Happily Married Couple Speak on Success of Living Separately, Breaking Cultural Norms & Living Their Truth

Happily Married Couple Speak on Success of Living Separately, Breaking Cultural Norms & Living Their Truth

  • A South Asian woman took to social media to share a video detailing her unique love story and living arrangement with her husband
  • Sana Akhand spoke to the Insider about how she and Adnan decided to live in separate apartments and work on their passions and careers after losing zest for life
  • She said they have never been happier and that they see each other a couple of days a week for romantic date nights and sleepovers

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A young couple has broken traditional and societal norms on the standards of marriage by choosing to live apart in separate apartments to stay happily together.

Taking to social media Sana Akhand wrote in the video posted on January 29 about being a 32-year-old New Yorker and her unique love story.

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Married Couple, Living Separately, New York, South Africa, TikTok
Enjoy their unique married life is Sana and Adnan Akhand from New York. Image: @sanaakhand / Instagram
Source: Instagram
“…Living on my own because NYC apartments are just too small to allow us to feel independent. We lived together for 6.5 years before deciding to make our own rules and do what works best for us & our love story,” she wrote on the TikTok post with over 1M views.

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In an interview with the Insider, Sana revealed that she got married to her husband Adnan in their twenties, nearly seven years ago, due to family pressure.

"From the moment we had our first kiss to the moment we were married, it was a year and three months," she said.

The South Asian woman also said marriage was the next step for someone who has completed their college studies. Sana shared that at the time, for her and her hubby, marriage was nothing more than a piece of paper.

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However, with time, they soon realised that it was not that straightforward and slipped into traditional husband and wife roles neither of them wanted.

Adnan faced financial strain while Sana performed wife duties around the house. As time went by, their personal passions and friendships died out.

Fast forward a few years on, Sana, who now runs an adult social community called Jet Black Social Club and the "Make Your Own Rules" podcast, said she got a corporate job to help them afford to live in New York City.

During the interview, she disclosed that conversations about living apart started after Adnan asked: "What if we just dated again?"

So they did. Sana said she now lives on the Upper East Side, while Adnan, who works in finance, is 15 minutes away on the Upper West Side.

They see each other a couple of days a week for romantic date nights and sleepovers, and are focused on building their careers, Sana said.

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"It was scary at first," Sana said. "But I cannot live my life based on other people's rules because then I'm not living my life, I'm living someone else's life. And I never wanna end up on my deathbed where I'm like, 'Man, I wish I did X, Y, and Z.'"

The lovebirds plan to move back in after a maximum of three years, she said that for now, "This is working better for our relationship, which is making me love him more."

Online users responded to the TikTok video of the Akhands unique take on marriage:

Reet Kaur Ari commented:

“Your marriage will last longer and be more meaningful than so many in this world.”

Jessa Moore reacted:

“My ex-husband and I agree we would have stayed married in a bigger apt.”

Ashley Pineiro said:

“I always tell people how if I got married, I’d need my separate bedroom and I always get confused looks. I sort of get where you’re coming from.”

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Couple who have been Happily Married for 33 Years mark Anniversary with Funny Pictures

Meanwhile, photos of an amazing middle-aged couple have warmed many hearts after it was revealed that they have been married for more than three decades.

The pictures were originally put out by the daughter of the amazing couple who goes by the name, Agunbiade Feyisayo, on her Twitter handle @Miz_Fey.

What added a lot more spice to the photos was how excited the beautiful couple looked as they posted in hilarious styles for the camera.

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Ebenezer Agbey Quist avatar

Ebenezer Agbey Quist (HOD Human-Interest) Ebenezer Agbey Quist is the Head of the Human Interest Desk at YEN.com.gh. He has a BSc in Chemical Engineering from KNUST (2017) with 8 years of experience as a writer and 3 years as an editor. He has certificates in AFP courses on digital investigation techniques. At YEN.com.gh, Ebenezer has won the Outstanding Achievement for Professional Conduct Award and the Best Human Interest Editor Award. He is also the author of 3 books. You can contact him via ebenezer.quist@yen.com.gh.

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Aba Afful (Copyeditor) Maame Aba serves as a copy editor at YEN.com.gh. She naturally enjoys working with words and has an eye for quality content. She has a keen interest in cyberspace and wants to see YEN.com.gh produce more impactful, thought-provoking, and error-free content. Aba has five years of experience as a content writer, blogger, author, and proofreader. She graduated from the Ghana Institute of Journalism in 2017. She joined the team in 2021.