At a recent red carpet event, Malaika Arora caught everyone’s attention when she revealed her new tattoo, albeit unintentionally. Her new ink, which reads sabr shukr, obviously has a deep-rooted meaning. We spoke to Malaika about this new addition to her life and the thought behind it.

Malaika, who is really excited about her new tattoo, explains, “For me, tattoos come at significant turning points in my life. I don’t get them just for the sake of it, they have deep personal meaning. This particular one symbolizes the year that 2024 has been for me. The words ‘patience’ (sabr) and ‘gratitude’ (shukr) are very comforting. These words resonate with me when I think about where I am now, compared to where I was just a year ago.”

2024 was a challenging year for the actress – she lost her father Anil Mehta in September. Also, her breakup with Arjun Kapoor made headlines for most part of the year.

Malaika believes that every tattoo should tell a unique story. “I see tattoos as symbols of memories and thoughts I want to carry with me forever,” she says, adding, “I got this new tattoo on the day it got revealed. They had placed a plaster over it, and it was irritating me, which is when the cameras caught it. I didn’t even realise it then. My previous tattoo was done eight years ago, after my divorce (from Arbaaz Khan). That tattoo shows three birds in flight marking a new phase in my life.”

Taking a cue from her tattoo, we ask Malaika if she is open to seek love again. She replies, “I’m not focused on that right now. These are things you can’t plan. I’m just grateful for the patience I’ve had, which has helped me reach a better headspace. I wasn’t in a great place before, but I’m in a much better, calmer and happier space now. I can’t force what happens next… if it’s meant to be, it will be.” Talking more on matters of the heart, Malaika adds, “I’ll always believe in love, until my last breath. Love drives me, and I’ll always have love in my life.”

Malaika is often seen sharing her thoughts on Instagram, leading many to believe that her posts are cryptic and hinting at certain things or people. One of her recent posts read, “Touching a heart for a second can touch a soul for a lifetime,” while another one read, “Some days you are healing, some days you are feeling, some days you are thriving, some days you are just getting by and it’s all valid.”

Talking about that, she says, “There’s nothing cryptic about my posts. They are not aimed at anyone. They are just my thoughts that I feel like sharing. People sometimes overanalyze them and create their own stories. Many of these posts are shared by my mom. I like them, so I post them on social media. That’s all there is to it.”