic society to one that was very community-driven. “There’s not much privacy here and that can be difficult for me at times. But at the same time, I am never lonely. In the US, I felt lonely often. We just work, work, work and here I have learned to slow down and enjoy the company of others and just cherish the small things in life. I am just so much happier here and more at peace.”

When asked, Anwar said that many people marry to fly to the US and build their lives. But he wanted to tell the world that Pakistan was a safe place and its people were not cheaters.

While he acknowledged that his area has “everything”, he stressed the need for proper roads, internet facilities, health, and education. “We don’t need to go anywhere else. There is nothing more beautiful than this.”