World Service

When Lebanese journalist Janay Boulos first started messaging Abd Al-Kader Habak in the besieged city of Aleppo, one of her first questions was “are you okay?”. Janay needed images and footage for her reporting and Habak would film what he could, often in extremely dangerous situations. Janay, from the comfort of her news desk, began to worry about Habak’s safety. Their messages and voice notes became more personal, too. They began learning more about one another; what their families were like, and how they shared experiences of war and displacement. Quietly, they began falling for each other, but with no way of getting in and out of Syria they couldn't meet. Until Habak’s security situation took a sudden turn and he decided to flee Syria and was smuggled into Turkey. What followed was a romantic and professional partnership neither thought possible when they first began messaging while thousands of miles apart. They’re now married, living in London, and recently released a documentary called Birds of War. Presenter: Asya Fouks Producer: May Cameron Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707 (Photo: Janay and Habak sit at a small table in a cafe. Janay holds the camera at a height and they both look upwards into the lens smiling. Habak is smoking a cigarette, and on the table between them is an ashtray, tobacco and rolling papers and a coffee. Credit: Habak Films)