Anjali Chakra and Sufi Malik, India-Pakistan same sex couple, announce split: ‘I cheated on her’

Same-sex couple Anjali Chakra and Sufi Malik's pictures had won the internet and users had applauded them for breaking the barriers of gender and religion.

Anjali Chakra and Sufi Malik, a US-based same-sex couple originally from India and Pakistan respectively, have called off their relationship due to infidelity, with both of them taking to their Instagram accounts to break the news to the internet. The couple, who gained internet fame through a viral photoshoot five years ago, took to Instagram to share the news with their followers.

Pictures show Anjali Chakra from India and Sundas Malik from Pakistan under a rain-splattered umbrella. (Twitter/@Sarowarrrr)

"This may come as a shock, but our journey is shifting. We have decided to call off our wedding and end our relationship due to infidelity committed by Sufi," Chakra wrote on her Instagram page on Sunday.

Read Anjali Chakra's full statement on Instagram:

Meanwhile, Malik admitted to cheating on Chakra shortly before their wedding, acknowledging the pain she has caused and vowing to take responsibility for her actions.

"I made an unrecognisable mistake of betrayal by cheating on her a few weeks before our wedding. I've hurt her tremendously, beyond my understanding. I am owning up to my mistake and will continue to do so,” she wrote on her Instagram page on the same day.

See Sufi Malik's Instagram post here:

While Malik is based in New York, Chakra is based in New York and San Francisco.

Seeking privacy and respect, Malik said she has “hurt the people I love and care about the most through my actions, including my family and friends.”

In 2019, a series of photographs from a widely appreciated photoshoot showcased the couple adorned in traditional attire, sharing laughter and kisses under a rain-speckled umbrella. The pictures swiftly captivated the internet, earning widespread praise as they symbolised breaking of both gender and religious divides.

The couple also shares a YouTube channel which has over 1.36 lakh subscribers. They regularly posted videos until two months ago. A year ago, they shared a video announcing their engagement, with a proposal at New York’s Empire State Building. Malik went down on her knees, offering a ring to Chakra.