Singin' Praises

Love takes care of everything for singer Shaan and his wife Radhika...

Shaan's Take

I met Radhika at a club in Juhu that I frequented to play pool. We kept meeting each other that week in and out of places. I was reading a book then that had a huge impact on me. It said if you keep meeting someone coincidentally, it is about time you picked up the signs and did something about it because there aren't any coincidences in life. I took the advice seriously. I didn't think it would go this far, but now that it did, things are great!

Falling in love again after the baby: It is about sharing the most precious treasure that belongs to the both of us. Although she insists he belongs a little more to her when he is behaving!

Bored? Us? No way: We have been married for four years now and even dated for four years before getting married. We share an amazing understanding where we are aware of our differences and have agreed to disagree on them. Radhika and I made a pact not to talk about our work all the time since flying on Swiss Air as an airhostess is very different from singing in a recording studio!

Our basic rules of marriage: Not doing night outs by ourselves. Not making the 'space issue' a big issue. The way couples talk about giving each other space all the time, often translates into too much space, which is unhealthy for the relationship.

Busy schedules: I have really cut down on socialising. So now I am mostly at home with the family. Sometimes when I have a show out of the city, they come with me and we try and take a little holiday.

Radhika's Side

The DJ dedicated the song 'Mysterious Girl' to me and I thought it was Shaan so I smiled at him. And then, for all the wrong reasons sparks flew. We both thought that the other person was hitting on us! The strange thing about us was that we kept bumping into each other at random places. Outside discos, petrol pumps, signals and shops.

Keeping the much clichéd spark alive: Open communication is the key. I always know exactly what he is thinking and we often fight about things that haven't even been said because we know that we are thinking it. We are best friends. I still want to hear his voice first thing in the morning.

I am his biggest critic: I do have a good ear for commercial music. I am right 85 per cent of the time! Shaan cannot make decisions for himself. My advice plays a very important role in his work. I give him advice from his fan's perspective rather than a wife's.

As told to Sakshi Didwania

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The Small Stuff

Venkatesh and Jayanthi Prasad express love in thoughtful ways

Jayanthi's Side

I am chatty; he's quiet. I communicate in more ways than one - gestures, expressions, and words; he speaks only when spoken to. It's probably our opposite natures that create the chemistry required to keep our relationship alive and bubbling... even after eight years of marriage.

It's the little things that count: For instance, I always make sure there's a glass of carrot juice or a milkshake waiting for Venky when he gets home in the evening after practice, as I'm usually still at work. He knows I'm not big on diamonds or gold jewellery so if my birthday is around the corner, he goes out and gets me a nice cotton sari, which makes me very happy.

Three things on my list that keeps me close to my man: a) I will never change myself, because he fell in love with me for my qualities, and that includes no role playing just because his mama is around, I'll be myself and we'll grow together b) I maintain my body. Many women just let go after a few years. If you don't like seeing a paunch on your man, then you had better be in good shape yourself. I take the time and make the effort to dress smart; I know Venky loves to see me in chunky silver jewellery, it's so much a part of who I am, and that's the way I dress c) We give each other space in the relationship. If your man likes to play golf and you like drinking beer (Venky prefers eating pizzas when I'm guzzling down the beer) then you accompany him to the course, let him have his two hours of tee-time, and then do lunch (and beer) someplace where you like to go.

Our son Prithvi: I have a support system that takes care of the little one, and I also don't feel left out when Venky is out on a game.

The best thing we do together? Besides having sex, you mean? Just kidding. We love driving away from the city together. We carry the kind of music both of us love, country western or blues, plus a carton of beers for me, some pizzas for Venky and we talk all the way. That really helps us bond. Our best experience is visiting temples together. It makes us feel at peace with each other.

Venky's Take

(Didn't his wife tell us at the very beginning that he's a man of few words? Well, right she was!)

Love is about how well two people connect: We don't go around pleasing one another at every step of the way, but if there's something interesting I want Jayanthi to read, say a book, or something, I go out and just buy it for her. She gets delighted if I suddenly buy her jasmine flowers too!

As told to Madhuri Velegar

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Friend Speak

Designer and owner of Circa, Simran and Neeraj Kanwar, COO, Apollo Tyres, share their secrets...

Simran's Side

In 10 years, we've never taken a step backwards: We have known each other for 10 years now. We've been married for nine of them and were engaged for a year. Neeraj is my closest friend. We married very young... we've actually grown up together. We have a son, Jai Karan, who is five-and-a-half.

Neeraj is incredibly romantic: He knows how to make a woman feel special. He'll turn up with flowers, even when there's no occasion. He does sweet things every now and then. Even when he's on a hectic business trip, he'll remember to get something for us even at the last minute. After a few years of being married, most men get busy with their work and forget everything else. But not Neeraj. He's still the way he was at the beginning of our romance.

