Dharmendra, one of the most beloved and powerful actors of Indian cinema, passed away at the age of 89. Due to long-term illness, he was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai a few days ago. When his condition did not improve, he was taken home and his treatment continued there. News agency IANS gave the sad news that Dharmendra is no more with us. Everyone knows about Dharmendra’s two loves, Prakash Kaur and Hema Malini, but his first love, the most innocent and deepest, often gets lost in the dust of history. This is the story of Hamida. The girl whose smile made Dharmendra understand the meaning of love even when he was a teenager. This was the period when walls of hatred were being raised in the world and the partition of India-Pakistan was dividing millions of lives.

Dharmendra’s first love went away from him amidst the turmoil of this country. Such that she never came back. Dharmendra had seen Hamida for the first time in his relative’s village. A light smile, a hesitant silence and an innocent feeling mixed in the air. His first love started from there. Whenever she returned from school, Dharmendra’s heart started beating when he saw her from a distance. Neither any open expression, nor any meeting, just that old tender, throbbing love.

Hamida went to Sindh with her family and Dharmendra remained standing there. Hands empty, memories full and heart shattered.
He later wrote about this pain in a poem:

“You would just smile and I would go closer…
She would remain silent, I would bow my head…
She would ask something else, I would say something else…
She would say this and go away, I would keep watching…
She would disappear, I would keep thinking – what is the question, friend?”

Dharmendra’s second love: Life gave him love twice

Before coming to films, Dharmendra married Prakash Kaur in 1954 at the age of 19. Life was short, responsibilities were more, but love was even bigger. Both of them had four children, including Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Vijeta and Ajeeta. In the year 1970, Dharmendra met Hema Malini on the sets of the film Tum Haseen Main Jawan. It was not just attraction. It was a relationship that was going to change both their lives forever. Dharmendra was married, divorce was not possible and the society was bound by religious rules.

Also read: Dharmendra Death Updates: Actor Dharmendra passes away, all three daughters- Hema Malini reach home, ambulance deployed outside