SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE IN A RELATIONSHIP FOR EIGHT YEARS, AND THEN THEY GET MARRIED AND GET DIVORCED WITHIN A YEAR. SO WE CANNOT PREDICT ANYTHING. AYUSHMAN AND I ARE ANYWAY GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER DURING THIS ENGAGEMENT PERIOD.
Reveals All About HER FIANC!
"Ayushman Does Some Crazy Stuff For Me, Which I Can't Even Tell You"
Every girl hopes of meeting the man of her dreams, falling crazily in love and finally having a fairytale wedding with him. But Neha Marda's case is slightly different. She was never keen on falling in love with someone and taking him home to her parents. She always knew she wanted to have an arranged marriage and settle down with a boy of her parents' choice. Well, her family has finally done the needful. On the 6th of May this year, she got engaged to Patna-based businessman Ayushman Agarwal, a suitable match introduced to her by her parents. But what's interesting is, the couple is already head-over-heels in love with one another! In a candid interview with Showtime, Neha talks all about falling in love with her fianc and their impending marriage.
The one question that everyone's been asking Neha is why she opted for an arranged marriage, as nowadays most people prefer choosing their own life partners. "I always wanted to have an arranged marriage. I was very sure from the beginning that I didn't want to fall in love. Because of the kind of industry I belong to, I didn't want to get married to someone from this field. It's not like I don't trust people here, but I didn't want to marry an actor. More than myself, I was sure about my parents' choice. They understand the world better, have had more experiences and I was sure they would find a better guy for me. As for me, I just had to see if the guy looked cute. And that's all I saw in Ayushman. He's amazing and his family is very good. Overall, the whole experience has been exciting," she says happily.
Quite like the Bollywood film Vivah, they met at the insistence of their parents and fell in love eventually. "It was a typical arranged match. Except before meeting each other, we were quite sure we didn't want to marry. He didn't want to get married to an actress and I didn't want to settle in Patna. But our parents thought that we both should meet up. So we met back-to-back for two days. And when we met, it just clicked. Then our parents asked us if we wanted to get married and we had no reason to say no! In fact, I was the first one to say 'I love you'," she blushes.
Though they had their engagement soon after, Neha doesn't think that she's rushing into marriage. "Sometimes people are in a relationship for eight years, and then they get married and get divorced within a year. So we cannot predict anything. Ayushman and I are anyway getting to know each other during this engagement period. We are more sorted than people who are in relationships but who aren't sure about getting married," she takes a breather and continues, "Also, he's exactly the kind of man I was looking for. He's a decent guy with a corporate background, who talks well, looks good and smells nice. He's perfect!" she says.
She can't stop gushing about Ayushman and tells us more about him, "He is very expressive. He doesn't keep anything in his heart and always tells me everything. The best thing about him is that he knows exactly what I am going to ask. Not that he's too intelligent because I always ask him the same question – how much do you love me. And he always says the same thing – a lot!"
That Neha is crazy about him is evident. Even Ayushman is equally smitten by the Balika Vadhu actress. "I've heard he gets angry very easily. But from the time I've met him, I have never seen that side. He tells me that he has controlled his anger and that whenever he sees me, his anger dissipates. He thinks I am extremely beautiful and always treats me like a princess. He gives me all kinds of surprises and does some crazy stuff, which I can't even tell you. I always dreamed of my guy doing all this for me. He keeps me happy all the time."
So when is the big day, their wedding date? "10th February next year is the date we have set for the wedding. And though it is definitely going to be a grand marriage, we want to keep it private. We are planning to throw a party after the wedding in Mumbai. Calling all the actors from TV will make it a Page 3 kind of shaadi, which I am not looking forward to. But a few selective friends from TV are obviously going to be a part of my wedding," she says.
After marriage, for a lot of actresses acting takes a backseat. Will Neha give up her career post settling down? "I am definitely not going to give up on acting. I am going to live in Patna, and keep coming on and off to Mumbai. If I am working for 25 days now, then I will be working for 15 days a month. Work will be lesser, as my family will become my first priority. I am also going to concentrate on my jewellery designing, for which I will have to keep coming to Mumbai."
Though Ayushman isn't from the entertainment industry, he understands the nature of her work. Neha is confident that her profession will never be a bone of contention between the couple. "He's super proud of me. He's not in awe of the fact that I am an actress, as he's not interested in TV or films. He's completely into business. In fact, he hadn't seen me on TV before he met me, which was a big insult for me! But he is happy to see me dancing and acting and has no problem with my work. His priority is to keep me happy," Neha says.
And if you think that he's the insecure one in this relationship, think again. She reveals, "I am more insecure than him. I mean, he's so cute! I have become so possessive about him that I don't like any of his female friends around him. Even when he is out for his business conferences, I constantly call him and ask his whereabouts. He is possessive about me but not insecure of losing me because we both know we are totally in love with each other."
At the moment, the actress is trying to spend as much time as possible with Ayushman, though work keeps both of them busy. "Sometimes I fly to Patna to meet him or he comes to Mumbai for his business conferences. He recently went to Goa with his friends, so he took a flight to Mumbai. We keep meeting on and off," says the bride-to-be.
Before signing off, she talks about how wonderful the current phase of her life is. "I have always heard how exciting the journey from the engagement to marriage is. But I could never relate to it. Right now, I don't have words to explain how I am feeling. Suddenly somebody has become so important to me. It's an auspicious time for any young person. And I am grateful to God for bringing Ayushman in my life, as he is exactly the kind of guy I wanted. I am really happy and just loving it." Touchwood to that!
*Courtesy: Showtime