Staying in love: We advise and consult each other. I feel that these little things make you appreciate the person more over the years. When we can, we go for movies, and on holidays. We spend a lot of time with our son. We do have our fights like every couple but we enjoy each other's company so much that we can never be annoyed with each other for a long time.

I'm more impressed every day by: The way he's become responsible about both his work and family. I met him when we were very young and I'm floored by the person he's turned out to be. He's the kind of person who gives his 100 per cent to something... but no matter how busy he may be, he reserves the weekends for his family.

Neeraj's Take

Being together: We have always been the best of friends and Simran has always been very patient with me, helping and supporting me in everything I do.

I love the way she loves us: She's a wonderful mother to our son. Another quality in her I really appreciate is her relationship with my parents. More than a daughter-in-law, she's been a good daughter to them.

Over the years I have come to admire: The fact that she's a very religious person. When I met her I didn't know she was so deeply involved in it. There's something about spiritual people - an aura of peace. Spiritualism is one quality we were brought up with in my family and it is something I have found and love about Simran.

Staying in love: She's not just a beautiful woman; she's also loving, caring and trusting. And like I said, she's a very good friend.

As told to Reshmi Chakraborty

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Laugh out Loud!

Cyrus and Ayesha Broacha give honesty a whole new meaning...

Cyrus Says

We have been married very long... almost three years now. We have survived; I don't know how... despite our personalities. It is a miracle. We got physically intimate in 1995, which is what I define as dating, otherwise you are just brother and sister like the rest of the population of India.

The spark went off on the third day of our marriage. There was no 'suhaag raat'. I couldn't find parking after I came back to my building that night. By the time I got up to the room, Ayesha was fast asleep so my dad and I sat out in the living room and counted the money we got in presents, to see how much of our losses we could cover. I could tell from his face that we didn't do too well.

Keeping the romance alive: When you try to be romantic you are not really romantic. It is called trying to save the marriage. Which is what I do every third day.

Children: I fail to understand why couples remain childless. Having children takes the relationship to another level and they really are fun to have around!

Family hour: Is at the Oval maidan in the evening. The dog, son, wife, and I go. My son calls eight people daddy. So I am worried.

Ayesha's Defence

Special things we do for each other to keep the spark alive: The fact that I put up with him is good enough. My friends tell me I deserve a gold medal. Honestly, I think it's the space we give each other. Cyrus is not really funny. He is the opposite. He's grouchy at best. If I hadn't watched MTV, I would have believed that I am married to one of the grumpiest men on earth!

Over the years, we've learned to stay far away from each other's work: Occasionally, when I am channel surfing, I happen to watch Cyrus. That's it. I know nothing else about his work. And he's not interested in mine (photography) either. I think he's visually impaired. I have tried involving him but I don't get the feedback or response I am looking for. So that's that.

Falling in love again after the baby? In our case, for Cyrus, the dog became more important than the baby! He said he needed to reassure the dog because we had a new member in the family. It took him a long time to see Mikhaail, who is now one-and-a-half years old, not as an entity but our son. Now, of course, we both enjoy him immensely. For Cyrus, everything Mikhaail does is cute and rare because he doesn't spend much time at home, whereas I'm there most of the time.

Cyrus Broacha spoke with Sakshi Didwania & Ayesha Broacha spoke with Namita A Shrivastava.

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A Love Canvas

For artist couple Nupur and Subroto Kundu, art is a matter of the heart

Nupur's Side

There was some opposition from my family: We have known each other for 11 years now. We met in Delhi College of Art, where I was a student and he was teaching. Initially, my family refused to accept him, but once they came to know him and visited his family in Kolkata, they liked him.

Bonding factor: The love for fine arts is what keeps us together... apart from our son, Shaiyanaak, who likes to call himself Shah Rukh Khan these days. Although we are in the same field, ego hassles have never come in. He's way ahead of me professionally and I look up to him.

Staying in love: We share a lot of interests. We both like visiting art exhibitions. We love travelling together, especially to art camps. We are also foodies and though I'm a Punjabi, thanks to him I've developed a taste for traditional Bengali vegetarian food.

I love the way he tries to keep our romance alive: He's very thoughtful. He knows how much I hate clutter so he got some carpentry work to be done while I was away. Recently, he held a surprise birthday party for me, where he invited not just our common acquaintances but also my friends... meaning he took the trouble to go through my phone book, take down my friends' numbers and then invite them...

Subroto's Take

Stronger after the baby: Our child has brought us closer. He went through a severe digestive problem after birth. It was a very tough time for us and it brought us closer.

What keeps me in love: What I like about her is the respect with which she treats some of the senior artists who are part of my friend circle. She also brings a fresh perspective on my work, which is very refreshing. I like the fact that we are able to carry on our mutual understanding through art.

As told to Reshmi Chakraborty