Secret of a successful marriage is to say ‘sorry’ thrice before you fall asleep 

There are two kinds of showbiz celebrity couples: the ones who pretend to be faithful to one another, and the ones who are actually faithful. Admittedly, the number in the former category far exceeds the latter.

I can tell you about these seemingly perfect marriages where the husbands have been cheating till the cows come home.

I don’t know whether I should share this. But very recently this high-profile power-couple, both super stars in their own right, faced rough weather in their seemingly perfect marriage when the hyper male was seen giving too much attention to a female co-star. What did his superstar-patni do? She showered attention on a hunky male superstar, slurping on him as though he were a slice of yummy melting chocolate cake. The husband hastily abandoned his flirty ways.

There are high-profile marriages out there which could crumble under the weight of all the pretension that they have put up with.

But not Abhishek and Aishwarya. This is a couple for keeps. And those who tell you otherwise know nothing about these two people. Both had their share of relationships before marriage. But when they decided to get together as Man and Wife, they promised each other to make their marriage work, no matter what it takes.

When they worked together for the first time in Rohan Sippy’s Kuch Na Kaho, there were no romantic vibes between them. They actually fell in love much later when they co-starred in J P Dutta’s Umrao Jaan. That’s where ‘It’ happened and everyone could see it.

I remember my dear friend JP smiling like an indulgent father. “I think my bachcha has fallen in love.”

How do you know? I asked.

“They don’t come for their shots when called. We all have to wait patiently for them to make an appearance and then we all have to pretend as if everything is normal. We are better actors than those two,” said JP.

It’s been 13 years since Abhishek and Aishwarya have been together and there is not a whiff of a scandal. Every time I meet them in Mumbai, I insist on meeting them together. It takes some co-ordination. But they do it for me. Because, as a couple and as individuals Abhishek and Aishwarya are gracious souls, always attentive and considerate.

What’s more, they complement one another perfectly. To take an example, Aishwarya, as everyone who knows her will tell you, is terrible with communication. If you get a reply from her, you must treasure it for eternity. Very rarely does she respond. Abhishek, on the other hand, has learnt the art of communication from his parents who are really good, make that exceptional, at it. On my birthdays, it is generally Abhishek who calls and then passes on the phone to his wife.

Not that she lacks in warmth. It’s just that her communication skills need working on. As does any marriage. The couple have their share of problems, like every other couple. But they know how to work their way around the bumpy patches in their marriage.

I once asked Abhishek the secret of his successful marriage.

“Every night without fail, before you sleep say ‘Sorry’ three times to your wife,” he replied with a straight face.”

Well, looks like it is working.