Trusting in cupid: Divyanka, Vivek speak about their love story

The sets of Yeh Hai Mohabbatein certainly seem to be conducive to finding love! So if the male lead Karan Patel found his perfect match in the real life daughter of his onscreen father-in-law Abhay Bhargav; then the female lead, Divyanka Tripathi was helped to find her partner by her brother-in-law in the show, Pankaj Bhatia.

It was Pankaj who felt that Divyanka and their co-star, Vivek Dahiya — who had recently joined the cast — were made for each other. As Pankaj played Cupid, Divyanka and Vivek’s relationship slowly developed into a meaningful, romantic one.

And before you could say “Be my Valentine”, the duo was engaged! As they celebrated their first Valentine’s Day together, we got Divyanka and Vivek to tell us how their love story blossomed and what makes their relationship tick.

Vivek, Divyanka, let’s start with how your paths crossed initially.
Vivek: We met through our co-star who knew us both very well. He thought we both would be very compatible and are meant for each other. So it was based on his suggestion that Divyanka and I took the initiative to get to know each other better.
Divyanka: We were working on the same show, but didn’t know each other. It was our common friend and co-star Pankaj who told us that we are both very similar, and to see if things would click between us. Honestly, although we were shooting together, we never imagined we’d end up together!  

Was it love at first sight?
Vivek: Not at first sight. Things developed gradually.
Divyanka: In our case, it was love in just two meetings.

So what attracted you to each other?
Vivek: That Divyanka is such a responsible partner. The way she balances her personal and professional lives. Her humility and kindness, how soft-spoken she is. I can trust Divyanka blindly. These are all the qualities that attracted me to her.
Divyanka: His simplicity and maturity are what attracted me. He knows how to handle me. He is polite and well mannered. He is not a typical industry person and that is what makes him different from the crowd. And above all, he is open-minded and transparent like me.

What was the moment like, when the two of you decided to get married?
Vivek: I proposed to Divyanka on her birthday and she wasn’t even aware I had something like this in mind. When I popped the question, she was flabbergasted.  I actually had to shake her to make her realise it was real and not a daydream. I really thought this was the best gift I could give her on her birthday.
Divyanka: The moment was truly special and his unexpected proposal made it surreal. I felt like a princess from a fairy tale.

Was the transition from being lovers to becoming life partners smooth?
Vivek: Yes, it has been very smooth and we are happy together.
Divyanka: Touchwood, it’s been quite smooth. The bond is growing stronger with each passing day.

What makes your relationship work?
Vivek: Understanding each other. We joke around and enjoy each other’s company a lot.
Divyanka: Yes, we understand each other well and that makes it work. Luckily neither of us believes in shouting or fighting. We always sort out our issues amicably and that helps.

Who makes peace first when you fight?
Vivek: Depending on the situation, we both play the peacemaker from time to time.
Divyanka: I make peace first whenever we fight!

Is there something you would like to change in the relationship?
Vivek: If there were anything to change, I wouldn’t be engaged to her.
Divyanka: I don’t want to change a single thing.

What’s a special thing you did for the other person that always brings a smile to your face?
Vivek: We keep doing little things for each other. When we think about each other we always have a wide grin!
Divyanka: He does something special for me every other day. He wrote a romantic poem for me and even created a special photo frame. I read the poem whenever I have time and it brings a huge smile to my face.

What are the relationship dos and don’ts you swear by?
Vivek: Be loyal. Don’t hide anything from your partner. Always be transparent. Love your partner unconditionally. Avoid invading each other’s space.
Divyanka: Respect your partner. Be happy in your partner’s happiness. Never fight with or disrespect your partner in front of other people.

Rapid fire

Endearing nicknames for each other:
Vivek: I call her “Dew”.
Divyanka: I call him “jaan”.
 
Your most memorable date:
Vivek: When I met her for the first time, she was very sweet to me. We kept talking and when we became a little comfortable with each other, we went for a long walk. That’s my memorable first date with her.
Divyanka: He proposed to me on December 14. That’s been the most memorable date I’ve had with him.

Your ultimate romantic fantasy:
Vivek: Being marooned on an island with Divyanka!
Divyanka: Vivek and I on a cruise.

Your favourite holiday destination:
Vivek: An island in the Caribbean.
Divyanka: Kashmir and San Francisco.

The song you hum for your partner:
Vivek: I sing Aap ki Nazron Ne and Ishq Bulava for her.
Divyanka: I keep humming Ishq Bulava for him.