In real life, half Bengali, half Maharashtrian, Sai Deodhar, who features in the show Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Mein, is ghum in her Punjabi husband Shakti Anand’s pyaar for 20 years now.

The couple dote on their teenage daughter, and Sai says, “The best thing that happens in a marriage is when the child comes into your life.”

Q. When and how did you meet Shakti?

A. I met Shakti on the show Saara Akaash, which we were doing together for Star Plus. Shakti was an established actor by then — he had done Kyon Ki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi — while I was still in college. I was 19, and I remember the first time we met was for a photo shoot. I had just finished my photo shoot at the production house’s office, and I saw this guy sitting on a chair, preoccupied and eating noodles. I was contemplating whether I should say ‘hi’ to him or not, because we had not been introduced formally. I mustered courage and said, “Hi, Shakti.” He looked up, said “Hi,” and went back to eating his noodles!

Q. Where did you guys go for your first date?

A. We never dated; he straight away asked me to marry him. We met largely on the sets. Since I was a Mumbai girl and he was a Delhi boy, we had these huge arguments about what’s better — Delhi or Mumbai. I was the youngest among my co-actors, and Shakti and others treated me like a kid.

Q. Can you elaborate?

A. Once we were shooting in Lohegaon. My father came to drop me to the shoot and was also supposed to pick me up in the evening. Shakti asked me, “Why are you going back to Mumbai?” I told him my exams were going on. I further shared with him that I was 19 and still in college. So he felt I was a kid, and I guess that’s why he treats me quite like a kid.

Q. Which qualities of Shakti are you attracted to?

A. There is no pretence about him. He has an innate confidence in himself. And I have always been very attracted to self-made people — the fact that he came from Delhi to Mumbai with nothing and created everything for himself was a big factor. He treats everybody with a lot of warmth and respect.

Q. How did he propose marriage?

A. So it was very funny. Shakti called me at 3 am and said, “I need to talk to you about something very important.” I said, “It’s three in the morning, okay. It better be serious.” He plainly asked me, “Will you marry me?” And to my surprise, I spontaneously said, “Yes, I will marry you.” But there were complications.

Q. What were the complications?

A. I was engaged to the son of my father's childhood friend. Everybody at home was shocked. My mother would always tell me, “Shakti likes you a lot,” but I would laugh it off because he treated me like a complete tomboy. But I stood my ground about marrying Shakti. Dad reasoned with me, “You are barely 22 years old.” I reminded my dad that mom was only 19 when he married her.

Q. How did you formalise the relationship?

A. Shakti came to my house with his best friend, who was accompanied by his wife. Shakti was carrying a saree and mithai — the shagun, so to say. He called the ritual a roka, a term I was not familiar with. When his parents came from Delhi three days later, Shakti told them, “We want to get married right away.” And sure enough, within 15 days we were engaged, and within 30 days we were married!

Q. How has the relationship changed from the time you were boyfriend-girlfriend to now being husband-wife?

A. The best thing that happens in a marriage is when the child comes into your life. From just husband-wife, you become parents; the family grows, and the love grows too — and the relationship becomes more complete. My mom would always say, “Children are the cement in the cracks that happen in a marriage.” I am grateful to God that we have a beautiful daughter, and our world completely revolves around her.

Love for us is: Offering comfort to each other in a chaotic world.