Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal reveal why they kept their 7-year relationship private before marriage: 'Zaheer took time to realize that this is permanent'

Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal registered their marriage on June 23 this year in the presence of their close friends and respective family members including Sonakshi's parents Shatrughan Sinha and Poonam Sinha. The couple recently opened up about why they kept their relationship private for over 7 years.
Speaking at News18, Sonakshi explained they wanted to avoid unnecessary attention. She hinted at the concept of "nazar" (the evil eye), saying, "I feel it’s always better to keep private things private. You’re already so much in the limelight; everybody knows everything about you. Something that is so dear to you should be kept for yourself.”
Sonakshi explained that there was no big plan behind keeping their relationship private. It happened naturally as they met, fell in love, and started dating. She realised early on that their relationship was meant to last, though Zaheer took some time to feel the same. Once he did, they both felt more comfortable sharing their relationship with everyone.

Zaheer added that while he initially thought their connection was just something new, his feelings grew stronger over time. Both agreed that their decision to stay private was natural, not a planned strategy. “A guy being a guy, I thought it was just because it was new. I knew from day one that she was the one, but I just accepted it much later,” he said.
Sonakshi and Zaheer first met at a party hosted by Salman Khan. Sonakshi made her debut opposite Salman in the box-office-mayhem Dabangg while Zaheer made his debut with Salman’s home production Notebook.

A few weeks ago, Sonakshi said that she does not feel pressured to cook after marriage, mentioning that she cooks whenever she wants to. Sonakshi said it was the first time she tried her hand at cooking and that her mother Poonam Sinha would be happy with her attempt. She was speaking at the promotional culinary event of a digital travel company. Zaheer had also accompanied her.