Sohni was born in the home of a potter, in a village at the bank of Indus River. She grew up learning how to draw floral designs on the items of pottery her father made.
Izzat Baig was an Uzbek trader from Bukara, whose business trip became a permanent stay once he laid his eyes on Sohni. He would visit the potter’s shop every day just so that he could get a glimpse of Sohni.
Sohni fell in love with him too. Now her art turned from flowers to shades of her love and dreams. Izzat Baig decided to stay and took a job at the home of Sohni. He would take the buffaloes to grazing, which earned him the name of ‘Mahiwal’.
When rumours of their love started to spread, her parents arranged her marriage with another potter. ‘Barat’ suddenly showed up one day and Sohni was married before she could do anything.
This completely turned the life of Mahiwal upside down. He renounced the material world and became a Jogi. The land of Sohni was a shrine for him. The lovers would meet secretly at night.
Sohni came to the riverside and Mahiwal swam across the river to see each other. Mahiwal brought a roasted fish everyday for Sohni.
Legend has it that one day he couldn’t find any fish so he took a slice of meat from his leg and roasted it instead.
Mahiwal was unable to swim so Sohni started coming towards his side using a ‘Matti Ka Ghara’ (earthen pitcher). One day, it was replaced by an unbaked one by her sister-in-law, who was spying on her.
The pitcher dissolved in the river water and Sohni drowned. In his attempts to save her, Mahiwal lost his life too. Their bodies were said to be recovered and their tomb is in the city of Shahdapur, Sindh.
