Egyptian artist Bushra and her husband, Egyptian businessman Salim Haikal, appeared on the program "With You, Mona El-Shazly" on CBC, where they discussed the secrets of their marriage, detailing their relationship that has extended since childhood.
Salim Haikal stated that he was the one who discovered Bushra's artistic talent, saying: "There was a five-a-side football championship at the club’s stadium, and we had arranged for a singer to perform at the event, but he canceled. I had heard her singing at a school event, so I asked her to sing at the celebration, and she agreed." Bushra commented on this situation, saying it was a turning point for her, affirming: "I always carry a lot in my heart for Salim, and his support in suggesting I sing was the reason we remained friends for life, and I never felt any jealousy towards him."
The Egyptian businessman added that after Bushra sang at the event, he confessed his love for her, noting that he was 13 years old at the time, and her response was very brief; she simply said, "ok." He continued: "I felt very hopeful, and our love story was about meeting at the club after school on Thursdays, jogging the track, and eating ice cream. We remained friends."
Salim mentioned that when he was 16, Bushra informed him that she had a heart problem and could never get married. Later, he discovered that the diagnosis was incorrect, but she never told him about it. Salim added, "Our friendship continued, and she traveled to England, but after a while, she returned to Egypt. My friends told me she was in the North Coast, so I went to see her while my whole family was in the area. Bushra approached me with a relative of mine and said, 'Aren't you going to congratulate us? We read the Fatiha,' which was the first shock for me—she's engaged to someone from my family, meaning she'll soon be my brother’s wife."
Bushra shared that her husband was unaware that she did not suffer from any health issues, commenting, "Of course, I forgot to tell him that the diagnosis was wrong and that I could live my life and get married." Salim added, "I got married, and I received an invitation to her wedding while I was in Iraq. I returned to Egypt to attend her wedding, and while shaking her hand and offering congratulations, I said to her, 'See, your heart is fine, and you can get married.'"
